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The Path of Arhat : A Religious Democracy
Arihantas' are those blessed souls who have successfully shed away in this life all the karmas which blur the potency of the soul; 'Siddhas' are those souls who have achieved the final emancipation and have attained a bodyless state of pure bliss; 'Acāryas' are those kind hearted souls who expound and interpret the teachings handed over to us by the liberated souls; 'Upadhyāyas', are those merciful souls who teach us the path of salvation and 'Sadhus' are those saints who are themselves on the path of salvation and are striving for liberation.
These five are called 'Pañca-parameşthi’ - five types of great souls - those who have been liberated and those who are on the path of liberation. A Jaina bows down to them all, not necessarily because they have followed or are following a particular type of religion but because they have already attained what was worth attaining or because they are striving to attain what is worth attaining. As Ācārya Hemcandra2 puts it :
“Bhava bijankura-jananā rágādyaḥ kṣayamupā gata yasya, Brahma vá Visņurva Haro Jino va namastasmai.” meaning, "I bow down to him whose all passions such as attachment and malice, which sow the seeds of birth and rebirth, have
destroyed. It matters not whether he is Brahmă, Vişnu, Sankara or Jina."
The Jainas have built big and beautiful temples and are adoring, imposing and serene marble idols of Tîrtharkaras. Idol-worship has its own rights and Jainas seem to have adopted the same at a subsequent stage because Jaina scriptures have not recorded that Lord Mahāvīra at any time worshipped an Idol. In fact the whole emphasis of Jaina doctrines is on the Ātman which has no form. However, if the majority? 1. wat415379T CITET: TTUAT TET I ब्रह्मा वा विष्णुर्वा हरो जिनो वा नमस्तस्मै ।
Mahadeva-stotra, 44. 2. All Jainas are not idol-worshippers because the sect of
Sthanakavasí Jainas does not believe in idol-worship.
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