Glossary

abhisek anointing or bathing an image

acarya religious preceptor; ascetic leader; leader of an ascetic lineage

agra puja worship performed in front of and at a distance from the image (as opposed to ang puja ); the latter parts of the astprakaripuja in which offerings are made outside the inner shrine

Agraval a merchant caste of northern India

ahimsa nonharming

aksat puja the sixth part of the astprakaripuja in which a diagram is formed with grains of rice

ang puja the opening phases of the astprakaripuja involving physical contact with the image (as opposed to agra puja )

aparigraha nonpossession

arati a lamp offering in which the lamp is moved in a circular fashion before the image

astprakari puja the "eightfold worship"; the principal rite of worship among Jains

Baniya a merchant; a member of one of the trading castes

Bhairav (Bhairava) a deity who protects Jain temples, often said to be a fierce form of the Hindu deity Siva

bhakti devotion

bhav puja mental or internal worship (as opposed to dravya puja )

bhogbhumi the land of enjoyment; those areas of the terrestrial zone whose inhabitants suffer no hardships and exist in a state of perpetual pleasure, and where liberation is not possible

Brahman the ancient social class of teachers and priests

catiya vandan a rite of worship involving the recitation of praise-verses in coordination with certain physical postures

Caityavasi temple-dwelling monks

cakravartin universal emperor

Camunda a meat-eating Hindu goddess

candan puja the second part of the astprakaripuja in which the image is anointed with sandalwood paste; also called kesar puja or kesar-baraspuja

caturmas the four-month rainy season retreat for monks and nuns

caturvidh sangh the fourfold order of Jain society: monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen

Chagansagar a distinguished Khartar Gacch monk (1839-1909)

chatri an umbrella; a cenotaph

cyavan the death of a deity or hell being

dadabari "garden of the dada "; a shrine where the Dadagurus are worshiped

Dadaguru (or Dadagurudev) one of four greatly venerated monks of the past belonging to the Khartar Gacch

dan( dana) alms; a charitable gift; a merit-generating gift

darsan sight; vision; seeing an august personage or the image of a deity

Devcandraji a distinguised Khartar Gacch monk (1689-1755) who authored the text of the snatrapuja used in the Khartar Gacch tradition

dharm( dharrna) sacred duty; righteousness; religion

dhup puja the fourth part of the astprakaripuja in which the image is worshiped with incense

Digambar "sky clad"; the Jain sect whose monks are nude

diksa initiation

dipak puja the fifth part of the astprakaripuja in which the image is worshiped with a lamp

Divali the "festival of lights" associated with Laksmi, the goddess of prosperity; celebrated by Jains and Hindus

dravya puja worship with material things (as opposed to bhavpuja)

Durga the "Inaccessible One"; a meat-eating, martial goddess

eightfold worship see astprakaripuja

five-kalyanakpuja see panc kalyanakpuja

gacch a lineage of ascetics based on the principle of disciplic descent

gandhar one among a Tirthankar's foremost disciples

gati destiny; one of the four birth categories of hell-beings, gods, humans, and animals and plants

Gautam Svami (Gautama) Mahavir's foremost disciple

gotra exogamous patrician

gunasthan one of the fourteen stages of spiritual advancement toward liberation

himsa violence; harm (as opposed to ahimsa )

Indra the king(s) of the gods, of which there are sixty-four

Indrani the consort of an Indra

jal puja the first part of the astprakaripuja in which the image is bathed

Jambudvip the vast circular continent at the base of Mount Meru

janam birth

Jina a victor; one who has defeated all desires and aversions; synonym for a Tirthankar

Jincandrasuri II the fourth Dadaguru (1541-1613)

Jincandrasuri "Manidhari" the second Dadaguru (1140-1166)

Jindattsuri the first Dadaguru (1075-1154)

Jinkusalsuri the third Dadaguru (1280-1332)

jiv a soul

kalyanak one of the five auspicious and welfare-producing events that occur in the last lifetime of every Tirthankar: descent into a human womb, birth, initation, attainment of omniscience, and final liberation

Kamath Parsvanath's antagonist who followed him through many births

karm( karma) action that affects the subsequent destiny of the actor; in Jain doctrine, material particles that are drawn to the soul by action and stick to the soul as a consequence of desire and aversion

karmbhumi the land of endeavor; those areas of the terrestrial zone where suffering takes place, where humans must work for subsistence, and where liberation is possible

kevaljnan omniscience

Khandelval a merchant caste of northern India

Khartar Gacch an ascetic lineage among Svetambar Jains

Krsna a Hindu deity; a form of Visnu

Ksatriya the ancient social class (varna ) of warriors and rulers

kuldevi lineage goddess

Mahavideh a terrestrial zone where Tirthankars are always active and liberation is therefore always possible

