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however managed to convince his parents that nothing would happen to him and he would come back safe and sound once the discourse was over. His parents finally consented and Sudarshana went outside the city. As soon as he left the safety of the city. Arjun Mäli confronted him. Arjun Mäli was angry on seeing someone in this territory', and prepared to hit and kill the intruder. Young Sudarshana realised that he was in danger but he did not loose his temper nor did he try to run away. Sudarshana venerated Lord Mahävira and started reciting the Namaskära Mantra.
Chanting of the Namaskära Mantra created an invisible shield. Arjun with the mace in his raised hands just froze and could not harm Sudarshana. Arjun tried hard to hit Sudarshana, but his mace did not even touch Sudarshana. The story goes further in saying that finally Arjun was exhausted and fell down at Sudarshana's feet. Sudarshana took him to Lord Mahävira and finally Arjuna's bad spirit was driven away and he became a humble person.
Munishri Amarendravijayji verified the first account of what happened in the life of Guläbchand Shäh. The author had met Mr Shäh who had checked his hospital records as well. He writes: "It is an established fact that when practised in good faith and without any ignoble motive, the Navkära steers the life of the devotee automatically in the right direction and sets him firmly upon the right path to liberation. This indeed is the best miracle of the Namaskära Mantra."
Tables for Chanting and Concentration. (Anänupurvis)
The Anänupurvis are simple tables, which have been formulated to aid the concentration of one's mind whilst chanting the Namaskära Mantra.
The use of mathematics is very important and almost all phenomena have been explained by using mathematics. The Karma theory of the Jains not only involves simple calculations but also complex mathematical permutations and combinations. Many Jain yantras are nothing but the tables of the systematically arranged numbers. Yet they are more popular and used in worship. Jain monks have combined mathematics with meditation and have devised different types of tables and yantras. Of the various processes of focusing the mind, mathematics is an interesting one. The Jain ächäryas have combined mathematics with religious subjects for the purpose of focusing the mind on spiritual meditation. Out of the four interpretative styles of the Jain canon, mathematics forms an independent section (Ganitänuyoga).
The Anänupurvis help focus the mind: A worshipper holds the tables of Anänupurvis in front of him whilst chanting the Namaskära Mantra. The Namaskära Mantra has five obeisances, which are:
1. Namo Arihantänam. 2. Namo Siddhänam. 3. Namo Ayariyanam. 4. Namo Uvajjhäyänam. 5. Namo loe savva sähunam.
An aspirant who wants to chant these five sentences continuously may loose his concentration after a while, and his mind may wander. But, if he places the
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