Article: Eight auspicious symbols

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Temple decorated for Dīvālī

Jains commemorate the final liberation of the 24th Jina, Mahāvīra, in the festival of Dīvālī in late September or October. At Dīvālī, as in other festivals, statues and temples are lavishly decorated, as shown in this 2007 Flickr photograph of the Katraj temple in Pune, Maharashtra. Lights are festooned everywhere during the 'Festival of Lights', with both electric lighting and traditional clay lamps – dīpas – used. Examples of the ancient auspicious symbol of the svastika, with four dots representing the Jain community or the four states of existence, are clearly seen either side of the temple entrance.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darvekar/1978597664/in/set-72157603105954957/

Group initiation of Digambara monks – part 2

As part of their group ceremony of renunciation – dīkṣā – novice monks have the last tufts of hair plucked out by their teacher Vidyāsāgar. Then they remove their clothes amid the rejoicing of the large crowd of lay Jains. As a sign of detachment from worldly affairs, public nudity is associated with advanced spirituality and is the mark of a fully-fledged monk in Digambara Jainism. Then Vidyāsāgar traces the auspicious symbols of svastikas and four dots on their heads in sandalwood paste. Found on YouTube, this collective ceremony in Hindi took place on 21 August 2004 in the so-called Dayoday Tirth, Delwara Ghat, in the town of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh on the bank of the river Narmada. Watch the next part of the ceremony at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0WeUJici30&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFfMGtC7zfI&NR=1

Group initiation of Digambara monks – part 3

Towards the end of their group ceremony of renunciation – dīkṣā – 25 new Digambara monks have their heads anointed with sandalwood paste. The monk Vidyāsāgar, who is initiating them, traces the auspicious symbols of swastikas and four dots on their heads and palms. Then he blesses the new monks and newly initated novices – kṣullaka – who are dressed in white. He also consecrates their water pots – kamaṇḍalu. Both groups of mendicants hold their characteristic peacock-feather brooms – piñchī. Found on YouTube, this collective ceremony in Hindi took place on 21 August 2004 in the so-called Dayoday Tirth, Delwara Ghat, in the town of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh on the bank of the river Narmada. Watch the final part at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QCfjoyWbLk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0WeUJici30&NR=1

Symbols and idols in Shatrunjaya temples

This slideshow features photos of idols, auspicious symbols and scenes from the Śvetāmbara pilgrimage site of Mount Shatrunjaya. Taken in 2009, these photos are on the HubPage of Jyoti Kothari.

http://jyoti-kothari.hubpages.com/slide/Palitana-shtrunjay-siddhachal-dada-adinath-rishabhdev-Jain-religion-pilgrimage-center-Photo-gallery/1097125

Svastika during Paryuṣaṇ

A svastika formed out of traditional clay lamps – dīpas in Sanskrit – is arranged on the petal-strewn floor of a temple during the festival of Paryuṣaṇ. The svastika is an ancient symbol of good luck and is frequently found in Jain temples, on religious equipment and on books, clothing and so on. The four dots among the arms of the svastika represent either the four states of existence or the parts of the fourfold community. Lasting eight days in late August or early September, Paryuṣaṇ is the most important Śvetāmbara Jain festival. This photograph on Flickr was taken in 2007.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vikasgnayak/1391786612/

Introduction to Jainism – part 2

This extract from a BBC documentary called The Frontiers of Peace explores the relationship between Jain traditions and modernity. A Jain lay man tells how he reconciles his faith with his industrial business interests. A Śvetāmbara monk explains the significance of his monastic broom – known as a rajoharaṇa or oghā – including the eight auspicious symbols wrapped around the handle. A nun leads lay followers in the rite of confession – pratikramaṇa. A young woman creates auspicious symbols in rice as an offering as she talks about her decision to become a nun. This 2010 YouTube video is the second of four parts. See the next part at: www.youtube.com/watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHMQRmRKh_U

Introduction to Jainism – part 3

This extract from a BBC documentary on Jainism called The Frontiers of Peace explores the concept of renunciation. The video follows a young woman's decision to become a nun and a rich lay man's faith. The ritual of keśa-loca is filmed, in which monks and nuns pull out their hair. The lay man is shown making the auspicious symbols of the svastika, three dots representing the 'three jewels' of right insight, right knowledge and right conduct and the horizontal crescent of the siddha-śilā, where liberated souls live. This 2010 YouTube video is the third of four parts. See the next part at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=670KFhISeUk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a96nz4DvRRE

Explanations of Jain symbols

The website Namoka Tirth provides explanations for the common Jain symbols. Unexpectedly, this Digambara organisation offers the Śvetāmbara list of eight auspicious symbols.

Note that some of the website's assertions are not accepted by professional scholars because there is no indisputable historical proof. An example here is the dating of the first Jina, Ṛṣabha.

As with many Jain websites, the use of diacritics and transliterations here is inconsistent and does not meet academic standards.

http://namokartirth.com/jain_symbols.php

Eight auspicious symbols

Drawings and short explanations of the eight auspicious symbols according to the Svetāmbara sect are provided by the Jain Belief website. The order of the items is slightly different from that given in JAINpedia and other sources.

http://www.jainbelief.com/ashtamangal.htm

Eight auspicious symbols

Pictures and brief explanations of the eight auspicious symbols according to the Svetāmbara sect are provided by the HereNow4U website. The explanations of some of the items are not necessarily the same as those given in JAINpedia and other sources.

http://www.herenow4u.net/index.php?id=cd10090