Jain Journal 1992 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 35

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JAIN JOURNAL
ceremony. Thus, the Jaina iconography swelled into a complex system and idol worship became an integral part of religion and philosophy.58
Various kinds of dishes, food grains, and other important ingredients like jaggery, sugar, betelnuts, betel leaves, milk, ghee, etc.. offered to the deities by the observers 53 of nompies formed a considerable source of income to the Purohits.
Although the ritualistic form of worship was in contrast to bhāvapūjā, it became a natural course of religious celebration. This has also been approved by the Acāryas like Pujyapada, Elăcărya, Akalanka, Mallisena, etc.54 Simultaneously, the sanctity of 'mantra śāstra' was also upheld. Various works were written on mantra śāstra. In Mallisena's Bhairava Padmăvati-kalpa Sūtra, the meaning of 'om hrim' is interpreted as 'om'
symbol of divya dhyani of the Tirthankaras and ru+hu + yi== hrim as symbolic worship of Pārsvanātha Tirthankara and Yakşa Dharanendra and Yakşi Padmavati, 55
Though the wider celebration of nompies can be assigned to the period of 12th Century A.D., the antiquity of nompies has been associated to the period of Vardhamana Mahavira. Various nompy stories depict Śrenika Mahārāja and Celini Devi as the pioneer performers of nompies. According to the Jaina tradition, they are stated to have been the contemporary of Vardhamana Mahāvira. They performed the nompy rituals according to the instructions given by Gautama Gañadhara.58
The popular narrative nompy stories gained relevance among the Jainas of Karnataka and they form an integral part of the socio-religious activities of the Jaina community even to this day. The nompy performance is considered to be the essence of religious activity, capable of giving worldly happiness, and also ultimate salvation.
52 Ibid. 53 Ibid. 54 Pandit Bhujabali Shastri, Sanskrit Vangmayake Jaina Kavigala Kanike,
Moodibidure. 55 D. Padmanabha Sharma, Jinasasanadevategala Mattu Deviyara Manyate, Bhuva
nahalli, p. 13 and Mohanlal Bhagwan Das Jhavery, Mantra Sastra. 56 Nom. Ka-H PN.