Vishsthanak Tap Vidhi - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Vishsthanak Tap Vidhi," based on the provided pages:

Book Title: Vishsthanak Tap Vidhi (Methodology of the Twenty Virtues Austerity) Author: Punyavijay (compiled/edited) Publisher: Bhuvan Bhadrankar Sahitya Prachar Kendra Inspirational Figure: Poojya Karnatak Kesari Acharya Shri Bhadrakar Surishwarji Maharaj Editor: Poojya Panyas Pravar Shri Punyavijayji Ganivar

Overall Purpose:

The book provides a detailed guide on performing the "Vishsthanak Tap," a significant Jain austerity practice that involves meditating on and venerating twenty specific virtues or principles (pad) central to Jainism. Each virtue is associated with specific rituals, mantras, prayers, and meditative practices, aiming for spiritual purification and the attainment of higher spiritual states, including the status of a Tirthankar.

Core Practices and Principles:

The "Vishsthanak Tap" is structured around venerating twenty "sthanaks" (places or virtues). For each sthanak, the devotee is instructed to perform:

Twenty Navkarwalis: Recitation of the Navkar mantra twenty times, prefixing the specific virtue (e.g., "Om Namo Arihantanam").
Khama Saman: A ritual of seeking forgiveness, with the number of Khama Samans corresponding to the number of virtues associated with that specific sthanak.
Kaussarg: A practice of meditation and detachment, often involving reciting specific verses or meditating on the qualities of the virtue. The number of Logasuss (a specific Jain verse) to recite for Kaussarg also varies depending on the sthanak.
Dev Vandan: Worship of deities, including offering fruits, edibles, and money.
Daily Observances: For lay followers (Shravak/Shravika), the text outlines daily practices such as morning and evening introspection (Pratikraman), purification of food (Padilehan), tri-kāl puja (worship three times a day), practicing celibacy, abstaining from falsehood and theft, reducing anger and attachment, and minimizing activities that cause harm to living beings.

The Twenty Sthanaks (Virtues/Principles) and Their Practices:

The book systematically details the veneration of each of the twenty sthanaks:

