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10th anniversary padishdha mahotsava
interfere with the mundane beings. Asking fo a long life or prosperity or any such things would be out of place in Jain philosophy. However Jain rituals and worship practices are very much different now. The answer to this probably lies in the human nature.
The other phenomenon is the singing praised and asking favours from Gods and Goddesses as Hindus do. Here some Jains poets did their best in terms of compositions of slotras. Jains also started singing hymns to please gods/goddesses, to praise their virtued, to ask for favours or to do all these in one act of worship.
A religion which advocates the nature of soul, the bondage of soul and karma and the method and the path of freeing oneself from the bondage of Karma is the religion of theory, a religon for learned ones. This path to Nirvana is not always completely understood by the ordinary people. Neither there are ingredints in it to attract a common mass. This religion which advocates renunciation rather are asking for worldly gains was perhaps of loosing its own identity. A common men is tempted to lean in the direction where he would find some material gains or help from a divine' source. Jainisam had little to offer to him in this respect. An ordinary Jain may have thought that he had no place to go where he would enjoy whilst taking part in a religious ceremony. Same way there were no rituals to perform whereby he would find that some Gods or Goddesses would come and help him in his troubled times. Jain scholars and preceptors would have fully realised the reality and the 'demand' of a common man. And they found the answer in the scriprures.
Jain, who now believe in the path of bhakti, recite the Stotra whenever they need a support, a solace of peace of mind or for getting extra benefits. The Shvetämbar sect of the Jain have named nine stotras which are considered auspicious and are worth remembering and reciting daily. The act of remembering and reciting is called smaran hence the nine stotras are generally refered to as navsmarans (nine recitations). There is a belief amongst some Jains that these nine recitations have hidden powers and if used in the mantra form can solve many problems and help the aspirant in day to day life. Magical powers have also been attributed with the smarans. The mantras and diagrams for worship rituals (yantras) have been devised and there are stories saying who got what benefits by reciting smarans of by worshipping the mantras and/or yantras related to the smarans.
The nine recitations (smarans) according to shvetambar tradition are:
Namaskar Mantra. Uvasaggaaharam Stotra. Santikaram Stotra. Tijaypahutta Stotra. Namiuna Stotra. Ajit Shanti Stavan. Bhaktamar Stotra.
Kalyan Mandir Stotra. 9. Brihad Shanti Stotra.
Scriptures mention about the universe and various types of living beings. There are four main categories -Hellish beings, animals, humans and demi-gods. One has to go through the cycle of births and deaths before the final liberation. One is borne in all sorts of existence. After following the path of right knowledge and right conduct only, one gets the final liberation (Nirvana). This also means no more rebirth i.e. the existence in the form of body-less pure soul. The highest form of Gods are this liberated souls. Jain however have said that there are other gods (semi gods and demi gods) living in different regions of the universe who possess miraculous powers. THEY can fulfil one's wishes and grant favours to devotees. These semi gods could be the attendant gods of Tirthankaras or merely the residents of different regions in the universe. There was nothing wrong, they would have thought, in praying the semi gods and asking or expecting favours from them. Jain preceptors have here found a way of worshipping a god who would fit in the requirements of a devotee.
8.
The Stotra we are going to consider now is uvasaggaharam Stotra, the second smaran. As uvasaggaharam Stotra has been composed in praise of the 23rd ford maker (Tirthankar) called Parshvanath, we will briefly examine his life sketch.
As regards finding and devising joyous ceremonies and ritual practices, there was no trouble what soever. Jain scriptures have mentioned one particular which was performed by the semi gods when Mahavir was born, Indras had celebrated the joyous Occasion of birth by performing a ceremony. The child Mahavir was taken on a mountain called Meru and was given a cermonious bath. He was anointed with sandal wood pastes and other ingredients. Some 56 ladies (nymphs-dikkumaris) performed this ritual (snātra) in a grand style. Shvetāmbar Jains have devesed the ritual of bathing/anointing and it is regularly done in temples. A Jain image is worshipped, bathed and anointed in 'recreation' like ritual. People sing songs and even dance gracefully in front of the idol of the Jain Tirthankara. These two phenomena are the starting points for 'bhakti' movement in Jain and opened the gates for various ritual practices. Some rituals are like snätra rituals where an ordinary man would indulge himself, feel happy and remain satisfied in front of a God.
Pārshvanath, a 23rd Tirthankar in Jain religion was born in 677 BC. This date has been derived from SBC and the book called Kalpa Sootra. It has been now accepted by the Historians that Mahăvir, 24th and the last Tirthankara was born in 599 BC and died in 527 BC. Kalpa Sootra and various sources suggest that Parshvnãth died 250 years before the death of Mahavir and he lived for 100 years. This puts his birth year as 877 BC and the death in 777 BC. Parshvanath's idols are found in hundreds of temple in India and abroad. His idol /image usually have a hood of seven or more cobras. Cobra or serpent is considered to be symbol of Pårshvanath. In the state of Rajasthān, one can find the temple of Parshvanãth in almost every town. Maximum number of temples have been constructed in devotion of Parshvanath. Parshvanath died (attained Nirvana) on the hills of Sammetshikhra in the state of Bihar in India. This is one of the most revered places of pilgrimage for all Jains. Life of Pärshvanath :- there lived a king called Ashvasen in the sacred township of Kashi. He had a queen in the name of Vamadevi. Both were religious and charitable persons. When the soul of Pārshvanath was in Vamadevi's womb, she saw 14 auspicious objects in her dream. Astrologers and the dream-readers had interpreted that great son will be borne
The miser's money, which causes uneasiness, harship, blindness and sleeplessness, is not money but a disease of the heart. Greed is not
quenched with money, any more that is thirst with salt water.
cer.
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