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The Trimantra
Tri Mantra
Editorial
Since time immemorial each religion has had the
founders like Lord Mahavir, Lord Krishna or Lord Rama. During their time, they
extracted people from differing divisive religious beliefs and restored them to
the essence of all religion, the religion of the Self. But the passing and changing of the time
cycle and the absence of such master Lords has led to differences of opinions
creating different sects and factions within all these religions. As a result,
there is loss of peace and happiness.
People quarrel about what is
‘mine’ and ‘yours’ in religion. To keep such quarrels at bay, there is the
Trimantra. When one understands the fundamental meaning of the Trimantra, one
would realize that it is not a mantra exclusive for any one religion, or sect
or division of a religion. The obeisances in the Trimantra is offered to all
beings of supreme awareness – starting from those who have attained Self-Realization to those who have
attained absolute Knowledge and also those who have attained final liberation,
moksha. Through such obeisances, one’s life’s obstacles are removed; one finds
peace amidst difficulties and begins to build a goal towards moksha.
Never once throughout his entire life did Lord
Krishna say that he was a Vaishnav or that he followed the Vaishnav religion.
Lord Mahavir had never uttered that he was a Jain or that Jainism was his
religion. Lord Rama had never said that Sanatana dharma was his religion. They
all talked about liberation through Self-realization. As Lord Krishna has said
in the Gita, as the tirthankaras have said in the Aagams and as Sage
Vashishtha has said to Lord Rama in the
Yoga Vashishtha, man has only to realize the Self. To live in a state of ignorance
is to be a mortal (jiva) and to
live in a state of liberation is to
be Shiv. When a jiva attains
Self-Realization, that very jiva becomes Shiva. Shiva does not refer to any particular person.
Gnani Purush Dadashri has given us the Trimantra. This mantra is completely impartial. He asks us to recite it five times with full awareness every morning and night. Doing this will render all your worldly activities peaceful. If you have a lot of problems, then you should recite it for an hour; you will find that the burden of your difficulties is significantly reduced. This mantra has the power to subdue all difficulties. It can make a mountain appear like a molehill!
Dadashri has illuminated the
literal, spiritual and the ultimate essence of the Trimantra. And he has
explained how this mantra uplifts those who recite it with its thorough
understanding. His satsangs on the Trimantra has been compiled in this book. In
devoting yourself to the Trimantra, your worldly obstacles will be removed and
you will achieve unity and harmony.
Jai Sat Chit Anand
Dr. Niruben Amin
.
TRIMANTRA
The Three Mantras
The Spiritual Unity Of The Three Mantras
Questioner: There are three kinds of
mantras: One of the Jains, the one of the Vaishnavs and the one of the
Shaivites. Why are they now coming together? What is the spiritual mystery in
this?
Dadashri: God is impartial. He has
nothing to do with the Jains, Vaishnavs or the Shaivites. The vitarag Lords
(Omniscient beings void of all worldly attachment) do not take sides. Those who
take sides create divisions by, ‘this is yours and this is ours’. Those who
say, ‘This is ours’ are automatically saying, ‘This is yours’. Wherever there is ‘ours’ and ‘yours’
divisions exist and that leads to attachment
(raag) and abhorrence (dwesh). This is not the way of the vitarags. The path of the vitarag Lords is
without differences and divisions.
Trimantra: The Complete Fruit
Questioner: Is this Trimantra for
everyone? And if so, why?
Dadashri: It is for everyone. It is
for those who want to wash away their bad deeds and sins (paap). It is not for
those who do not want to wash their sins.
Questioner: What is the purpose behind putting the Navkar
mantra, the Vasudev and the Shiva
mantra together in this Trimantra?
Dadashri: Is there not a difference
between eating a whole fruit and eating only a piece of it? This Trimantra is
equivalent to eating a whole fruit!
Lord Rushabdev (the first
tirthankaraa of the last cycle of twenty-four tirthankaras) had said, ‘It was
acceptable to divide your temples, but do not divide the mantra. The mantra
would lose its essence if it was divided.’
Our people have not only divided the mantra, they also divided the
agiyaras (the eleventh day of the lunar cycle observed for fasting), We now have one for the Vaishnav and one for
the Shaivites. This is why the importance of agiyaras and the mantra has
diminished. Jains, Vaishanavas and The Shaivites, none can find happiness and
it is because these three
mantras are not being recited together.
