Samayik And Chaityavandan Vidhi

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 49

(13) NAMUTTHUNAM SUTRA
Now we come to Namutthunam Sutra, which also ranks very high. Its importance is considered next to Logassa Sutra. It is believed that Indra, the king of heaven, adores Lord Tirthankars by reciting this Sutra. Since Indra is known as Shakra, this Sutra is also known as Shakrastav
Namutthunam Arihantänam Bhagavantänam,
Namutthunam=obeisance, Arihantänam=Lord Arihants, Bhagavantänam=graceful,
So this line means: Obeisance to the Graceful Omniscient Lords,
After addressing the Lords as graceful, the Sutra enumerates their attributes, which are explained below one by one.
Äigaränam, Titthayaränam, Sayamsambuddhänam;
Meaning: you are the pioneers, organizers of religious order and self enlightened;
Äigaränam: This means pioneers or founders. As a matter of principle, religion is eternal; as such no one is supposed to start it. The religious precepts laid down earlier, however, happen to be misdirected and misinterpreted. Many of them are also forgotten. Every Tirthankar therefore teaches the same afresh. As such they are called pioneers.
Titthayaränam: This means Tirthankars, the organizers of Tirth. The infinitely long drawn worldly life is comparable to a vast ocean. To terminate that worldly wandering amounts to the crossing of a sea. The means with which that sea can be crossed is termed as Tirth. That consists of the religious order made up of monks, nuns, lay males and lay females. That is also called the Sangha. The order set up by earlier Tirthankar gets rotten and tends to decay in course of time. Every Tirthankar therefore sets the same again.
Sayamsambuddhänam: This means self enlightened. Ignorance of the Self is the root cause of the worldly wandering. That wandering is comparable to groping in the dark or in the wilderness. One, who wants to go somewhere, but does not know the way towards his destination, has to seek the guidance. Only a person who knows the way can give him the right directions. Similarly the worldly soul needs directions for getting out of the worldly wood. The right directions for the purpose constitute the enlightenment. Lord Tirthankars had gained such directions in their earlier lives. They do not therefore need