YJA Convention 1996 07 San Francisco CA

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 20

ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND MEANING OF DEV SHASTRA GURU PUJA
•
Invocation:
The rays of the sun of omniscience illuminate whose inner self, That voice of Jinendra expounds beautifully the fundamentals of our being, The monks who proceed on the path of right faith, knowledge, and conduct. I bow to thee, oh God, scriptures and monks of the Digambar Jain order, a hundred times. I implore of the trio to settle in my mind, while I am offering this homage.
Water:
Pleasures of the senses are sweet poison, nevertheless one is attracted towards this handsome human frame, 1 have failed to comprehend that all this is the manifestation of matter alone, Forgetting my own glories, I have adhered to attachments of the non-self. Now I have come to you to wash off wrong faith with the pure water of right faith. I offer to you this water for destroying wrong faith as it has not been able to quench my eternal thirst.
Rice:
I am pure and without any blemish, having no connection with the non-self, Even then I always take pride in favorable associations of this world, This is a homage of the sentient to the non-sentient elements, destroying our modesty, I have come to you, oh supreme trio, for the realization of my supreme bliss. I offer to you this unbroken rice to achieve the undestroyable treasure of joy.
Flower:
This flower is very soft, it has no crookedness or deceitfulness, I accept that there is no straight forwardness in my own self, My thinking, expression and action - all are different from each other, I, therefore, implore you to grant me stability that washes off inner impurities. 1 offer to you this flower to achieve supreme straightforwardness in my nature,
Sandalwood:
All the sentient and non-sentient entities behave and act in their own limits of existence, Calling them favorable or unfavorable is a false attitude of the mind. I have only lengthened the circle of life and death by becoming unhappy with unfavorable associations, I have come to you with a grieved heart to get peace of mind, as from sandalwood. I offer to you this sandalwood to destroy the anger in me as this has not been able to keep me calm and undisturbed
Sweets:
My hunger has remained insatiate even after consuming countless inanimate articles. The pit of greediness has been filled time and again, but it has remained empty, I have been moving in the sea of desires and sinking therein from times immemorial, Renouncing all pleasures of senses and mind, I have come to thee for drinking deep of the intrinsic nectar of the soul I offer to you these sweets in order to win victory over my passion of greed.
Lamp:
I was under the impression that my life will be illuminated with this inanimate lamp, Which changes into deep darkness just in a heavy tempest of wind, I have, therefore, come to place this mortal light at your feet, And to light my own inner-lamp with your supreme light of omniscience, I offer to you this lamp in order to destroy the darkness of my inner self.