That’s why the Trimantra is now being united as the Lord had said.
Lord Rushabhdev is
considered the main originator of dharma or religion. He is the one who gave
religion to the world. The path of Vedanta was established through him and so
was the path of Jainism.
You know how people say, ‘Aadam’ or ‘Adam’? That
Adam is really referring to this Aadim (the very first) tirthankara but instead
of saying Aadim, they are saying Aadam or Adam. So whatever is out there, it is
His path.
Questioner: They were told to divide their
temples and derasers (Jain
temples) but are not all the celestial Gods and Goddesses in these temples,
one?
Dadashri: No, they are all very
different. The celestials Gods and
Goddesses that act as protectors and guardians (shashan devas) are very different. The protecting devas of this sanyasta mantra (sanyasta means that
which breaks bondage and attachment towards the worldly life, here the Navkar
mantra) are different, as are the devas for all the other mantras; they are all
different.
Questioner: But what is the advantage in
reciting all the three mantras together?
Dadashri: The existing difficulties of
life go away! The incoming difficulties
in life are reduced. If you have a problem but have connection with the right
people or know the right people, will your problems not be easily solved? For
example, if you are in violation of certain minor laws and the policeman is
your friend; wouldn’t you be able to go free?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: This Trimantra comprises the
mantras of the Jain, of the Vasudev, and the Shiv; they are all put together.
If you want protection or help from the celestial devas, you have to say all
the three mantras together. There are celestial protectors and guardians for
each mantra who can help you. The Trimantra is an instrument to please each
mantra’s respective celestial protectors.
Always there are celestial
protectors behind each religion. By reciting this mantra, we please these
deities and hence your obstacles are removed.
If you have any difficulties in life, reciting all
the three mantras together will soften them. This mantra is the solution to
reduce the effects of your past karmas that are unfolding. This mantra
gradually leads you towards the spiritual path. The force and the impact of the
unfolding karma that was to be sixteen annas becomes four annas (divisions of a
rupee, Indian currency). By reciting this mantra, the incoming difficulties
become light, and peace prevails.
Trimantra Makes You Impartial
These three mantras have
been in existence from time immemorial but through quarrels people have divided
them. The Jains kept the Navkar mantra and discarded the rest. The Vaishnavs
kept whatever is theirs and got rid of the Navkar mantra. That’s how the
mantras were divided. In their prejudice that divides people have not left
anything untouched. That is why India is in such a state of shambles
today! Ignorant people who wanted to
prove their point created these divisions.
The Gnani on the other hand, would reunite everything and make everyone unbiased. That is why we have written the three
mantras together. So when all the
mantras are recited together, you will be blessed.
Questioner: What circumstances led to the
division of the Trimantra?
Dadashri:
The propagation of and walling off of, one’s own bias and belief; ‘Ours
is the correct way’. A person who claims that his way is correct is saying that
others are incorrect. Would God concede
to this? To God both are equal. This is why man is not able
to achieve his own salvation, nor can he do so for others. On the contrary they
walk further away from their salvation. People who caught up in religious sects
and divisions are hurting themselves as well as others.
Yet, it is not necessary to remove these divisions.
They are needed because we need to have religions of all different levels or
standards; starting from the level or kindergarten all the way to the Ph.
D. Along with these standards we also
need their respective teachers. It does not mean they are incorrect or that
there is no need for different standards.
It is not appropriate to call the kindergarten level as being wrong if
you are in the higher grades. All the
standards are correct but not the same.
A Vaishnav would say, ‘This is our Vishnav
opinion!’. Some other people would say ‘This is our belief!’ Such people with their viewpoints have
confused and muddled things. This
Trimantra is an impartial mantra. There
is nothing here that belongs strictly to the Jains, or the Vaishnavs. It is a mantra for everyone in
Hindustan. You will benefit greatly by
reciting it because it teaches you to bow down to individuals of the highest
order. You benefit by doing the
obeisance (namaskar). You benefit even by merely saying the word
‘namaskar’. This is when you realize
that this mantra if for your own benefit.
