Jain Rup Mandan

Author(s): Umakant P Shah
Publisher: Abhinav Publications

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Panca-Parameșthis various parts of the Navakāra-Mantra. And perhaps still earlier the Siddha-Cakra cult included only the Five-Parameşthins. And it is interesting to note that Hemacandra in his description noted above did not Specify it as the Siddha-Chakra. The same writer however refers to the Siddha-Cakra as a diagram brought to light by Vajrasvāmi (c. 57 B.C.-57 A.D) from the lost Vidyānupraväda-purva text, in the early centuries of the Christian era. Unfortunately, the yantra is not described in this context (Yogaśāstra, chp. 8, verses 74-75) and the disciple is invited to learn it from his preceptor. Very probably, the SiddhaCakra was originally based on the Panca-Parameşthi-Namaskāra-mantra without its phala-śruti.
It seems that in the earlier stage, the Siddha-Cakra-Yantra included the worship of the Five Paramesthins only and that the four Padas of Jñana, Darśana, Caritra and Tapa were added later. Siddhasena, commenting on the Pravacanasároddhāra, verses 78-79 dealing with the Panca-Parameșthi-mantra, refers to older texts like the Namaskāra-valaya, where a vyākhyā (explanation of the Panca-ParamesthiNamaskāra is given. As is quite obvious, the Siddha-Cakra is none else than the Namaskara-valaya elaborated at some later stage. But it is also certain that the diagram of Siddha-Cakra, probably in its earlier form, was already well-known in the age of Hemacandra, even though no earlier references to Siddha-Cakra-Yantra could be traced in the extant Svetämh ra literature, for, Hemacandra refers to it as samaya-prasiddha-cakra-višesa in his Brhannyāsa on his own Sabdanuśasana.
The Siddha-Cakra-Yantra attained great popularity and was highly regarded as its worship brought great rewards. The story of king Sripāla, who had been famous for his devotion to the Siddha-Cakra and who is supposed to have been highly rewarded for his meritorious worship of this diagram, forms the subject matter of Siri-Sirivāla-kahā of Ratnamandira gaội (1362 A.D.). A Gujarati ballad known as Sripala-rāsu, composed in 1738 A.D., is very popular amongst the Svetāmbaras of Gujarat and profusely illustrated manuscripts of this work are available in some Jaina bhandāras.
Ratnamandira gani describes the Siddha-Cakra-yantra in every detail. However, according to his version, the yantra is larger than the one commonly worshipped and includes worship of several other deities. According to this author, the presiding deity or guardian of this mystic diagram is Sri Vimalasvāmi, but the Nine Padas of course form a nucleus around which other deities find a place in the yantra.
As noted above, Tantrik texts like the Namaskāra-valaya were known to Siddhasena (1191 A.D.), the commentator of Pravacanasāroddhāra. His remarks are noteworthy in as much as he says that in works of this class is given a vyakhyā of the Panca-Parameșthi-Namaskāra. This Panca-Paramesthi-mantra is also said to be the origin of all mantras (spells, charms etc.), the essence of all Purva-texts and the Wishing-tree (kalpa-druma) for attainment of all desired objects. Its power is great in as much as it can be used against poisons, snakes, supernatural beings like Sakini, Dakini, Yakini and the like grahas and has powers of Vaśya, Akrsti, etc. over the whole world.
Thus the Siddha-cakra-yantra, made up of the worship of mainly the Panca-Parameşthins, came to be employed in various Tantrik rites-the saf-karmas, such as Santika, Paustika, Vaśya, Akarsana, Mohana, Uccätana and Marana, at least in the eleventh century A.D., a century or two preceding the age of the commentary of Siddhasena. Originally the Siddhacakra or the Namaskāra-valaya must have been employed in pure rites like the Santika and Paustika, but the growing Tantrik influence in India, from c. seventh century A.D. if not earlier, which resulted in the composition of various Buddhist Sadhanas and expansion of the pantheon, and in a similar activity in the Brahmanical Tantra, also led the Jainas not only to elaborate their pantheon, but also to include a number of Tantrik rites and practices originally prohibited to Jaina monks and which were against the very principles of Jainism.
Later Digambara manuscripts of the Panca-Namaskāra-Kalpa, and Svetämbara manuscripts of the Panca-Paramesthi-kalpa etc. are still available in the Jaina bhandāras. This class of small Tantrik texts await special critical study.