Namaskar Mahamantranu Swarup Part 01

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Namaskar Mahamantranu Swarup Part 01":

This text, "Namaskar Mahamantranu Swarup Part 01" by Narvahanvijay, delves into the profound significance and path to obtaining the Namaskar Mahamantra (Navkar Mantra) within Jainism. It explains the intricate journey of souls through various life forms and the rare confluence of factors required to even hear, let alone attain, this powerful mantra.

The Difficult Path to the Namaskar Mahamantra:

The core message emphasizes the extreme difficulty in obtaining the Namaskar Mahamantra in a human birth. Souls wander through an eternity of rebirths, taking countless cycles of pudgal paravartana (an immeasurable period of transmigration). The text details the soul's journey through different stages of existence:

• The Two Realms of Souls:

  • Avyavahar Rashi (Unusable Realm): This realm contains souls that, despite having the potential for liberation (bhavya), will never exit this realm. These include eternally pure souls, souls destined to become Tirthankaras, Gandharas, Acharyas, and other liberated beings. They remain in this state because their destined path ensures they never stray from the path towards liberation.
  • Vyavahar Rashi (Usable Realm): This realm contains souls that have the potential to exit the cycle of birth and death. These are souls that can potentially attain liberation.

• The Cycle of Rebirth: The text illustrates the arduous journey of souls:

  • From Avyavahar Rashi to Vyavahar Rashi: When a soul attains liberation, a corresponding number of souls from the Avyavahar Rashi enter the Vyavahar Rashi. These are termed "Anadi Sukshma Nigod" (souls in an eternal state of microscopic existence).
  • Entry into the One-Sensed Realm (Ekendriya): Souls entering the Vyavahar Rashi first take birth in the one-sensed realm, experiencing countless cycles of existence within it.
  • Progression Through Multi-Sensed Beings: The text meticulously outlines the immense time spent in two-sensed, three-sensed, and four-sensed beings. It highlights that even if a soul attains human birth from these stages, they cannot achieve liberation in that very life, at best reaching the seventh stage of spiritual development (gunsthanak).
  • The Fire-Body (Teukay) and Air-Body (Vayukay): Souls in these realms have a particularly difficult path, as they cannot directly become human from these states.
  • The Unconscious Five-Sensed Beings (Asanni Panchindriya): Spending vast durations in this state, souls undergo numerous births and deaths, often relapsing into the one-sensed realm.
  • The Conscious Five-Sensed Beings (Sanni Panchindriya): Attaining this state is exceptionally rare and requires the accumulation of immense merit through unintentional purification of karma (akam nirjara) through suffering. Even then, the cycle continues, with souls still bound to the one-sensed realm after long periods.
  • The Human Birth: Attaining human birth is a crucial step, but it's not the end. Even in human birth, the text details the perils of being born in non-Aryan lands, in non-Aryan families within Aryan lands, or following wrong spiritual paths. These situations often lead to negative karma and a return to hellish realms.

The Requirements for Understanding and Practicing the Namaskar Mahamantra:

The text highlights that simply hearing the Namaskar Mahamantra is not enough. To truly benefit from it and use it for spiritual progress, specific conditions and qualities are necessary:

• Merit Accumulation: Immense merit, accumulated through suffering and unintentional purification of karma, is essential.
• Favorable Birth: Birth in an Aryan land, in an Aryan family, and in a noble lineage, where the Jain dharma is accessible.
• Favorable Circumstances: Access to enlightened teachers (sadhus), the ability to understand their teachings, long life, and a healthy body.
• Karma Lughuta (Lightening of Karma): This is a crucial prerequisite for chanting the mantra effectively. It involves significantly reducing the duration and intensity of karma, particularly Mohaniya karma (delusion-inducing karma). This reduction is described in terms of reducing the immense durations of karmic states to "Antah Kotakoti Sagaropam" (within a kotakoti sagaropam, a vast unit of time).
• The Eight Virtues (Sampada): The text mentions eight "sampada" or resting places within the nine verses of the Namaskar Mantra, which are significant in its devotional practice (upadhan tap).

