Nav Smarana

Author(s): Vinod Kapashi
Publisher: Vinod Kapashi

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The answers to these questions may not be found anywhere. Jains believe that the Namaskära mantra is eternal. But then again it is not seen in the earlier scriptures. Let us see two more sources which are the inscriptions found on rocks. The Khärvel inscription says:
'Namo Arihantänam, Namo Savva Siddhänam'.
Another inscription discovered from Mathurä says:
Namo Arihantänam, Namo Siddhanam' This one is believed to have been carved in the sixth century AD
It may be possible that the Namaskära Mantra in it's present form was composed much later then the general belief of most people. Jain writers were only writing a sentence or two in obeisance to Mahävira', and not the Namaskära Mantra.
Again one cannot deduce that because the Namaskara Mantra was not written at the beginning of any texts, it did not exist. The Trishashti Shaläkä Purusha Charitra, which consists of the lives of 63 great personalities, has mentioned an incident in the life of Pärshvanätha. In the incident, Pärshvanätha recites the Namaskära Mantra seeing a snake who was about to die after accidentally being burnt in a fire. If this incident did in fact occur then, the Namaskära Mantra was in existence during the 9th Century BC.
According to the Jainendra Siddhänta Kosha vol. 3, page 247, the Namaskära Mantra was composed by a Digambara ächärya, Pushpadanta. According to the Shvetämbara text the Mahänishitha, the Namaskära Mantra was composed in the form of a sootra (present form) by the disciples of Mahävira but its main essence was derived from the words of Mahävira himself.
All of these conflicting pieces of evidence do not lead one to come to any conclusion concerning the origins of the Namaskära Mantra. It may be concluded, however, that the Namaskära Mantra in its present form did not exist during the time of Mahävira. People used to bow down or pay their respects to the enlightened souls, liberated souls (Arihanta and Siddha) without actually saying the exact phrases, which are found in the Namaskära Mantra now. The present form is composed by some unknown writer or writers, who may have been disciples of the Tirthankaras and it has continued ever since.
4.4
The Origin of the Namaskära Mantra
The first thing one does in this mantra is to bow down to the Arihanta. The word Arihanta comes from the Sanskrit 'Arhata which means worthy and enlightened one. Jains and Buddhists have used this word, and both have described their great teachers as Arhatas. Jains, however, say that the Arhata is the one who has destroyed all his deadly (Ghäti) karmas and who has attained the highest form of knowledge (kevala
The scriptures Uttaradhyayan, Anuyoga dwar, Nandi Soota only mention this verse Namothunam samanassa bhagavao mahavirassa.
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