Navkar Mantra is the universal prayer of Jainism. The Navkar Mantra is the most important mantra in Jainism and can be recited at any time. This mantra is also called Namaskar (рдирдорд╕्рдХाрд░) or Namokar (рдгрдоोрдХाрд░) Mantra. While reciting this mantra, the devotee bows with respect to humans who have cleared their gathi karmas (arihants), fully liberated souls (siddhas), spiritual leaders (acharyas), teachers (upajjhayas) and monks. Object: Deepest salutations to the five most auspicious beings.
Explanation:Navakara Mantra is also known as Namaskara Mantra and Namokara Mantra. Navakara Mantra is
composed of nine sentences (padas). It is the most revered mantra in
Jaina religion. In first and second sentences, we pay our respect to perfect
souls. In the third, fourth and fifth sentences we pay respect to the monks. The remaining four sentences explain the importance of this prayer. Some Jain
traditions do not include the last four sentences in Navakara Mantra. The first
seven padas each has a separate meaning while last two padas together have one
meaning, thus for nine padas there are eight meanings (sampada). There are 68
whole letters in the original Prakrit version of the Navakara Mantra. These are
the five supreme beings (parmeshthis), who are revered in this Mantra.
Arihanta:Siddha is the
highest stage of bliss even above the state of Arihanta but in the Navakara
Mantra, obeisance is offered first to Arihanta because they are perfect worldly
souls, builders of the ford of righteousness, establishers of the four fold
order of the Jaina community and they devote their lives in preaching and guiding
other living beings to the path of liberation. Lord Arihanta has 12 attributes;
which are made up of 8 auspicious symbols (pratih├дrya) and 4 extra
ordinary powers (atishaya).
Twelve
attributes of Arihanta are as follows:
1. Jn├дn├дtishaya:
Omniscience, the perfect knowledge of past,present and future of the entire
Universe at the same time.
2. Ap├дy├дpagam├дtishaya:
Lord Arihanta is free from all the faults and where ever he travels there
is absence of all natural calamities and diseases within the area of
125 Yojanas (1 Yojana equals 4 miles) surrounding him.
3. Puj├дtishaya: All
celestial beings and humans either worship or have desire to worship Lord
Arihanta.
4. Vachan├дtishaya: The
speech of Lord Arihanta is "The Reality" itself and well understood by
celestial beings, humans and animals in their own mode of expression
(native tongue) and has 35 special qualities.
5. Ashoka Vruksha: Where a
divine assembly hall is built, a tree called Ashoka Vruksha, twelve
times larger than the body of Lord Arihanta, is created by celestial
beings. Lord Arihanta delivers his universal sermon sitting under
this tree. Over Ashoka Vruksha, there is another tree called Chaitya
Vruksha. It is under this Chaitya Vruksha lord Arihanta
acquires perfect knowledge (Kevaljn├дna).
6. Sura-pushpa vrushti:
Shower of fragrant flowers by celestial beings.
7. Divya dhvani: The
discourse of Lord Arihanta is accompanied by divine music in the background
played by celestial beings.
8. Ch├дmara: whisk
9. Sinh├дnsana: A divine
golden throne studded with precious diamonds
10. Bh├дmandala: Halo
behind the head of Tirthankara
11.Devadudumbhi: The
celestial beings play the musical instruments during the samovsharana.
Of the above 12, 1 to 4 is
extraordinary powers (atishaya) and 5 to 12 are symbols (pr├дtih├дrya).
Siddha:Siddhas are
liberated souls and are absolutely free from
the cycles of birth and death
forever. The liberated souls live in an
abode called Siddha-shil├д located
at the top of the universe. Lord
Siddha has 8 attributes.
8 attributes of
Siddhas are as follows:
1. Ananta-jn├дna: Infinite
knowledge due to destruction of knowledge obscuring (jn├дn├дvarniya)
karma
2.Ananta Darshana:
Infinite perception due to destruction of perception obscuring (darshan├дvarniya)
karma.
3. Avy├дb├дdha-sukha:
Eternal bliss due to destruction of feeling producing (vedniya) karma.
4. Ananta-ch├дritra: Perfect
conduct due to destruction of deluding (mohaniya) karma.
5. Akshaya-sthiti:
Imperishable state due to destruction of age determining (├дyu) karma.
6. Arupitva: Formlessness
due to destruction of name determining (n├дma) karma.
7. Aguru-Laghutva: Not to
heavy, not to light, a balanced immaterial form due to
destruction of class determining (gore) karma.
8. Ananta-virya: Infinite
energy due to destruction of energy restrictor (virya antar├дya)
karma.
├Дch├дrya:Head of monastic
congregation. ├Дch├дrya has 36 attributes. For a detailed
discussion of ├Дch├дrya see the sutra number 2 page 7.
Up├дdhy├дya:Ascetic
preceptor. Up├дdhy├дya has 25 attributes.
25 attributes of
Up├дdhy├дya are as follows:
Mastery of 11 Anga ├Дgamas, 12
Upanga Agamas, 1 Charanasittari (Text which deals in code of
conduct) and 1 karanasittari. (Text,which deals in performing rituals
and activities).
S├дdhus and S├дdhvis:Monks
and nuns who have taken vows of
poverty (diksh├д). S├дdhus
have 27 attributes.
27 attributes of
S├дdhus and S├дdhvis are as follows:
Observe strictly five major vows
(5)
Do not eat before sunrise and
after sunset (6)
Give protection to six categories
of living beings (chha k├дy├д jivas),
i.e. one to five sensed living
beings. (7-12)
Keep control on pleasures derived
from any of five senses (13-17)
Avoid greed (18)
Forgive others (19)
Keep clear conscious (20)
Honest in dealing with personal
clothes (21)
Practice five-fold vigilance (samiti)
and three-fold self-control (gupti) (22)
Keep control over mental
faculties (23)
Keep control over speech (24)
Keep control over physical
actions (25)
Endure hardships (26)
Endure calamities (27)
In total there are
108 attributes of 5 supreme beings (Paramesthi) Lets us praise Navkar Mahamantra by singing this song
