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Jainism Upto the Last Victor
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upadhyaya parameshthin, and sadhu-parameshthin. Though they do not represent the stage of complete liberation, yet they mark important stages towards that goal. The acharya parameshthins are free from a .achment to external things and are sufficiently advanced in swiritual accomplishment so as to exercise the authority of initiating into the Jina dharma all those who seek to be initiated. The upadhyaya-parameshthins have no authority to initiate people into the Jina-dharma or to organize the Jaina sangha (organization). Their function is to popularize the Jinadharma, in order to help the souls entangled in samsara to reach perfection. They only educate and instruct the people. The sadhuparameshthins, the great souls, do not have any definite function, either of authority or of instruction, but still illustrate, through their conduct the path to salvation so that others, following their example, may accept the dharma and adopt the path of selfdiscipline and self-realization.
These five kinds of being constitute the Pañchaparameshthins the five kinds of persons worshipped by the Jainas as representing the ideal in life at the different stages of realization.
The Jaina Divinities -
The Jainas worship the images 43 of their Tîrthankaras, gods and many subsidiary divinities. The Jaina gods and divinities are the various categories of superior beings. The Jaina texts like Achara Dinakara, Uttaradhyayanasutra and Abhidhana Chintamani give a classification of gods and goddesses and show that many of them were adaptations from the Brahmanical pantheon. The principal Jaina divinities are the 24 Tîrthankaras or Jinas. Each of them is characterised by his respective cognisance, which is usually carved in the centre of the pedestal of his image. They also have their individual Upasakas and Sasandevatas, who are sometimes described in the texts as the attendant Yakshas and Yakshinis. The main order of the Jaina divine hierarchy can be shown thus in a tabular form.44
Name of the Jina Cognisance Upasaka Sasanadevta 1. Adinatha
Bull
Gomukha Chakresvari 2. Ajitanatha
Elephant Mahayaksha Ajitabala 3. Sambhavanatha Horse - Trimukha Duritari
