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SYMBOL WORSHIP IN JAINISM
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disciple is invited to learn it from the preceptor. Very probably, this SiddhaCakra, was based on the Panca-Parameșthi-namaskāra-mantra (Pañanamaskāra, shortly), with or without its 'falaśruti'.
It seems that in the earlier stage the Siddha-Cakra diagram included the worship of the five Parameşthins only, with the darasana, jñāna, cãritra and tapa omitted. The fala-śruti is only for the pañca-namaskāra ( eso pañcanamokkāro savva-pāpa paņāsaņo). Siddhasena, commenting upon Pravacanasāroddhara, verses 78-79 dealing with the Pañca-Parameșthimantra, refers to older texts like the Namāskara-valaya, where a vyakhya (explanation) of the Pañca-parameșthi-Namaskāra is given. As is quite obvious, the Siddha-Cakra is none else than the Namaskāra-valaya, elaborated, at a later stage, with the addition of jñāna, darśana, caritra and tapa.
But it is certain that the diagrain of Siddha-Cakra (possibly in its earlier form) was already well-known in the age of Hemacandra, even though no earlier reference to Siddha-Cakra-yantra could be traced in the extant Svetāmbara literature for he specifically refers to it as a 'samaya-prasiddhaCakra-visesa."
The worship of the present type of Siddha-Cakra seems to have started at a comparatively late age in Jainism as is proved by negative archæological evidence, since almost none of the available siddha-cakra diagrams in paintings and sculpture goes back to the pre-Mogul period, and also by the late date of the existing literary traditions eulogising the worship of this diagram. The mythic story of a King Sripāla who had been famous for his devotion to the Siddha-Cakra and who is supposed to have been rewarded for his meritorious devotion to the worship of this diagram, forms the subject matter of SiriSirivāla-kalā of Ratnamandira gani (1362 A.D.) A Gujarāti ballad known as Sripāla-rāsu, composed in 1738 A.D., is very popular amongst the Svetambara Jainas of modern Gujarat.
Ratnamandira gani describes the Siddha-Cakra yantra in every detail. His version of the yantra however, is larger than the one commonly worshipped (as in our figure 85 ) and comprises worship of several other Jaina deities, According to the author, the presiding deity or guardian of this mystic diagram is Sri Vimalasvimi, but the Nine Padas of course form a nucleus around which other deities find a place in the yantra. We have no means to ascertain that the
1 Pravacana säroddhāra. pp. 15-16.
? Commenting on the word Arhan, in the first sūtra of his Sabdūnusasana, he writes :-hgaheuret SATICI 9281924ā I HATIAGTE *auty ARAH78 1......
Brharmyasa, -ed by Ācārya Lāvanya Süri, p. 3.
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