JAIN STAVAN: LIFE OF MAHAVIR SWAMI: KATHA SU AAYO HIRO
JAI JINENDRA,
THIS STAVAN IS ABOUT THE LIFE OF MAHAVIR SWAMI AND THE PANCH (FIVE) KALYANAKS WHICH HAPPEN IN EACH AND EVERY TIRTHANKAR'S LIFE. ALSO VARIOUS EVENTS OF MAHAVIR SWAMI'S LIFE ARE ALSO SHOWN IN THIS STAVAN. Panch mean -five and Kalyanak mean -for the betterment of all living beings.
1) Garbha-Kalyanak or Inception ceremony:
·Six months before the inception & during the nine months of pregnancy Indra Kuber showers precious jewels in the city.
·Saudharm Indra assembles his cabinet & celebrates the joyous day.
·Eight young girls celebrate the day with the mother with music & dances.
·Garbha Kalyanak Pooja is done during the day.
·Mother witnesses 16 dreams this night.
·In the evening King’s (father) cabinet assembles, the king explains the meaning of all her dreams.
·56 (DIPKUMARIS)young girls present the mother with the gifts through joyous dances.
2) Janma Kalyanak: Birth ceremony
·Saudharm Indra celebrates the birth by making three circles of celebration hall.
·The Birth is celebrated with songs & dances.
·Sachi Indrani brings the child from the mother & enjoys the presence of child Bhagwan with dances.
·Saudharm Indra wants to have the child desperately, once Sachi Indrani gives him the child, he enjoys the aura with his thousand eyes & still remains unsatisfied.
·Saudharm Indra takes the newborn Bhagwan to Mount Meru on Aravat elephant in a large procession.
·At Mount Meru the Bhagwan’s Abhishek is done with 1008 Kalash
·Janma Kalyanak Pooja is done during the day.
·Saudharm Indra celebrates the joyous occasion with Taandav dance to honor Tirthankar’s birth.
·In the evening everyone enjoys the opportunity of swinging the child God in a magnificent swing created by heavenly Gods.
·Child God’s birth is celebrated for the spiritual fulfillment, as this is His last birth.
3) Diksha Kalyanak: Renunciation ceremony
·In the King’s assembly the young prince declares his intention of renouncing the worldly life and the parents accept this decision with joy.
·Lokantik angles praise the renunciation thoughts of the prince.
·Procession of the prince to jungle.
·Discussion between Indras & Kings as to who has the right to carry the Palaki (coach).
·Process of Aahardaan (first meal after Diksha).
·Diksha Kalyanak Pooja is performing during the day.
·Behind the closed doors special processes are done to the statue.
4) Keval Gyan Kalyanak: Omniscience celebration
·Celebration of Keval Gyan by all, with music & dances.
·Creation of Samosaran by heavenly Indra.
·Divya- Dhawni (sermons) and questions by Gandhar’s.
·Keval Gyan Kalyanak Pooja.
·Behind the close doors Keval Gyan process is done to all the statues and at this point the doors are opened because after achieving Keval Gyan the statues are now transformed in to Gods.
5): Moksh Kalyanak: Celebration of liberation
·Declaration of Moksh & celebrations with loud musical instruments & dances.
·Evaporation of physical body in presence of heavenly Indra Agnikumar.
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 (नमस्कार) or Namokar (णमोकार) 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 (pratihärya) and 4 extra
ordinary powers (atishaya).
Twelve
attributes of Arihanta are as follows:
1. Jnänätishaya:
Omniscience, the perfect knowledge of past,present and future of the entire
Universe at the same time.
2. Apäyäpagamätishaya:
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. Pujätishaya: All
celestial beings and humans either worship or have desire to worship Lord
Arihanta.
4. Vachanätishaya: 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 (Kevaljnäna).
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. Chämara: whisk
9. Sinhänsana: A divine
golden throne studded with precious diamonds
10. Bhämandala: 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 (prätihärya).
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-shilä located
at the top of the universe. Lord
Siddha has 8 attributes.
8 attributes of
Siddhas are as follows:
1. Ananta-jnäna: Infinite
knowledge due to destruction of knowledge obscuring (jnänävarniya)
karma
2.Ananta Darshana:
Infinite perception due to destruction of perception obscuring (darshanävarniya)
karma.
3. Avyäbädha-sukha:
Eternal bliss due to destruction of feeling producing (vedniya) karma.
4. Ananta-chäritra: Perfect
conduct due to destruction of deluding (mohaniya) karma.
5. Akshaya-sthiti:
Imperishable state due to destruction of age determining (äyu) karma.
6. Arupitva: Formlessness
due to destruction of name determining (näma) 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 antaräya)
karma.
Ächärya:Head of monastic
congregation. Ächärya has 36 attributes. For a detailed
discussion of Ächärya see the sutra number 2 page 7.
Upädhyäya:Ascetic
preceptor. Upädhyäya has 25 attributes.
25 attributes of
Upädhyäya are as follows:
Mastery of 11 Anga Ägamas, 12
Upanga Agamas, 1 Charanasittari (Text which deals in code of
conduct) and 1 karanasittari. (Text,which deals in performing rituals
and activities).
Sädhus and Sädhvis:Monks
and nuns who have taken vows of
poverty (dikshä). Sädhus
have 27 attributes.
27 attributes of
Sädhus and Sädhvis 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 käyä 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
