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Feb

05 DeviDevtas
2012
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InmyPreviousPostidescribedtheJainSaathya,whereintheSwastikarepresentsthefourstatesof(Materialistic)existences
ofthesoul.OneofwhichisofDeviDevtas.TheseareknownasAngels,HeavenlyBeings,Ghosts,Spiritsetcinotherreligions.

Jainismdividestheminto4categoriesdependingontheirresidence

1. Bhavanpati:Livingbelowhumanexistence,aboveLowerHell,knownasAsuras
2. Vyantar:LivingbetweenHumanexistenceandbelowHeaven
3. Jyotishka:RevolvingaroundtheMeruParvat(TheCenterpointoftheuniverse),intheformofSuns,Moons,StarsandPlanets
4. Vaimanik:LivinginheavenlyabodesofspecialkindofShips(Vimaan)

TheseDevasarebornoutofexceptionalMeritsearnedduringtheirpreviouslives.Theirbodiesaremadeupofmaterialthatistotallydifferentfromus
humansorofanimals.Theycantakeanyshapeanybodyandenjoymultitudeofpleasures.Theyhaveenormousstrengthandclairvoyancewhichisalso
proportionaltothepunyaormeritsaccruedduringtheirpreviousbirth.Theydonoteatordrinkoutofnecessity,likeus.Theyeatordrinkonlyforpleasure,
taste.Theirbodiesaremadeupofspecialsubstancesormatterwhichisindependentofair,waterandfoodforprovidingnourishment.

EvenamongsttheseDevasaheirarchialorderisfollowed,whereintheHighestisIndrawhoresidesinthehighestHeaven.Hedelegateshisresponsibilityto
63otherIndraswhoarehissubordinates.Similarly,therearegoddessesofWealthLaxmi,KnowledgeSaraswatiandsoon.TheMaterialbodyofthese
DevasandDevis,theChieftainsinthehierarchicalorderorpossessingsomedutylikeManagingwealthdonebyLaxmi,remainsthesame,asis.Onlytheir
soulskeepchanging.JustthewayaPresidentoraPrimeMinisterisaPosition,whichconstantlychanges.Andjustliketherearenormalcitizens,thereare
alsoothernormaldevasdeviswhoenjoytheirtimeinparadise.

SoifyoucompareaDeva,withaHuman,youwouldfindalotofsimilaritiesandamultitudeofdifferences.Justlikehuman,evendevashavepassions,
pursuitforpleasure,andenjoytheirlongspanoflife(whichisaminimumof10,000yearsascomparedtotheshortspanofhumans).

ButtherearealsocertainDevaswhoareSamyaktviandeveninheaven,withallthepleasureandmaterialbenefitsathand,livethelifeofanascetic.They
abnegatethecomfortsofheavenandcontinueintheireffortstoachievesalvation.

But,unlikeahuman,aDevacanneverattainMoksha.Hence,everyTirthankarinthepresent24,tookbirthfromheaven.Inthe14Dreams,asseenbythe
MothersofTirthankars,thereisaadreamCalledDevVimaan,whichindicatesthatthesoul(ofTirthankar)hasjustcompletedhis/hertenureinHeaven,
anddescendedinthewombtobebornasaTirthankar.

Inthenext24,therellbeafewTirthankars,whosesoulshallcomenotfromheavenbutdirectlyfromhell.EvenaTirthankarsSoulhastosufferhellinorder
towashofftheKarmasattachedtothesoul.

Now,therearecertainDevasthatweseeinourDerasars,wealsobowdowntothemandaskforMaterialfavors,whoare
they?WhatstheirRoletoplay?Whyaretheyinthederasar?
TheseareYakshaandYakshashiniswhichisasubtypeoftheVyantarDevas.Thesearedevashavingbodiesofvariouskinds,possessingexceptional
powerandclairvoyance.SomeoftheseYakshaandYakshashinisareappointedascaretakersbytheTirthankaronthedayofestablishmentoftheJain
Religion(JainReligionisneveractuallyestablished.ItisjustrevivedtimeandagainbyeveryTirthankar.Thisrevivaliscolloquiallycalledestablishment).
TheyarecalledAdhisthaayakaDevaandAdhisthayikaDevi.Forexample,afamouspairthatyouwouldnormallyseeineveryDerasarwithParshwanath
BhagwanwouldbePasrshwaYakshaandPadmavatiDeviImageBelow.


TheseareSamyaktviJeevs(Souls),whoprotecttheTirthankars,theestablishedTirth(Religion)andthedevoteesoftheTirthankarsfromanykindof
sufferingorpain.

Hence,theyarenothingbutcaretakersoftheJainReligionwithexceptionalpower.

Basically,theyareourSaadharmik.ASaadharmikisbasicallyonewhoisfollowingthesamereligion,inourcontext,onewhoisadevoteeofthe
Tirthankar.JustthewaywedoBhakti,Poojaetcashumans,eventheDevasandDevisdoPooja,SatkarandBhaktioftheidolsoftheTirthankars(One
musthaveheardaboutDeviDevtasperformingPoojaseverynightonShetrunjayainPalitana).

