Jaina Religion Historical Journey of Evolution

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 89

Impact of Vedic Tradition on Jainism
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Through the texts of Padmapurāna, Pañcavimšati (authored by Padmanandi), Adipurāsa, Harivamsapurāņa Vasunandi's Śrāvakācāra we come to know of the benefits of these eight substances used in worship. It is believed that the use of these eight objects gives the worshipper both mundane and extra mundane happiness and prosperity. Bhāvasaṁgraha also tells us that these eight different substances confer their different benefits.
The description by Dr. Nemichandra Shastri clearly attributes the gradual adoption of these articles of worship in Digambara tradition to the influence of Hinduism. In Svetāmbara tradition the eight-fold worship that later developed into seventeen types of worship is an influence of Pañcopacări worship of the Hindu tradition. This Sarvopacāri or seventeen-fold worship is only a form of Șodaşopacări worship of Vaišnavaits, a detailed account of which is available in Rājapraśniya.
In this entire discussion it seems that in Jaina tradition the first religious ritual or ceremony that evolved is şad-avaśyakas and there was a place for “prayers of adoration' in these six 'āvasyakas' and later, from this bhāvapūjā came into practice; and then came the concept of dravya-pājā (worship with objects). But the practice of dravya-pūjā was