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Jaina Ethics and Miscellaneous Customs and Manners
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Among the Hindu goddesses six are more honoured by Jainas. They also revere Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of learning and several Mātās. % It has to be remembered that in Jainism these deities have even different associations. Further, every caste and family has got its own caste-deity and family-deity and castedeity are at times found in Jaina temples.97 In general it can be said that in Svetambara temples we find far more evidence of the influence of Hinduism than in the Digambara temples.98 Lastly, sacred animals, trees, places, and emblems and temples, idols and scriptures are considered as worthy of reverence by Jainas. 99 Even though we find the custom of worshipping superhuman beings, and Hindu gods and goddesses prevalent among Jainas, it must be remembered that Jainism, really speaking, allows the worship only of Paraineshthins, that is, ideal human beings. The worship of Hindu gods and goddesses is certainly against the spirit of Jainism.100 Really speaking such gods are regarded as false gods in Jainism and right faith excludes belief in the existence or efficacy of such gods. It appears that Jainas might have started this practice in imitation of Hindus. But now-a-days with the spread of Jaina education and revival of interest and better understanding'in Jaina religion, faithful Jainas strongly oppose these irreligious practices.101 Even in past the Jaina Achāryas have emphatically. denounced the worship of non-Jaina deities and directed the attention of the Jainas to real and faultless gods of Jainism. 102
(II) Intention of Worship :
Jainas worship only those beings who have achieved salvation in this life by their own efforts or are on the way of liberation. Such human beings are known as Parameshthins and are worshipped by the Jainas as representing the ideal in life at different stages of realisation. We have seen that among the Pañcha Parameshthins, Tirthankaras are considered more important from human point of view because they reveal the path of salvation for the benefit of mankind. This Tīrthankara worship is undertaken only for spiritual reasons and not for getting any worldly benefit out of it. In fact, a Tīrthankara does not desire to be prayed at all, nor can he do any favour to his devotee, because he is not concerned with events in this world as he has left it for good. Since
