Digambar Jain Vratoddyapan Sangrah

This document is a Jain religious text titled "Digambar Jain Vratoddyapan Sangrah" (Collection of Digambar Jain Vow Completion Ceremonies). Authored by Fulchand Surchand Doshi, it was published by Digambar Jain Pustakalay. The catalog link indicates its availability for personal use.

The text serves as a guide for performing Vratoddyapan, which is the ceremony of concluding and celebrating the completion of various Jain vows (vratas). It details the rituals and procedures involved in these sacred ceremonies.

Key aspects covered in the text include:

• The Methodology of Udhyapan (Ceremony Completion): The initial pages outline the general steps for performing the udhyapan. This typically involves purifying oneself, going to a Jain temple, making a vow or obtaining permission from a spiritual teacher (guru), bringing pure materials for worship and mandalas, and performing the ceremony at an auspicious time.

• Mandala (Decorative Diagram) Preparation: A significant portion of the initial pages is dedicated to explaining the creation of specific mandalas for different vows. The number of squares or compartments (koshtak) required for each udhyapan is listed, including:

  • Sunday Vrata Udhyapan: 949 squares.
  • Shodashkaran Vrata Udhyapan (Sixteen Virtues): 256 squares, with a breakdown of the squares for each of the sixteen virtues like Darshan Vishuddhi, Vinay Sampannata, etc.
  • Ratnatray Vrata Udhyapan (Three Jewels): 93 squares, related to Samyak Darshan, Samyak Gyan, and Samyak Charitra.
  • Anant Vrata Udhyapan: 14,414 squares.
  • Ashtahnik Vrata Udhyapan: 1,344 squares.
  • Navagrah Vrata Udhyapan (Nine Planets): Specific details are given about the nine squares for the planets and their colors and directional placements.
  • Shantichakra Udhyapan: A complex mandala with 141 squares, involving various deities and cosmic elements like Panchparmeshthi, Mangal, Devatas, celestial beings, directional guardians (Digpal), etc.

• Mandala Colors and Elements: The mandalas are to be square or quadrilateral and filled with five types of colors. The central part of the mandala involves drawing the Omkar symbol, followed by a floral design using rice grains, and then an eight-petaled circle representing the eight karmas or the Siddha (Ashtakamal or Ahala Kamal). The mandap (pavilion) should be decorated with flags, canopies, garlands, and banana trees. A throne is placed in the center of the mandala for the deity's idol.

• Purification Rituals: The text emphasizes the importance of purification before the main rituals. This includes bathing, wearing clean clothes, collecting ritualistic materials, and purifying water and offerings using specific mantras.

• Abhishek (Ritual Bathing): The process of abhishek is detailed, starting with the purification of water. It involves establishing a Vedi (altar), performing Indra Sthapan (installation of Indra), and then the installation of the idol of the Tirthankara and the yantra associated with the specific vow being completed.

• Deity Worship: The text describes the worship of Dash Dikpal (ten directional guardians), Kshetrapal (guardian deity of the area), and Panch Parmeshthi (five supreme beings).

• Specific Vrata Rituals: Several udhyapans are detailed, including those for the Sunday Vrata, Shodashkaran Vrata, Ratnatray Vrata, Anant Vrata, Ashtahnik Vrata, Navagrah Vrata, and Shantichakra Udhyapan.

• Conclusion of the Ceremony: After the main rituals, the udhyapan concludes with ceremonies like Punyaha Vachan (invocation of auspiciousness), Aarti (worship with lamps), Shanti (peace rituals), and Visarjan (farewell). The text also advises donating ritualistic items to the temple and performing acts of charity (dan) such as offering food, medicine, scriptures, and protection.

• Table of Contents: A detailed table of contents is provided, listing the various sections and their corresponding page numbers, covering the methodology, purification rituals, various deity worships, and specific vrata udhyapans up to the Shantichakra Udhyapan.

The book is a comprehensive manual for performing Vratoddyapan ceremonies within the Digambar Jain tradition, providing detailed instructions and guidance for devotees.