Samayik And Chaityavandan Vidhi

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 36

limitation is not restricted to us. It happens to be almost universal. Even the staunch nonidolaters resort to some or other tangible form. For instance, the Christians maintain the idol of Mary and/or cross in their church. Muslims venerate Kaba stone, tombs and various other relics of their saints. Whether one calls himself an idolater or not, if he attributes sanctity to any lifeless material, he really ceases to be a non-idolater.
On account of the above-said limitation, we need to have some tangible image which can more or less conform to the concept of the Lords, while they were alive. For that purpose we have to resort to lifeless material, even though such material can not come even close to that concept. We do that because of our limitation to visualize. In token of the purity of Lords' souls, we usually prefer idols carved out of marble, because it stays untainted and spotless for a long time. We worship such idols after they are duly sanctified and installed in the temple. It would therefore be clear why we worship the idols.