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his head. The Jainas as well as the Buddhists gave a new meaning to tree-worship. Trees were worshipped, not only because they were haunted by spirits, but also especially because the patriarchs of these faiths obtained enlightenment while meditating under their shades.
JAIN JOURNAL
That the caitya-tree was given importance due to the ancient and primitive tree-cult of the masses is best illustrated by a type of Tirthankara images from the South where the Jina is shown sitting under a big tree, his figures seated on a platform (pitha) with all other pratiharyas (attendant extraordinary and supernatural objects) either eliminated or very much subdued (cf. figure from Surat and figure from Kalugumalai, Tinnevelley district).
With the evolution of the lañchanas of the different Jinas, the caitya-trees have lost much of their value in identifying images of the Tirthankaras.
Pañca-parameṣṭhins and Salākāpuruşas
The Tirthankaras (makers or founders of the tirtha) are the supreme objects of veneration, classified as the Devadhidevas by Acarya Hemacandra in his Abhidhāna-cintamani. Enjoying the same high reverence are the Pañca-parameṣṭhins or the Five Supreme Ones, namely, the Arhat, the Siddha, the Acarya, the Upadhyaya and the Sadhu. The first two are liberated souls, but the Arhats are placed first as they are embodied souls, some of whom even found the tirtha (ford) constituted of the sadhu, sadhvi, trävaka and śrāvikā. The Siddhas are liberated souls who, in a disembodied state, reside on the Siddha-sila on top of the whole universe. Representations in paintings of Jinas after attainment of nirvana show them as seated on the Siddha-sila of crescent shape. Worship of the Pañca-parameṣṭhins is very old and a later elaboration of the concept is obtained in the popular worship of the Siddha-cakra or the Nava-devata in the Svetambara and Digambara rituals respectively. Earlier texts refer to Pañca-parameşthins only and the inclusion of the four more padas or dignitaries probably does not antedate c. 9th century A.D. The earliest reference to Siddha-cakra diagram, so far known, is from Hemacandra's own commentary (called Bṛhat-nyasa) on his grammar Sabdanusāsana.
The four more padas (dignitaries, worthy of respect) added by the Svetambaras were jñāna (samyak-jñāna or right knowledge), darsana (samyak-darśana or right faith), caritra (samyak-cāritra or right-conduct) and tapa (penance). The Digambaras added,
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