If it benefits even you, then how can it be called ‘a mantra for the
Jains’? But what do people infected
with the disease of opinions, say? They say such things as, ‘This cannot be
ours’. Nonsense! Why can it not be ours? The language is
ours. Everything is ours! All such talk
is senseless. When I explain the
meaning of this mantra, people come to their senses.
That is why I have you recite it loudly:
Na-mo Siddha-nam
Na-mo Aaya-ree-ya-nam
Na-mo Oovazza-ya-nam
Na-mo Lo-ye Savva-saahu-nam
Savvah pavvah pa-nasa-no
Mangala-nam cha savve-sim
Paddha-mam hava-yee
manga-lam
2. Om Na-mo Bhaga-vate Vasu-de-vaya
Jai
Sat Chit Anand
Now if I were to explain the
meaning of the Navkar (1, above) mantra to you, you will feel, ‘this is our
mantra’. Once you understand it’s
meaning, you will not let go of it. At
the moment all you see is, ‘this is the Shiv mantra’ and ‘this is the Vaishnav mantra’. You need to
understand the meaning of the mantra. Let me explain you the meaning of the
Navkar mantra, then you will never say so again.
Questioner: Please explain in detail what
‘Namo Arihantanam’ means?
Dadashri: ‘Namo Arihantanam’. ‘Ari’ means
enemies and ‘hantanam’ means to conquer. So in this obeisance we are bowing down to the arihant Bhagwan, the one who has
conquered all the inner enemies of anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment and
abhorrence. From the moment of total destruction of the inner enemies, the state called keval gnan, until final
liberation, one is an arihant. Such a
one is the absolute manifested living God.
He may have become this from any religious order - Hindu, Jain or any
other race and he may be found anywhere in the universe. This obeisance says,
‘I bow down to the arihant Lord wherever He may be.’
Questioner: Does the arihant have a physical form?
Dadashri: Yes, he has a physical body. He
has a body and also a name. he
cannot be called an arihant if he does not have a body.
Questioner: Does the title of arihant
apply to the twenty-four tirthankaras?
Dadashri: No. Only a tirthankara who is
currently living can be called an arihant.
Lord Mahavir has attained moksha. People say, “These are our twenty-four
tirthankaras” and then they recite, “Namo Arihantanam, Namo Siddhanam…”, and if
we ask them, ‘are there two the same?’ They say yes. Then if you ask them who
is the arihant , they will say that the twenty-four tirthankaras are the
arihants. But really the twenty-four tirthakaras are all now called siddha
because they have already achieved liberation.
Are you calling a siddha an arihant? Whom do they call an arihant?
Questioner: The twenty-four tirthankaras have become siddha!
Dadashri: Then should you not ask them
why they call the one who is siddha an arihant? The level of the siddha is a different level altogether. The twenty-four tirthankaras are no longer
arihants, they do not have a physical body! This misunderstanding is precisely
why there is so much confusion. Right
now Lord Simandhar Swami is the arihant.
Do you know why I say that? Are
all the twenty-four airthankaras, arihants or siddhas? Is their status that of siddha or arihant?
Questioner: At this moment they are in the Siddha Loka – the location of all
liberated souls.
Dadashri: Are they siddha? You are you
hundred percent sure of this?
Questioner: Yes, one hundred percent!
Dadashri: Then they fall in the category of
siddha. So then who is in the arihant category? Arihant means they have
to be currently living. People refer to the twenty-four tirthankaras as
arihant, but if you think about it, they have actually acquired the state of
siddha. So when we say ‘Namo Siddhanam’
we are paying obeisance to them. But
that leaves the category of the arihant vacant. So the mantra of Navkar remains
incomplete, and by being incomplete, it does not give result. There has to be a
living and present tirthankara. The
current living tirthankara is Simandhar Swami; it is through His name
that your work for liberation will have to be carried out, only then can the
Navkar mantra be complete. If a
collector has been promoted as a Governor, would it not be disrespectful to
continue addressing him as a collector?
Questioner: Yes it would.
Dadashri: In the same token if you believe the twenty-four tirthankaras to be
arihants, then you are incurring a big loss. It is very detrimental. It does not harm the vitarag Lords; it has
no effect on them, but it is very damaging for you.
