Jain Journal 2006 04

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

Page 11

176
JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XL. NO. HAPRIL 2006
vastunusca prādhānyamanavustuhetukam karma)'. A roti is said to be initiated when he enters into the status of an ācārvi a Brālmana is initiated by the study of the Vedic lore, a Kșatriva by his admission into the royal dignity, a Vaisna, being ushered into merchanthood, a Sudra, being made the recipient of royal favour and an artist, being recognised as a chief among them, and they are on the occasion of this recognition worshipped by means of tilaka etc., put on their forehead without implying that these marks themselves are of any material consequence to the person or object concerned but that they are symbolic of this recognition and have to be philosophically construed. Pratisthā, in other words, is nyāsa or a conferment of the collection of qualities of the Jina in an image, or meditation of it without any form. In such matter either the person of the Jina is merged in the sum-total of th qualities or the qualities surpass the personality of the deity. In like manner images carved out of stones etc., with or without any shape (ghatitasyāghațitasya) and given the name of Jina, Siva, Vişņu, Buddha, Candi, Kșetrapāla etc., receive worship only because of the infusion of godhead into them, which is assumed. The deities of the Bhuvanapati, Vyantara, Jyotişka and Vaimānika groups have thus been conceived as having their divine immanence made manifest in these images. And similarly, in regard to the installation of the images of Siddhas, Arhats etc., or even the consecration of the household ponds and wells, it is the manifestation of the divine qualities or vibhūti of the deities concerned, and not their actual descent in and through these images, that is sought to be emphasised. An object with or without form is regarded as representative of a person or a god when we consider it to possess the attributes of the latter as known from scriptures after investing it with the same. This investiture (nyāsa) is pratisthā (of śrutena samyagjñātasya vyavahāraprasiddhave sthāpvasya krtanāmontaḥ sphurato niyāsagocare sākāre vă nirākāre
4.
Ācāradinakara, p.141.
5. Cf. "sthäpvani dharmena vandhaigai guni gaunagunotharā guno
gaunaguni tatra Jinadvanvatamo guni'. Pratisthäsūroddhära of Āsādhara, p. 10.