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JAINISM: A THEISTIC PHILOSOPHY "GOD IN JAINISM”
twenty-three Tīrthankaras were deified. "S4 Later period temples were erected; idols of Tīrthankara were established in it. People started worshipping them like Hindu in temple. When a Jaina devotee worships his God or Paramātmā Tīrthařkara, he does not think, at all, whether his God has created this universe or not, because the Tīrthařkara is his personal God, and no other thought or question comes in mind.
(e) Devotion to God, Paramātmā in Jainism:
Devotion implies the sublime affection, circumscribed by immaculacy of thought and emotions towards the divinity realized souls or towards those who are much advanced on the path of divine realization. The devotee profoundly knows the object of his devotion, namely, Arhat and Siddha. Every fiber of his being feels the supremacy and sublimity of the object of his devotion to such an extent that when the devotee finds himself confronted with omniscient and omnipotent God, (Arhat & Siddha) he absolutely and spontaneously, proclaims he to be shameless, 150 ignorant like a child\57 and obstinate owl,158 etc. This is sort of religious humility self-depreciation, self-devaluation and a consciousness of creature hood.159
The devotee is led to the singing of the praise of God (Arihanta & Siddha) on account of being captured by the fire devotion like the deer which resort out of love to save its child from the clutches of lion or cuckoo (koyala) which sings in autumn merely by presence of small mangoes. This refers to the “elements of fascination.” Again the devotee who finds all the objects of the
Dr. S.V. Atre, “Philosophy of Mahāvīra, A Critical Study, P-80 1 Sarvārthasiddhi, VI-24, Dr. K.C. Sogani, “Ethical Doctrine in Jainism (EDJ)” (2001), P-188 15°Bhaktāmara-stotra, 15 (EDJ, P-188) 157 Ibid, (EDJ), P-189 158 Kalyānamandira-stotra, 3 (EDJ) P-189 159 Idea of the Holy, P-21 (EDJ) P-189 1° Bhaktāmara-stotra, 5,6 (EDJ) P-189
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