Pictorial Philosophical Balpothi

Author(s): Bhuvanbhanusuri
Publisher: Divya Darshan Trust

Page 11

OUR
Who is our God ?
Bhagwan Arihant is our God. He is called a Tirthankar. He is also called a Jineshwar. Arihant means he is worshipped not only by the human beings but also by other heavenly gods. Tirthankarmeans the founder of such a religion, which is saviour of all the souls of the world. Jineshwar means a leader among those who have conquered inner stigmas like love, hate etc.
They are parmatma (superior souls), superior persons, and the master of the three lokas -i.e. Patal loka, Madhya loka and Urdhwa loka (Lower world, central world, upper world). They are worshipped by heavenly gods and demons.
There had been a total of 24 tirthankars (founders) namely Shri Adishwar, Shri Shantinath, Shri Neminath, Shri Parshwanath, Shri Mahavir Swami etc.
These 24 tirthankars are called a chauvisi (a group of 24). There had been infinite such chauvisis prior to Shri Adishwarand shall be infinite such chauvisis to follow in future,
There is a Mahavideha (Region in the north direction of our Bharat). There are five such mahavideha regions. Twenty tirthankars including Shri Simandhar Swami etc. are in existence there. (See picture on opposite page.) They have been sitting in a three storied samavasaran created by heavenly gods which is made of silver, gold and other gems and from where they are preaching. Ganadhar like Gautam Swami, other sadhus, heavenly gods, Indras (kings of heavenly gods), kings among men and other peopal have also arrived there. Even the tame as well as wild animals can be seen coming, forgetting their race and internal enmity. Everyone listens the speech of God and understands it in their own language, hence each and everyone is able to follow it.
Bhagwan Arihant does not have any like, dislike, laughter, sorrow, happiness or unhappiness. They are vitaragas. After accepting initiation (diksha), they practiced penance and suffered a lot, But they remained in contemplation, annihilated the karmas and attained the kevalgnan (omniscience). Thus, they became sarvagna (omniscient). They know all the past, present and future. At a time they have presented the world the knowledge of the truth and have given explanation of the real happliness of the soul. (See the shrine on the opposite page, which contains his idol.) By worshipping them, we can earn punya (merits) and our sins are washed away. We can get a better life after death. Even chanting their name increases our punya.
In Jainism, no one has been granted a monopoly of becoming parmatma. Anyone who serves Arihant, Siddha, Jainism, Acharya, Sadhus etc. in a good manner, totally devotes himself or does the appreciable sadhana of samyagdarshan (faith), knowledge, character and penance, or serves the tirth-sangh (Jain community) in a special way, tries his best with a view to saving all the beings with compassion, recites the navakar mantra for one lakh times in a proper way, protects and prospers the holy wealth, does the shasan prabhavna etc. can become a tirthankar, performing holy duties prescribed by the fineshwar Gods.