Letstakeasimpleexampletoexplainthesituation.Letssay,ManthanandRajan.BotharefollowersofJainReligion.Now,Manthan,isaDevawhohas
specialpowers,exceptionalbody,exceptionalstrength,whocanstayhungryfordayswithouteatingandisconstantlyengagedinprabhubhaktidayinand
dayout.Ontheotherhand,thereisRajan,whoisaweak,frailhumanbeing,whoisasdevotedtoJainReligionasisManthan.ButRajanhascertain
physicallimitationsowingtothedependenceofhisbodysnourishmentonair,foodandwater.

ButRajanstillwantstogoon,dopenance,washhiskarmas.SoheasksManthanforhelp,whoisadevaandhasexceptionalpowerstocureillnessesor
anyotherbodilyailmentslikeanyotherdevapossessesandwhichareinhibitingRajansspiritualprogress.Manthan,impressedbyhisdevotion,helpshim
inwhatevermannerpossible.

So,basicallythepointis,that,theseDevasandDevisareourSaadharmik.Theywouldhelpus,assistus,blessuswithexceptionalpowersonlyifthey
seetherequisiteamountofdevotionandclearintentionindevotee.Also,themainfocusofthedevoteeshouldbeonTirthankarBhaktiorwashingofthe
KarmasandnotonimpressingtheDeviDevtatoobtainmaterialwealthorassistanceofanytypewhichwouldonlyenhanceonesmaterialpossessions.
Hence,theidolsofthesedevidevtasareinstalled,sothatwecanrequestthemforprotectionfromanyuntowardcircumstancesandovercomingseemingly
impossiblehurdleswhileperforminganyreligiousactivity.ForEx:itwouldbeappropriatetoprayforprotectionwhilegoingforapilgrimageandrequestfora
hasslefreejourney.ItishighlyinappropriatetopraiseandsingeulogiesfortheDeviDevtaswithintentionsofreapingmaterialbenefitsasblessings.

Also,theSadhu,UpadhyaandAcharyasholdahigherplaceinspiritualadvancementthantheDeviDevtas.TheseheavenlySamyaktviSouls,havedeep
reverenceforthemandtimeandagainhelpthenovercometheirobstacles.Attimes,theseDeviDevtashelpthePanchParmeshthisviz.Arihant,Siddha,
Acharya,UpadhayaandSaadhu,evenwhentheyarenotsummonedorbeckoned.ForEx:InParshwanathBhagwansStory,whenhewasindeep
meditationaftertakingDiksha,hiseternalnemesis,KamathaDevainthe1stheaven,startedpouringtorrentialrainsinordertodrownhim.Thelandwas
flooded,andthewaterhadreachedtoParshwanathsLips,andinafewseconds,hewoulddrown.ButParshwanath,wouldntmovesincehewasindeep
meditation.SoPadmavatiDevi,raisedhimfromgroundlevelusingherpalmsandcarryinghimthroughhisfeet,upwards.ThiseventwasnoticedbyIndra
andheimmediatelyorderedthenotoriousKamathadevatostopthedownpourandbrandishedhimasanoutcast.

ListofAlltheTirthankarsandtheAssociatedAdhisthaayakaDevaandAdhisthayikaDeviisasfollows

No Tirthankar AdhisthaayakaDeva AdhisthayikaDevi

1 Rishabhadeva GomukhaDeva ChakresvariMata

2 Ajitanatha MahayakshaDeva AjitabalaMata
3 Sambhavanatha TrimukhaDeva DuritariMata
4 Abhinandana NayakaDeva KalikaMata
5 Sumatinatha TumburuDeva MahakaliMata
6 Padmaprabha KusumaDeva ShyamaMata
7 Suparsvanatha MatangaDeva ShantaMata
8 Chandraprabha VijayaDeva BhrikutiMata
9 Suvidhinatha AjitaDeva SutarakaMata
10 Shitalanatha BrahmaDeva AshokaMata
11 Shreyansanatha YakshetDeva ManaviMata
 12 Vasupujyaswami KumaraDeva ChandaMata
13 Vimalanatha ShanmukhaDeva ViditaMata
14 Anantanatha PatalaDeva AnkushaMata
15 Dharmanatha KinnaraDeva KandarpaMata
16 Shantinatha GarudaDeva NirvaniMata
17 Kunthunatha GandharvaDeva BalaMata
18 Aranatha YakshetaDeva DhanaMata
19 Mallinatha KuberaDeva DharanapriyaMata

20 Munisuvrataswami VarunaDeva NaradattaMata

21 Naminatha BhrikutiDeva GandhariMata
22 Neminatha GomedhaDeva AmbikaMata
23 Parshvanatha ParshwayakshaDeva PadmavatiMata
24 Mahavirswami MatamgaDeva SiddhayikaMata

InJainism,allthestoriesandphilosophyrevolvesaroundremovalofKarmas,strugglewiththeinnerenemiesoflust,anger,pride,greed,jealousy.Beitanall
powerfulIndraoranenlightenedTirthankara,everybodyhastopayfortheirdeedsaswellasmisdeeds,neutralizetheequationofPaap(DemeritsorMis
deeds)orPunya(MeritsorDeeds)inordertoattainSalvation.HencethetermJaininitselfmeansConqueroroftheSelf.

JaiJinendra
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