This article brings you the beauty of those five lines and it also tries to give you the in depth understanding of Navkar Mantra...
Navkar Mantra: |
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Namo Arihantanam Namo Siddhanam Namo Ayariyanam Namo Uvajzayanam Namo Loe Savva Sahunam Eso Panch Namokkaro Savva Pav Panha Sanho Mangalanam Cha Savvesim Padhamam Havai Mangalam *******************************************
English Version |
| I bow to the
Arihantas, the perfected human beings. I bow to the Siddhas, liberated bodiless souls. I bow to the Acharyas, the masters and heads of congregations. I bow to the Upadhyayas, the spiritual teachers. I bow to the spiritual practitioners in the universe, Sadhus. This fivefold obeisance mantra, Destroys all sins and obstacles, And of all auspicious repetitions, Is the first and foremost. |
Essence:
In the above prayer, Jains salute the virtues of the Pancha Parmeshti, or five benevolents: The Arihants, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadhyayas, and normal monks. They do not pray to a specific Tirthankar or monk by name. By saluting them, Jains believe they receive the inspiration from the five benevolent for the right path of true happiness and total freedom from the misery of life. Jain prayers do not ask for any favors or material benefits from the Tirthankaras or from sadhus and sadhvis. These prayers simply serve as a gesture of deep respect towards beings they believe are more spiritually advanced and to remind followers of the Jain religion of their ultimate goal of nirvana or moksha.