Neither Lord Mahavir nor the
rest of the twenty-three tirthankaras can help you attain liberation now. They have already become liberated. When we say
‘Namo Arihantanam’, that mantra reaches the arihants, wherever they may
in the universe, just like the mail that always reaches its destination. It
will not reach Lord Mahavir. Presently people believe that when they say ‘Namo
Arihantanam’, it reaches Lord Mahavir. The Twenty-four tirthankaras of the past
are now in the fully liberated state as the siddhas. They are in the category
of ‘Namo Siddhanam’. Only the currently present tirthankaras are referred to as
arihants.
Questioner: Today I came to understand that when we say
‘Namo Arihantanam,’ it refers to only Simandhar Swami; he is the arihant
lord.
Dadashri: What can be done when
things are so jumbled up? As an attorney, what do you think of it all?
Questioner: I understand it completely Dada.
Not from an attorney’s perspective only but I accept it completely as a
staunch practicing Jain. Based on what
you explain, a Jain who has a thorough understanding would readily accept that
only the presently living one can be called an arihant, a tirthankara. That is
precisely why the arihants have been placed before the siddha in the
mantra.
The Value Of Presence
Questioner: Do people think that Simandhar Swami is in some foreign place?
Dadashri: It is of no great significance where the present tirthankara is.
Wherever he may be. If you talk about the location, then previously they were
in the state of Bihar, but of what use was it to the people living in the Charotar
Region of Gujarat? In those days there
were no means of transportation, so of what use was this to them? Nevertheless,
the tirthankaras can be worshipped through their names, wherever they may be,
as long as we have the knowledge that they are presently living. In the same way, the distance here between us
and Simandhar Swami is very great, but is he not living? He is present at this very moment and so he
is considered a current tirthankara.
It does not matter if you
have not seen the arihant. For example you did not get to see the arihant in
Mahavir’s time. You did not see Lord Mahavir. Mahavir Bhagwan was somewhere
else and you were here, he would still be an arihant. So if you recognize a
real arihant as arihant, it will be to your great advantage. Otherwise all your
effort will be in vain. For this very
reason, the Navkar mantra that you recite will not give any results.
Tirthankaras
are the ones who have absolute knowledge (Keval Gnan). There are other kevalis, who too have
absolute knowledge. But for one to be a
tirthankara, one has to have the tirthankara name karma come into
fruition. The tirthankaras purify the
very ground they walk on, and these places become places of worship. No one
else in the whole world has merit karma of such quality. No one else has such exquisite atoms
(parmanus) of mind, body and speech. A tirthankara’s speech is syaadvaad
(speech that hurts no living being and is acceptable to all) and inspires
absolute bliss in all around.
The state of the arihant is
a very elevated state indeed. No one in
the universe has such atoms. The
highest quality of atoms comes to be situated only in the body of a tirthankara. What a body! What speech! What a
manifest form! Everything about such a
living being is absolutely unique and exquisite. There is no comparison, so do not compare Him to anyone! No one
can be placed on the same level as a tirthankara! That is how great the
manifest form of a tirthankara Lord is!
All the twenty-four tirthankaras that existed were incomparable!
Questioner: Is the form of the arihant Lord the state before moksha?
Dadashri: Yes, the arihant is the state before moksha. The level of His knowledge is the same as that of the siddha, but
there is some bondage left for them. An
analogy would be of two men who are sentenced for sixty years in prison. One is sentenced on the 1st of
January, and the other on the 3rd of January. The first man has been released since his
term has been completed. The other man
will be released after two days but essentially can he not be regarded as a
free man? Such are their levels.
Who
are the other Gods?
Questioner: ‘Namo Siddhanam’.
Dadashri: Those who have become siddha from here, those who no longer have a
physical body and will not be acquiring a body again. They are the ones who are
eternally in the state of the siddhas. I bow to the siddha Lords.
Having
conquered their inner enemies: anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment,
abhorrence, Lord Rama, Lord Rushabhdev and Lord Mahavir are all now in the Siddha Loka where they
are eternally in the state of the siddha. To them I offer my obeisance. Now tell me, is there any problem in doing
this?
So of the two states, the arihant and the siddha,
which is higher? The siddhas are relieved from their physical bodies eternally
and are in the siddha state. They are completely liberated! Of the two, which is the higher state? What do you think? Just say it spontaneously, you will not find the answer by
thinking too much.