The True Purpose and Benefits of the Namaskar Mahamantra:

The text distinguishes between using the mantra for worldly pleasures versus spiritual liberation:

• Worldly Use (Sakama Nirjara): If the mantra is chanted for personal gain, material happiness, or to overcome worldly suffering, it leads to the accumulation of "pap-anubandhi punya" (merit that leads to further karmic entanglement). This results in fleeting happiness, increased attachment, and a lack of detachment, perpetuating the cycle of suffering.
• Spiritual Use (Nishkam Bhava): The true purpose of chanting the mantra is for self-welfare and liberation. This involves developing qualities like:
  • Forgiveness (Kshama): True forgiveness, not for self-interest but out of understanding the nature of karma and the ignorance of others.
  • Control of Senses (Indriya Samyamata): Restraining the senses from pursuing worldly pleasures.
  • Equanimity (Samata Bhava): Maintaining a balanced state of mind, unaffected by pleasure or pain.
  • Compassion (Daya): Empathy for all living beings, leading to selfless service (paropkar).
  • Service to the Virtuous (Sant Purushon ki Seva): Honoring and serving enlightened beings.
  • Control of Passions (Vishay Kashay ka Varna): Overcoming anger, pride, deceit, and greed.
  • Wisdom and Right Faith (Gyan Darshan ka Aaradhak): Cultivating knowledge and right perception.
  • Understanding Syadvada: Embracing the Jain doctrine of manifold perspectives.
  • Devotion and Detachment: Immersing oneself in equanimity without becoming attached to worldly gains or repulsed by losses.
  • Selfless Action: Using the mantra not for worldly benefits but for spiritual growth, for overcoming obstacles, and for cultivating detachment from worldly objects.

The Importance of the Panch Parmeshthi and the Mantra's Structure:

The text emphasizes that the Namaskar Mahamantra is a salutation to the five supreme beings (Panch Parmeshthi): Arihant, Siddha, Acharya, Upadhyaya, and Sadhu. It details the mantra's structure, consisting of nine verses and sixty-eight syllables, and its inherent power.

The True Nature of the Namaskar Mahamantra:

• It is considered the root of all auspiciousness, the essence of the Jain teachings, and the distilled wisdom of the eleven Angas and fourteen Purvas.
• Its glory is incomparable and eternal, recognized by all learned individuals.
• The mantra is described as the origin of all mantra-jewels, a wish-fulfilling tree, a destroyer of negative influences, and a source of ultimate power.

The Concept of Niskhepa (Classification) in Understanding "Namaskar":

The text explains that "Namaskar" can be understood through four classifications:

• Nam (Name): The verbal utterance of the word "Namaskar."
• Sthapana (Installation): The visual representation or form that prompts Namaskar.
• Dravya (Substantial): The physical body or its remnants, or even external objects that are bowed to.
• Bhava (Attitudinal): The internal feeling of reverence and devotion.

The Significance of Each Parmeshthi:

The text then elaborates on the qualities and roles of each of the Panch Parmeshthi:

• Arihant: Revered as the pathfinder through the cycle of birth and death, the rescuer from the ocean of existence, and the protector of all beings. Their journey to Arihanthood involves immense effort and purification. The text extensively details the meaning of "Arihant" through various etymological interpretations and highlights their qualities like the absence of delusion, control over senses and passions, and their role as the ultimate guides.
• Siddha: The souls who have attained complete liberation, free from all karmic bondage, residing in eternal bliss.
• Acharya: The spiritual preceptors who guide the spiritual path.
• Upadhyaya: The teachers who impart knowledge.
• Sadhu: The renunciates who practice rigorous spiritual discipline.

The Dangers of Mithyatva (False Beliefs):

A significant portion of the text is dedicated to describing the perils of Mithyatva (false beliefs or wrong faith). It explains how Mithyatva blinds individuals, making them worship false deities, follow incorrect paths, and misinterpret truths. This leads to immense suffering and perpetuates the cycle of rebirth, highlighting the critical importance of right faith (Samyak Darshan) for spiritual progress. The text meticulously details the various forms of Mithyatva and its destructive influence on the soul's journey.

The Importance of Virtues and the True Practice of the Mantra:

The text repeatedly emphasizes that the Namaskar Mahamantra is not merely a set of words to be recited but a practice that requires cultivating inner virtues. It stresses the importance of seeking the mantra with a pure heart, selfless intention, and a genuine desire for liberation, not for worldly gains.

In essence, "Namaskar Mahamantranu Swarup Part 01" serves as a profound guide, illuminating the extraordinary difficulty of attaining the Namaskar Mahamantra and outlining the essential qualities and genuine spiritual disposition required to harness its true power for ultimate liberation.