Page 7-10: Arihant Pad (Virtue of the Arihants)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 12 virtues.
- Requires 12 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 1 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Bright white.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Devpal).
Page 10-11: Siddha Pad (Virtue of the Siddhas)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 31 virtues (related to the destruction of karmas).
- Requires 31 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 15 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Red.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Hastipal).
Page 11-13: Pravachan Pad (Virtue of the Teachings/Dharma)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 12 or 27 virtues (vows).
- Requires 12 or 27 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 12 or 27 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Bright.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Jintatt Seth).
Page 13-16: Acharya Pad (Virtue of the Spiritual Guides/Acharyas)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 36 virtues.
- Requires 36 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 36 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Yellow.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Purushottam Raja).
Page 16-17: Sthavir Pad (Virtue of the Senior Monks/Sthaviras)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 10 virtues.
- Requires 10 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 10 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Respectful.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Padmottar Raja).
Page 17-19: Upadhyay Pad (Virtue of the Teachers/Upadhyayas)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 25 virtues (related to scriptures).
- Requires 25 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 25 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Blue.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Shri Mahindra Pal).
Page 19-21: Sadhu Pad (Virtue of the Ascetics/Monks)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 27 virtues (ethical conduct, control of senses, etc.).
- Requires 27 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 27 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Dark/Black.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Shri Veer Bhadra).
Page 21-24: Gyana Pad (Virtue of Knowledge)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 51 virtues (types of knowledge).
- Requires 51 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 51 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Bright.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Jayant Raja).
Page 24-28: Darshan Pad (Virtue of Right Faith/Perception)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 67 virtues (qualities of right faith).
- Requires 67 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 67 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Bright.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Shri Harvikram Raja).
Page 28-33: Vinaya Pad (Virtue of Humility/Reverence)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 52 virtues (aspects of reverence).
- Requires 52 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 52 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Bright.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Dhan Seth).
Page 33-37: Charitra Pad (Virtue of Conduct/Austerity)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 70 virtues (vows, disciplines, control).
- Requires 70 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 70 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Bright.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Varun Dev).
Page 37-38: Brahmavrata Pad (Virtue of Brahmacharya/Celibacy)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 18 virtues.
- Requires 18 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 18 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Chandra Varma Raja).
Page 39-41: Kriya Pad (Virtue of Action/Right Action)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 25 virtues (avoiding harmful actions).
- Requires 25 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 25 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Hari Vahan Raja).
Page 41-42: Tap Pad (Virtue of Austerity)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 12 virtues (types of external and internal austerities).
- Requires 12 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 12 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Meditative color: Bright.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Kanakketu Raja).
Page 42-43: Gautam Pad (Virtue of Lord Gautam Swami)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 12 virtues (qualities of disciples/Ganas).
- Requires 12 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 11 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Hari Vahan Raja - appears to be a repetition of Kriya Pad benefit).
Page 43-45: Jin Pad (Virtue of the Tirthankaras)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 20 virtues (names of Tirthankaras).
- Requires 20 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 20 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Jomootketu Raja).
Page 45-46: Sanyam Pad (Virtue of Self-Control/Discipline)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 17 virtues (types of Samiti and Gupti).
- Requires 17 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 17 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Purandar Raja).
Page 46-51: Abhinava Gyana Pad (Virtue of New/Advanced Knowledge)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 51 virtues (scriptural knowledge).
- Requires 51 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 5 or 51 Logasuss for Kaussarg (depending on interpretation, 51 is more likely based on the number of virtues).
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Sagar Chand).
Page 51-55: Shrut Pad (Virtue of Scriptural Knowledge)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 20 virtues (scriptural classifications).
- Requires 20 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 20 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Ratanchud).
Page 55-56: Tirth Pad (Virtue of Sacred Sites/Tirths)
- Venerated with 20 Navkarwalis.
- Associated with 38 virtues (qualities related to observing vows, compassion, etc.).
- Requires 38 Khama Samans.
- Involves reciting 38 Logasuss for Kaussarg.
- Benefits: Attaining Tirthankarhood (example: Meruprabh). This section also emphasizes using the Tirth Pad to promote Jainism through pilgrimage, community worship, and helping the needy.

Austerity Duration and Completion:

The tap can be undertaken for a minimum of two months and a maximum of six months to complete one cycle (oli).
Those performing the Atthama (fasting for 8 days) austerity can complete one cycle in a year.
Upon completion, a ceremony of "Ujaman" (celebration and offering) is performed with the guidance of the Guru.

Ujaman (Completion Ceremony):

The book details the offerings for the Ujaman ceremony, emphasizing performing actions according to one's capacity. This includes:

Building or renovating 20 temples.
Making 20 specific items for temples (plates, bowls, incense, idols, ritualistic items, etc.).
Creating 20 sets of spiritual knowledge tools (books, writing materials, etc.).
Creating 20 sets of ascetic equipment (mouth cloth, bags, etc.).

Rituals Included:

The text also provides the methodologies for various Jain rituals:

Dev Vandan Vidhi: A detailed procedure for daily worship.
Pachchakkhan Parvani Vidhi: The process for observing and breaking vows.
Chaitra Vandan: Specific verses for worshipping sacred sites.

Key Themes and Benefits:

Spiritual Purification: The primary goal is to purify the soul by venerating these virtues.
Karma Annihilation: Performing the tap helps in shedding karmic impurities.
Attaining Tirthankarhood: The text repeatedly mentions that by venerating specific sthanaks, one can attain the highest spiritual status of a Tirthankar.
Moral and Ethical Development: The practices encourage adherence to Jain principles like non-violence, truthfulness, celibacy, and detachment.
Devotion and Reverence: The entire process is rooted in deep devotion to the principles and the enlightened ones.

Overall Significance:

"Vishsthanak Tap Vidhi" is a practical manual for Jain practitioners seeking to engage in a rigorous spiritual discipline. It outlines a structured approach to venerating the core virtues of Jainism, connecting these practices with profound spiritual benefits and the ultimate goal of liberation. The book serves as a comprehensive guide for both monks and lay followers undertaking this significant austerity.