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62 : śramaņa, Vol 63, No. 4, Oct.-Dec. 2012 participation in the beatitude of the one venerated within a relationship of reciprocal love; rather this participation consists in an unwavering belief in the authenticity of life of these heroes and in concentration on their virtue and perfection along with a desire to endeavor to imitate them, in such a way that one is already in a certain way sharing in their sanctity, for this concentration and sustained effort of imitation themselves contain an immense purificatory power, which is not due to any direct intervention on the part of the Tīrtharkaras but to the very powerful inspiration aroused by them which uplifts, as it were, and transforms the one who venerates.
This profound devotion is addressed to the parameșthins of both past and present, that is to say, to the multitude of liberated beings who have attained nirvāņa, to the ascetics of past and more concretely, to contemporary, ascetics. It is not only the parameșthins who are venerated, but also the dharma. The three sūtras called the mārgalikas (auspicious) which belong to the rite of āvasyakas (duties), are addressed to the dharma taught by the kevalins as being happiness, excellence, the supreme refuge in the same way as on other occasion is made to the arhats, siddhas and ascetics."
References:
1. Sahoo, A.C, Jain Religion and Art, p. 83. 2. Chanchreek, K.L and Mahesh Jain, Jaina Economic Life, p. 137. 3. Jain, K. C. Op.Cit., p. 333. 4. Chanchreek, K. L. and Mahesh Jain, Op. cit., p.131-132. 5. Jain, J. C., Studies In Early Jainism, p. 173 6. Vattakera, Mūlācāra , 7.69-70 7. Pravacanasāra, Kundakunda, 1.69 8. Jain, J. C., Studies In Early Jainism, p. 173 9. Shanta, N. The Unknown Pilgrim, Shri Satguru Publication, Delhi
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