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of the sādhu, sādhvi, śrăvaka and śrāvikā. The Siddhas are liberated souls who, in a disembodied state, reside on the Siddha-silã on top of the whole universe. Representations in paintings of Jinas after attainment of nirvāṇa show them as seated on the Siddha-šila of crescent shape. Worship of the Pañca-parameşthins is very old and a later elaboration of the concept is obtained in the popular worship of the Siddha cakra or the Nava-devatā in the Svetāmbara and Digambara rituals respectively. Earlier texts refer to Pañca-paramesphins only and the inclusion of the four more padas or dignitaries probably does not antedate c. 9th century A.D. The earliest reference to Siddha-cakra diagram, so far known, is from Hemacandra's own commentary (called Brhat-nyāsa) on his grammar Sabdānuśāsana.
The four more padas (dignitaries, worthy of respect) added by the Svetảmbaras were jñāna (samyak-jñāna or right knowledge), darśana (samyak-darśana or right faith), caritra (samyak-caritra or right-conduct) and tapa (penance). The Digambaras added, instead of the above four, the follov ing-caitya (or Jina image) caityālaya for Jaina shrine), dharma-cakra, and śruta (speech of the Tirthankaras-Scriptures).
The worship of the Five Supreme Ones is impersonal. It is the aggregate of qualities of these souls that is remembered and venerated rather than the embodied individuals. By adoring the Parameşthins, a worshipper suggests to his mind the qualities of the Arhat, Siddha, Ācārya, Upādhāya or Sadhu which the mind gradually begins to follow and ultimately achieves the stage attained by the Siddhas.
But the Devādhidevas are not creators of the Universe and the other Parameşthins are not their associates in the act of creation or dissolution. The Jaina Divinity, the Perfect Being, the Siddha or the Arhat, as a type is an ideal to all the aspirants on the spiritual path. A pious Jaina does not worship his supreme deity in the hope of obtaining some worldly gains as gifts from the Devādhideva. For, the Arhat is freed from all attachments and consequent bondages of karma, whether good or bad. The worshipper simply meditates on the virtues of the Divinity so that they may manifest in the worshipper himself. The perfect souls and souls striving towards perfection, are great souls, the salākā-puruşas as the Jainas call them.
This in essence is hero-worship or apostle-worship and as such, great souls, both ascetic and non-ascetic, came to be especially revered.
JAINTHOLOGY/117