Questioner: Everyone is equal. When you
bow in reverence, everything is equal.
How can we say that one is higher than the other?
Dadashri: But do you understand why
they have put ‘Namo Arihantanam’, before the ‘Namo Siddhanam’?
The reason is those who have
become siddha are totally liberated but they cannot help us in any way. For us the arihants are useful and that is
why they have been placed first, before the siddhas.
We have to go
where the siddha Lords reside. That is our goal but who is more beneficial to
us? The arihant! He has conquered the
six inner enemies and is showing us the way to do so. He graces us with His blessings. That is why He is placed
first. He is very beneficial to us. So
the importance is of the living One.
Questioner: How does the siddha Lord
help human beings for their salvation?
Dadashri: The siddha Lord state is our goal. But, they cannot be of any help to
us. Only the Gnanis and the
tirthankaras who are presently living here, in the universe can be of help to
us. They can show us our mistakes, they
can show us the path and they can help us realize our Self.
Questioner: Then does the siddha Lord not have a body?
Dadashri: The siddha Lords do not have a
physical body. They are the absolute
divine Self (Paramatma). And these
so-called siddha men of today have attained varying types of worldly special
powers which have no spiritual value. If you provoke them they may even lash
out.
Questioner: What is the difference
between the arihant and the siddha?
Dadashri: The siddha Lord does not have the burden of carrying around a physical
body whereas the arihants has to carry this load with him. He too finds it burdensome. He cannot go to
the Siddha Loka until the remaining karmas exhaust. He to has to go through the remaining karmas.
So far we have discussed
two, what’s next?
Questioner: ‘Namo Aayariyanam’.
Dadashri: This obeisance is for the acharyas. Aacharyas are those who observe the principles
laid down by the arihants, and who teach others to do the same.To such
acharyas, I pay my obeisances. Acharyas
are Self-realized and their self control is spontaneous. Self control in them
means they do not react to the existence of anger, pride, deceit and
greed. But these so-called acharyas
that we refer to nowadays cannot be considered under this obeisance of ‘namo
ayariayanam.’ If we were to insult them
in any way, they too would retaliate and lash back. They have not attained the
enlightened world view yet (not Self realized). Theirs is the worldly view
only. We are not talking about such acharyas. Self realization, Atma gnan must
be there before one is called an acharya here.
Therefore here we are not talking
about the traditional Jain or Vaishnav acharyas that are around. We are paying
obeisance to the acharyas who have no desire for any kind of worldly happiness
and who are following the conduct for progressing on the path of liberation of
the vitarag Lords. They observe these codes of conduct and teach the same for
others. To such a being I bow. Do you have any objection to that? Whoever he may be or of whatever sect he may
belong to, as long as he is Self realized, to him I bow.
Such acharyas do not exist
here in our world today, but they do
exist in other worlds. And therefore this obeisance will reach them wherever
they are in the universe. This in turn benefits us instantly.
Questioner: Do these acharyas of our world posses any powers? When can the status
of acharya be attained?
Dadashri: The status of acharya remained true for a thousand years after Lord
Mahavir’s nirvana but after that time it has turned into a worldly acharya status, and there has not been any true acharyas since.
Questioner: I am talking about the true acharyas.
Dadashri: The true ones have not
arisen. The true acharya is a God.
Questioner: Then what about Kund Kund Acharya?
Dadashri: Kund Kund Acharya was one, but that was six hundred years after Lord
Mahavir. What I am saying is that for
the last fifteen hundred years, there has not been one. Kund Kund Acharya was completely
Self-realized.
Questioner: But these acharyas of today are called acharyas based on their
exposition of knowledge in scriptures.
Dadashri: People may call them acharya but the real acharya is Self realized.
The Acharya Is The Reason
For Liberation
How
are tirthankaras beneficial to us? Doing their darshan (seeing; to look upon with reverence) gives great
benefit and so does listening to them.
The time to listen to them is when they give deshna (divine speech),
otherwise the benefit is just from their darshan. The darshan of the
tirthankara is needed for liberation.
Just by the mere darshan of the tirthankara one can becme absolutely enlightened.
This is only for those who have reached such a level of spirituality.
Such
beings are those who have acquired the knowledge of proper conduct from an
ashtray and have reached a very high level of spirituality that all that is
left for them is just the mere darshan of a tirthankara Lord.
