Introduction to Jainsim

Author(s): Dewan Bahadur A B Lathe
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

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JAINISM The householder worships the images with eight classes of Worshin descrie things while the ascetics only offer salutations bed
to them. The eightfold worship is (1) Bathing the image with water; (2) Sprinkling of Keshar and Chandan; before the image: (3) offering rice in front; (4) placing flowers before the image; (5) offering (Boiled rice) Naivedya (sugar-candy, etc.); (6) keeping up a light near the image; (7) burning incense; (8) offering fruits. There are different hymns to be sung in offering each of these things. The eight together make the Arghya. The offerings are to be poured into three cavities in ground with the three fires in them--the Ahavaniya, the Garhapatya and the Dakshin fires. Wroships are classed into [1] the worship of Arahants, [2] the worship of Sidhas, etc. all the worships consisting of praise of the virtues of the objects of worship. The offerings are called Nirmalya and they are not to be taken for use or caten by any one. It is said to be a great sin to do so.
So far for image-worship. I will now point out the resemblance of Jainism with other religions. The chief doctrines of Jainism are [1] the independent existence of the soul, [2] the observance of the five Vows, [3] the abandoning of animal-food and intoxicants, [4] the theory of actions meeting with their requisite fruits necessarily and [5] the conception of Moksha. Jainism compared
ared Jainism shares these views with many other with other religions. The Hindus, the Parsee, the Islamireligions
tes, the Christians and the Budhas admit the immortality of the soul. The Mohamedans and the Christians do not believe in rebirth; but still they hold that the soul survives death and reaps the fruits of its actions by the decree of God, So the immortality is still unchallenged. About the Vows of Jainism, the Hindu work known as the Divine Lay speak in very similar terms thus: