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WORSHIP, RITUAL, FASTS AND FESTIVALS
129
This first place of honour among these 'five Worshipful Ones' is assigned to the arhats. One who, by undergoing a course of strenuous self-discipline, has purged his soul of all impurities, attained perfection and omniscience, and become an arhat, a kevalin, a Jina, the God-in-man, and then promulgated the path of liberation, through his example and precept, out of profound compassion for all the living beings, is the true Deity, and the most Worshipful One. All the Tirthankaras had become Arhat or Jinas in their life time, and in the present cycle of time there have been twentyfour such Tirthankaras, the first of whom was Rsabha and the last Mahavira (599527 B.C.).
As they are no more to be seen in their embodied state, the duly concentrated images of one or more of these Tirthankaras, made strictly in accordance with the iconographical details laid down in the texts, so as to be true to character, are installed in the Jaina temples. Made in a seated or standing posture, in the pose of contemplation and complete bodily abondoment, and reflecting calm equanimity together with a sublime detachment, the simple, austere, unclad and unadorned Jina image captivates the heart of the visitor, radiates peace and inspires devotion. It is a veritable reminder of the Jina, of the spiritual attainments and the ideal for which he is adored. If the Jina or Tirthankara provides a substrate for devotion, his image serves as a handy and befitting substitute to the aspirant devotee. It is before these images that he or she performs the worship.
The siddhas, or the liberated, non-corporeal, pure and perfect, souls, which live forever in imperishable and unlimited bliss, the state of perfect Godhood, constitute the second category of the 'Worshipful Ones'. Though they belong to a higher stage and are in a way spiritually superior to the Arhats, they are relegated to the second place only from the practical point of view. It is well-nigh impossible to make an image of the imageless and the formless, and equally difficult for an average
