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Navkar Mahamantra-Translation
MANGALÄCHARAN
navakära mantra Namo arihantänam I bow to the Arihantas (Tirthankars), the perfected souls, who have reached enlightenment by overcoming their inner weaknesses, who have attained infinite knowledge, perception, bliss, and power and have shown the path, which brings an end to the cycle of birth, life, death and suffering. Namo siddhanam I bow to the Siddhas, the liberated souls, who have attained the state of perfection and immortality by eradicating all karma. Namo äyariyanam I bow to the Acharyas, who are the head of Jain congregation, and who preach the principles of religion and show the path of liberation, which is the unity of Right Faith, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct. Namo uvajjhäyänam I bow to the Upadhyäys who are the ascetic teachers. They explain Jain scriptures and show us the importance of a spiritual life over a material life. Namo loe savvasähünam I bow to all Sädhus and Sadhvis who strictly follow the five great vows of conduct and inspire us to live a simple life. eso pancha namukkaro savvapävappanäsano mangalänam cha savvesim padhamam havai mangalam || To these five types of great souls offer my praise. Such praise will help diminish my negative vibrations and sins. Offering this praise is the most auspicious of all benedictions.
Navkar Mahamantra is one of the earliest mantras known to men. It is the invocation to the Supreme Being recommended by the Dharma of the Jains, one of the oldest known religious denomination of the world. Salutations offered through this Mahamantra are supposed to provide the reciter with great spiritual and material success, remove evil and negative tendencies of the mind, destroy various aspects of misery and give divine peace of mind while removing any obstacles that may come in the way of the individual's spiritual and material growth. Thus the Mahamantra is attributed with powerful healing and curative properties. Considered the most scared amongst the sacred, this Mahamantra can take man to the pinnacles of spirituality and holiness.
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