Mahavir (Mahavira) the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankar of our continent and. eEra

Mahesvari a Hindu merchant caste of northern India

Mandirmargi Svetambar Jains who worship images in temples

mantra a sacred or power-filled verbal formula

Meru a mountain at the center of the terrestrial world

moks( moksa) liberation

moks marg the path of liberation

muni a generic term for a male Jain ascetic

Murtipujak Svetambar Jains who worship images in temples

naivedya puja the seventh part of the astprakaripuja in which food is offered

namaskar mantra the most frequently uttered prayer and sacred formula in Jainism; an expression of homage to the five worship-worthy beings: the Tirthankars, the liberated souls, the ascetic leaders, the ascetic preceptors, and ordinary ascetics

Nandisvar a continent lying outside the zone in which humans can live; a place where the gods and goddesses worship eternal images of the Tirthankars

Navratri "nine nights"; two periods of the year dedicated to the worship of the goddess

nigod the smallest and lowest form of life

nirvana In Jainism the death and liberation of an omniscient being

nisihi a word uttered by worshipers in Svetambar temples signifying the passage from one ritual state to another

Osiya a town, north of Jodhpur, that is an important pilgrimage site for Osvals; the site of Saciya Mata's temple

Osval a merchant caste of northern India prominent among Svetambar Jains; there are also Hindu Osvals

panñc kalyanakpuja a major rite of worship celebrating the five kalyanaks of a particular Tirthankar

pap sin; "bad" karma

Parsvanath the twenty-third Tirthankar of our place and era

Paryusan a period of religious observances taking place during the rainy season

pativrat a dutiful and virtuous wife

Paus Dasmi an annual festival held in honor of Parsvanath's birthday

phal puja the eighth and final part of the astprakaripuja in which fruit is offered

pratikraman a ritual of confession and expiation

prasad blessing; grace; food that has been offered to a deity or august personage; objects sanctified by contact with a deity or august personage

puja worship, homage

pujari among Hindus a temple priest; among Jains a menial temple servant

punya merit; "good" karma

puspa puja(alsophul puja) the third part of the astprakaripuja in which flowers are offered

Pustimarg a Krsna-worshiping Hindu sect founded by Vallabhacarya in the fifteenth century

Rajput a caste or caste cluster; the martial asristocracy of Rajasthan and other areas of northern and central India

Rsabh the first Tirthankar of our continent and era

Saciya Mata lineage goddess of many Osvals

sadhu a male ascetic

sadhvi a female ascetic

Saiva a worshiper of the Hindu deity Siva

Saiva Siddhanta a Saiva sect

samayik a ritual of meditation

samsar( samsara) the cycle of rebirth; the world of transmigrating beings

samuday an ascetic sublineage

samvasaran the universal assembly of deities, humans, and animals who have come to hear a Tirthankar's teaching

sangh the Jain community

Satrunjaya a holy mountain (in Gujarat) that is one of the principal pilgrimage sites for Svetambar Jains

siddh( siddha) a liberated soul

siddhcakra a sacred figure portraying nine essential elements of Jainism

snatra puja a rite of worship focused on the bathing of a Tirthankarimage

sravak a "listener"; a Jain layman

sravika a Jain laywoman

Srimal a merchant caste of northern India prominent among Svetambar Jains

Sthanakvasi a reformist Svetambar sect that opposes the worship of images

sthapna a rite that invokes the presence of a deity at a place of worship

svastik a swastika; also called sathiya

Svetambar "white clad"; the Jain sect whose monks and nuns dress in white

Tapa Gacch an ascetic lineage among Svetambar Jains

Terapanth a reformist Svetambar sect that opposes the worship of images

Tirthankar "fordmaker"; an omniscient teacher who promulgates Jainism

tirthankar namkarm the karma that will bring about later attainment of Tirthankar status

tyag abandoning; renunciation

upvas a fast

Utpaldev a Rajput prince who is believed to have founded the town of Osiya; also Upaldev

Vaisnava a worshiper of the Hindu deity Visnu or one of his forms

Vaisya the social class (varna ) of merchants

Vallabhacarya the founder of the Pustimarg

varna the four classes of Hindu society: Brahman, Ksatriya, Vaisya, Sudra

vasksep a yellow powder used by Jain ascetics to confer blessings

vrat a restraint; a vow; in common Hindu usage, a votive fast

vyantar a lower class of Jain deities

yati a male Svetambar ascetic whose vows are less onerous than those of full ascetics

yojan a measure of distance; about 8 miles

yugpradhan the foremost spiritual leader of the age