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The Unknown Pilgrims
Master, what fruits accrue to the jiva from the caturviṁśatistava? Through the caturviṁśatistava the jiva obtains purity of belief. 13
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Right darśana is confirmed and increases, not only proportionately to the devotion, recollectedness and sincerity which accompany the praise offered to the tirthankaras, for this is in itself a holy and meritorious action, but above all as one goes beyond what each one was in the history of the tradition to emulate what each one is and remains eternally in nirvana.14
At the beginning of the hymn one addresses all the arhats who have transmitted the light of knowledge, established the tirtha, the ford of the dharma, all the jinas who have been victorious over rāga and dvesa, attachment and aversion. Next, each tirthankara is named and saluted; then follows a eulogy of their spiritual struggles and victories, along with the expression of a strong desire to imitate them. The hymn concludes with a brief passage of praise to those who are purer than the luminaries of the moon, more brilliant than the luminaries of the sun and deep like the ocean.
The caturviṁśatistava is a form of bhakti which includes the six aspects mentioned in connection with sāmāyika:
i) Nāma
The Name of each of the tirthankaras constitutes in itself a cosmic chant, expressive of the character of each. In a spate of ardent devotion a thousand and one epithets have been found to glorify the tirthankaras, each title indicating one aspect of their spiritual
13 cauvisatthaenam bhamte! jive kim janayai? cauvisatthaeṇaṁ damsaṇavisohim jaṇayai. US XXIX, 9.
14 A very large number of hymns bave been composed in praise of the tirthankaras, certain ones to the 24 and a greater number still to one or another, generally to Adinatha or to Mahāvira; Śanthinātha, Neminātha and Pārsvanatha come next in the number of hymns addressed to them. However, only the recitation of this hymn of the AvaS is obligatory.
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