Jain Journal 2002 10

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

Page 30

BASADIS MODES OF WORSHIP Dr. Saraswathi
Basadi, Devotion and Worship are complementary to one another. From time immemorial Basadis have been a source of inspiration of Jainism and culture. They came into existence in a spiritual minded background and have become the spiritual centres and unifying forces.
Bhakti or Devotion is to develop love in Divinity, oneness with God and aim at deriving benefits therefrom. Worship is the reverence one bears towards the holy Divinity systematically. This process is prevelant in all the religions. This is the symbol of the cultural, social and religious heritage of humanity. Its foundation is belief. Since this has a heritage, firm belief, has come down from generation to gencration socially. As such it is also universal.
Worship/prayer is the replica of the mental state of carly man. Even before men developed the idea of Shrines/temples, the idea of prayer had taken root in man's mind. In those days man worshipped Forces of Nature. He prayed and worshipped forces of Nature like the Sun, Moon, Fire to protect him and keep him safe from adversities. He found Divine Power in them. We learn that there existed ancient religion which is today termed as All- pervading. This Sect worshipped stone, tree and animals, classifying them both as cruel and kind Forces. Thus the idea of worship emanated from man's fear of harm and also desire for safety. Here to the carly man freedom from fear and security of life was more important than atonement of spiritual values and powers. Even to this day among the rural people worship motivates and emanates from the desire for material pleasures and comforts. In some cases it assumes a cruel form also. However as man attained spiritual growth, his aims and objectives reached higher level. In course of time, it devoloped as a process of religious faiths and in the background of each religion modes of worship became systematised and regularised.
There are some differences among the religions which have devoloped their modes of worship in the background of their culture. Excepting Christianity and Islam, which are foreign to India, both Hiduism and Jainism have close similarity as they sprung up on the