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Jaina Ethics and Miscellaneous Customs and Manners
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secured indestructible merit ( Akshaya Punya ) by giving gift of even sugar-cane juice to Lord Rshabhadeva.159
From the description of Jaina festivals and fasts it is evident that the Jainas have their own festivals and fasts160 and that some of them are peculiar to only certain sections of the community. Further, they observe some festivals in common with the Hindus but they attach different significance for their celebration. Again, in certain parts they have adopted the local Hindu festivals after giving them a new colouring to suit their religion. The Karnāṭaka Jainas, for example, worship on the Ganesa-Chaturthi day the sage Gautama under the name Ganādhipa instead of worshipping the Hindu god Ganapati and instead of worshipping Venkataramana like local Brahmins, they worship Bharatara ja, their ancient king. 161 In addition to these, the Jainas follow a number of Hindu festivals, like Dasarā, Makarasaiikrānta and others, which have no connection with their religion. This might be due to the close proximity between Jainas and Hindus. But it sould be noted that only the Hindu festivals are observed by the Jainas not with the view of gaining any religious merit but as a part of their social life with the Hindus. No doubt for some time past the Gujarath Jaina women were worshipping the goddess of small-pox on the Śītalā-saptami day along with the Hindu women,162 but such practices are being discontinued as they go against the Jaina religion. 163 At the same time it should not be lost sight of that the Hindu festivals and fasts which are mainly religious like Rūmanavami, Gokulāshtamī, Mchāśivarātra, etc. are not observed by the Jainas. It can therefore, be said in conclusion that the Hindu festivals with a distinctly religious tinge of their own are not celebrated by the true Jainas.
11. JAINA SUPERSTITIONS Along with the Hindus the Jainas also believe that there are superhuman beings who can influence the fate of individuals as well as of groups of individuals in good and bad manner. Jainas further contend that even though such beings have limited power and are governed by the doctrines of Karma, still they can exert good or bad influence on fate of human beings because of their ('superhuman beings') position which is the direct result of their actions in the past births. Naturally these superhuman beings cannot do anything to the liberated beings but they can, to some extent,
