Portrait of Jain Religion

Author(s): Narendra Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 46

Chattari mangalam, arihanta mangalam, siddha mangalam, sahu mangalam, kevalipannato dhammo mangalam. Chattari loguttama, arihanta loguttama, siddha loguttama, sahu loguttama, kevalipannato dhammo loguttama. Chattari sharanam pavajjami, arihante sharanam pavajjami, siddhe sharanam pavajjami, sahu sharanam pavajjami, kevalipannato dhammam sharanam pavajjami. (There are four auspicious entities in the universe. Arihantas are auspicious. Siddhas are auspicious. Sadhus are auspicious. The religion propounded by the Omniscient is auspicious. There are four supreme entities in the universe. Arihantas are supreme. Siddhas are supreme. Sadhus are supreme. The religion propounded by the Omniscient is supreme. I take refuge in the four entities of the universe. I take refuge in Arihantas. I take refuge in Siddhas. I take refuge in Sadhus. I take refuge in the religion propounded by the Omniscient. In the mantra Arihant is named first out of respect and honor. Arihant symbolizes human perfection. As a Tirthankar, he has created a spiritual path or bridge or Teerth based on the courage of renunciation and the victory over four of the eight karmas namely MOHANIYA KARMA (deluding), ANTARAYA KARMA (obstructing), JNANAVARNIYA KARMAS (knowledge obscuring), and DARSHANAVARNIYA KARMAS ( Perception obscuring). After achieving enlightenment, Tirthankars moved around in the society all over the country actively guiding and initiating others in the process of spiritual awakening. Lord Mahavir did so for thirty years between his enlightenment and the eventual attainment of nirvana. Thus, Tirthankars have, in fact, laid the foundations of the Jain spiritual system. That is why Tirthankars are addressed in common parlance as gods (bhawan) not in terms of those sitting in heaven, but those
35
A Portrait of Jain Religion