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What Is A Jain?
The word Jain is derived from the Sanskrit word "JIN". Jin means victor, one who has conquered over ones passions such as anger, pride, intrigue, greed, etc. The followers of Jin are called JAINS. The one who attains this victory are called "JINS". One who becomes Jin and establishes the path to become Jin are called 'Arihants', 'Tirthankars', Jineshwars'.
By following the virtues of these Jins, one wishes to be a true Jain and evantually becomes a Jin.
There are two aspects of Jainism. One concerning the spritual and meditation practice to become Arihant and the other regarding rites and rituals to attain that goal.
What Is A Puja?
A Puja is a ritual designed for an individual person to worship Jineshwars. The presence of a holy idol provides mental focus. It provides peace and harmony and encourages one to detach oneself from the desires of everyday life. It allows all lay people to have access to Jineshwar and what Jain principles stand for.
The idol provides us means to pray and offer reverence and utmost admiration. The puja consists of mainly worshiping Jineshwar's idols, first with offering physical items such as water, flowers, rice, sweets and fruits, and secondly, devotionally singing praises of the Jineshwar and commitment to follow his path.
In jain scriptures (Shree Dharma Sangrah, Shree Puja - Panchashakaji etc.), it has been documented that worshiping idols with physical and mental offerings is a form of expressing devotion with utmost reverence to the path illuminator and the path itself.
There are many different ways and many different kinds of pujas performed today.
Types Of Pujas
1. Snatra Puja: Performed in celebration of Jineshwar's birth.
2. Panch Kalyanak Puja : Performed to celebrate five kalyanaks (auspicious episodes) in
Jineshwar's life. They are Chyavan kalyanak (when life is conceived in the mother's womb), Janma kalyanak (Birth), Diksha kalyanak (accepting the monkhood), Kevalgyan kalyanak (attaining the supreme knowledge) and Moksha kalyanak (freedom of the soul from all eight karmas and becoming Siddh Bhagvan).
3. Antaraya Karma Puja: Performed to recocgnize and to remove the interference of the
obstructive karmas.
4. Navapada Puja: Performed to celebrate and achieve 9-Pads- Arihantas, siddhas, Acharyas,
Upadhayas, Sadhus, Darshan (Right perception), Gyan (Right Knowledge), Charitrya (Right conduct) and Tapa (Penance).
5. Vastu Puja: Performed to bless and purify the physical existence of a space like a new home,
new building and also to purify the soul.
6. Navvanu Prakari Puja: Performed to praise the greatness of the place- Siddhachal Mahatirth
visited by our first Tirthankar Bhagvan Rushabhdev 99 - Navvanu Purva*- times in his cycle of births.
* Purve = (10) = 10 million x 10 million years
