Mahavir Foundation 1997 11 London 10th Anniversary

Author(s): Mahavir Foundation
Publisher: Mahavir Foundation

Page 48

MAHAVIR FOUNDATION
10th Anniversary Issue
November 1997
As per the last letter o, this is again made up like this a tu=
According to Yogasashtra of Hemchandra, one of the vayu (wind/air) in our body is Udan vayu. One can achieve Anima Siddhi by conquering Udan vayu. Udan vayu lives in heart, throat, palate, in the middle of the eye brows and head. The letter a is pronounced by the throat and u is pronounced by lips. Therefore o (a+u) comes from throat and its repeated recitation is helpful in conquering Udan vayu, and this can be conquered by repeating a and usystematically"
This attempt of justifying the sound 'anamo' instead of Namo does not carry much significance except that the devotee of the mantra would think about the magical power and the siddhi associated with different letters.
As regards the historical background, it is noteworthy that the NM is not found in earlier scriptures, Acharanga Sootra, Suyagdanga, and the later ones like Anuyoga and Nandisootra does not contain this NM in the beginning. The practice of writing NM in the beginning of any text must have been started after around first century AD. The manuscripts of Kalpasootra have NM in the beginning but surely this is written because a tradition of writing NM was developed late. It is also established that the Kalpasootra was penned down in 453 AD". The text of Tattvartha Sootra does not have NM in the beginning and this text was composed in the first century AD.
Old manuscripts of the Digambara scriptures like Samaya Sar or Niyam Sar do not have Navkar Mantra in the beginning of the text. The question is therefore was NM composed quite late? or is it true that the practice of writing NM in the beginning started quite late. The answers to these questions may not be found anywhere. Jains believe that NM is eternal and beginning less
It may be possible that NM in the present form was composed much later then what people believe. Jain writers were only writing a sentence or two in obeisance to Mahavira."
But again one can not deduce that because NM was not written in the beginning of any texts, it did not exist. Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Charitra which consists of the lives of 63 great personalities have mentioned an incident in the life of Parsvanath. In the incident Parsvanath recites NM on seeing a snake who was about to die after accidentally being burnt in a fire. If this is the case, NM was in existence during the 9th Century BCE. According to Jainendra Siddhanta Kosha vol 3, page 247- NM was composed by a Digambara Acharya Pushpadanta.
According to the Shwetambara text Mahanishith the NM was composed in the form of a sutra (present form) by the disciples of Mahavira but its main essence was mentioned by Mahavir himself. The part of this mantra is also seen in the beginning of Bhagavati Sootra but it is not in the same form as is generally seen now.
All these conflicting opinions do not prove anything but one might be tempted to draw a conclusion that NM in present form (of nine padas) did not exist during the time of Mahavir. People used to bow down or pay their respects to Arihanta and Siddha without actually saying the phrases which are found in NM. The present form is composed by some unknown writer or writers (They may be ganadharas) and it continued ever since.
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