Jainism

Author(s): N R Guseva
Publisher: Sindu Publications P L

Page 79

PHILOSOPHICAL & RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES 65
Images of Tirthankars are worshipped in the temples of both the sects (excluding the subsect of Digambaras--taranapanthi and the subsect of Shvetambaras-sthanakavasi).
Digambaras have simple, unadorned images of nude males, standing upright or sitting on crossed exposed legs, while the Shvetambaras have often images wrapped up in cloth and adorncd by jewellery and gold. Usually their eyes are made of precious stones.
Many elements go into the ritual of worship of the images, although it is not obligatory to perform all these every time. Those offering prayers through the medium of the priest of the temple sprinkle water and saffron on the image, place in front of it burning aromatic sticks-agarbatties-say prayer, place near the image flowers, rice, fruits, sweetmeats. Most often the ritual of worship consist in the prayer-doer revolving clockwise round the image three times and saying brief prayer: Namo arhantanam, Namo siddhanam. The morning prayer of the ordinary members of the community is also very short: 'Let the sinful thoughts which visited me last night be forgiven'.13
Philanthropy and donations for maintenance of temples are considered great religious services.
Every day the priest of a temple washes the images with milk and on the festival days, by special aromatic composition and adorns them with flowers.
The stanakavasi and taran panthi subsects have prayer-houses, where their monks live and where their holy books are read.
Jains make pilgrimages to their holy places, where accord. ing to their superstition their Tirthankars were born and had secured enlightenment or had died.
The following are the fond places of pilgrimage:
Bihar: (1) City of Parasnath, near which the mountain of Samata is situated. Here according to legend, Parshva and a number of other holies secured Nirvan. On this mountain and round about there are many Jain temples.
(2) City of Papapuri (or Pavapuri) where Mahavir died. This city is situated not far from the capital of the State i.e. Patna. Here on the lake one of the most famous Jain temples is situated.
13. E. Thomas, The Early Faith of Ashoka.