How Jains Offer A Lamp

The open hand with a wheel. The emblem of the Jain community was chosen in 1975, for the 2500th anniversary of the liberation of Mahavira. It includes an open hand whose palm bears a wheel with the word ahiṃsā, non-violence. Jainpedia explains that the hand reminds believers to stop and think before acting. The icon shows only the hand and the wheel, without the word.

Joined palms. Micchami Dukkadam is a Prakrit phrase meaning may all the evil that has been done be fruitless. Jains say it in pratikramana, the rite of introspection and repentance, and to one another on the last day of Paryushana, which Shvetambaras call Samvatsari. Digambaras keep the day of forgiveness, Kshamavani, on the first day of Ashvin Krishna. The sources tie the phrase to no object. The joined palms are the library's own drawing.

A flower. The resolve comes from the verse of forgiveness printed earlier on this page: I forgive all living beings, may all souls forgive me, I am on friendly terms with all, I have no animosity toward any soul. In the eightfold worship the flower stands for conduct. The JAINA puja book says our conduct should be like a flower, which provides fragrance and beauty to all living beings without discrimination. Digambara Terapanthis do not offer real flowers.

Three dots and a crescent. In the Jain emblem the three dots are the three jewels: right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. The crescent above is the siddha-shila, home of liberated souls, and the dot within it is a liberated soul. When offering akshat rice, worshippers lay out the same three dots and crescent in rice grains. The library does not draw the four-armed figure that sits beneath the dots.

The lamp in a glass lantern. In Deepak Puja the flame of the lamp stands for pure consciousness, a soul without any bondage. The lamp verse in the JAINA puja book asks: like a lamp, help us distinguish between good and bad, so that one day my internal lamp of knowledge will illuminate the entire universe. The single-wick Mangal Divo stands for kevaljnana, perfect knowledge. The glass lantern is how the library's shrine presents the lamp, see the not sure section.

A plate of akshat rice. Akshat is white, unbroken rice. The JAINA puja book says: by offering pure and unbroken rice grains we meditate in front of the Arihanta, keeping all our worldly attachments away. Husked rice cannot sprout again, so it also stands for the last birth.

A bowl of sandalwood paste. Chandan is sandalwood paste, one of the eight offerings. The JAINA puja book says chandan symbolizes tranquility in our soul. The Oshwal and Leicester community pages say instead that chandan symbolizes knowledge. The library follows the JAINA book and records the difference.

The five-flame aarti lamp. The Navkar Mantra, also called the Namokar Mantra, bows to five: Namo Arihantanam, Namo Siddhanam, Namo Ayariyanam, Namo Uvajjhayanam, Namo Loye Savva Sahunam. These are the Arihants, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadhyayas and all Sadhus. JAINA writes that the mantra worships their virtues rather than any one person, and asks for nothing in return. The five flames of the aarti lamp are understood as these five, the Panch Parmesthi. Digambaras pronounce the first word Ṇamo.