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The Path of Arhat : A Religious Democracy
conditioned mind always impells the physical senses of the body to follow the pursuits of its liking. Therefore, being convinced of the teachings of the great seers, if we totally surrender ourselves to these teachings and constantly bear in mind the efficacy of these teachings and try to put them in practice, it is the best prayer we can offer and if such type of prayer yields some results, we would surely be justified in saying that the results which were so yielded were due to the 'favour of the great masters who showed the path to us. For indeed the masters have shown favour to us, as to the whole humanity, in pointing out to the right way to obtain salvation.
Illustrative of this line of thinking is the prayer offered by the great Ācārya Samantabhadral in the following words :
Na pūjayárthastvayi vītarage, Na nindaya nātha vivanta vaire. Tathāpi te punya gunasmộtirnaḥ,
Punātu ceto duritām janebhyah. meaning, 'Oh lord, you are really a Vítarāga ( one who has shedded all passions ) and so you are not pleased by prayers nor you displeased by adverse criticism, because you have destroyed all types of adversory feelings. All the same, the remembrance of your merits purifies one's mind from all the sins'.
A prayer of this type is the best karma ( action ) one can resort to, and according to the doctrine of Karma we must get the fruits of our actions.2
1. A gentefecafe atattit;
न निन्दया नाथ विवान्त वैरे । तथापि ते पुण्य गुणस्मृतिर्नः,
qara a afzai Fre: 11 Svayambhu-stotra, 57. 2. It is found that though most of the Jaina prayers are on
the lines stated above, there are some prayers which are offered to prevent a public calamity. Strictly speaking
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