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THE WAY OF LIFE
with your face towards the east with a garland of white beads; you must sit in the lotus form (Padmasan). You must concentrate your eyes on the edge of your nose. At that time, you must not allow any wicked thoughts and feelings to enter your mind and heart. In this condition, you must perform the Navakar Japa. After reciting the Navakar Mantra once, you must place a white flower at the feet of the Paramatma. This is to be repeated after every recitation. You must offer salua. tions to divinities at the three prescribed times. Every day with white substances, you must carry out Ekasan, that is eating food only once in the day and you must recite the Navakar Mantra one lakh times, in this manner".
Pathamini thus explained to Queen Lilavati the right manner of adoring and reciting the Navakar Mantra because for the first time, Lilavati had to perform the austerity of reciting the Navakar Mantra; so she understood the right procedure of performing the Navakar Mantra Japa. You also have understood it; have you not? You too perform the Navakar Mantra Jap: do you not? How many Japas do you perform a day ? Of course, it is absolutely necessary that you should recite the mantra 108 times at least. It is said in the Dharmagranthas that those who recite the Navakar Mantra 108 times a day, cannot be harmed by wicked deities and spirits. They will not be harmed by ghosts, goblins, devils and malevolent deities. No man can harm them any way.
'जस्समणे नवकारो तस्स किं कुणई संसारो?'
What harm can Samsar do to those in whose minds, the Navakar Mantra reigns supreme? Nothing can destroy their happiness. Do you have faith? Do you have confidence ? Fortunately, by your very birth you have attained the. Navakar Mantra. For this reason, you cannot appreciate the value of this great mantra. Those people who have discovered the efficacy of the Navakar Mantra, with effort, though they are not Jains, by birth, attain heavenly bliss by reciting the great mantra with faith and devotion. : :
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