So the final preparation is
the role of the acharya. He helps one in the maturation process of the
liberation. Even the tirthankara Lord considers the acharya to be the highest
state of all.
Questioner: But why would the tirthanakara say that?
Dadashri: The tirthankara is endowed with
108 gunas (virtues or positive attributes) and the acharyas has 1008 gunas! The acharya is regarded as
embodiment of highest virtues. He is
like the lion. When he raises his
voice, everything around them trembles.
Just as at the mere look and sight of a lion, a fox would throw up the
meat it just ate, such is the power of the presence of an acharya. A person
would spew out in confession all the sins he has committed in the presence of
an acharya. Even the tirthankaras admit
that they have acquired their state of a tirthankara through the teachings of
the acharya. So the acharya is the
embodiment of the highest virtues.
These five obeisances
(namaskars) in the Navkar mantra is ranked the highest. Even the tirthankaras praise the acharya.
Questioner: Correct, correct, absolutely correct!
Dadashri: It is because of the power and the charisma
of an acharya that one becomes a tirthankara.
Questioner: Can the ganaharas (premier disciple) of the tirthankara
Lord be considered on the same level as the acharya?
Dadashri: Yes, they are considered to be on the same level as the acharya. The
acharya is a ganadhar. All ganadhars are acharyas, but all acharyas are not
ganadhars. They are called gandhara because they have transcended all layers of
the intellect. An acharya may or may not have transcended the intellect.
I too have transcended all
the layers of intellect. The layer of the mind is the moon and the layer of the
intellect is the sun. A ganadhar is the one who has gone beyond these layers of
the moon and sun and yet remains and abides by the instructions of the
tirthankara. I too have gone beyond the layers
of the moon and the sun!
Acharyas
have complete knowledge of the scriptures and they have absorbed it. The sadhus
are in the process of studying the scriptures, but they too have realized the Self, they have acquired the true
knowledge (samkit) but are studying further.
The upadhyayas are
studying themselves and also teaching others the same. The upadhyayas have progressed in their
study but maintain utmost humility towards the acharyas. An achrya’s presence
is so intense that if ever he were to raise his voice, it would render the
upadhyayas absolutely meek. That is the
aura of an acharya. Nothing can bother
an acharya. If a sadhu were to shout or
become very angry, it would not bother the acharya in the least!
An acharya is such a being
that if his disciple were to err, the disciple would immediately make a
confession to the acharya because he would not be able to bear keeping it
secret from his master. Despite having
so much power, the acharya is not stern by any means. They never get
angry; nevertheless people around them feel a ‘heat of sternness’ in their
power.
The silent power of an
Acharya is like the ‘burning effect’ of intense cold. They do not have any
anger. If they did, they could never be regarded as acharya. Anyone with the slightest amount of anger,
pride, deceit and greed can never be called an acharya. Acharyas have such a wonderful
presence. And when they speak you never
feel like leaving their side. They are
no ordinary beings!
My status
is that of an acharya. It cannot be
called an absolute state of the vitarag.
But if you want to refer to my state as ‘vitarag’, then you can say I am
a meddlesome vitarag. A meddlesome person, yet free of attachment.
I am meddlesome only because I tell people to come to satsang and that I will
do things for them. Such a meddlesome
quality is not to be found in an absolute vitarag. A vitarag is not
concerned with whether something is beneficial for you or not. His very
existence and presence is beneficial. His entire being is of benefit to
mankind. His aura is beneficial. The
air around Him is beneficial. His speech is beneficial. His darshan is
beneficial. But he would not tell you
to do this or that. Whereas I tell you,
‘I will do satsang with you, so you can be liberated.’ Tirthankaras only utter this much in their
deshna: “The four paths to life forms
(celestial, human, animal & hell) are sources of suffering, so dear human
being, you have acquired a birth in the human body form, the only one, from
which liberation is attainable! So get
your liberation work done.” They say
only this much. They say this when they
give deshna!
At the moment we do not have
any tirthankaras here in our world and the siddha Lords are all in their own
location. At the moment I am the representative of the
tirthankara Lord. Yes, when they are
not here, I have the power in my hands.
And I am using that power, without having to consult anyone! Nevertheless I myself worship the
tirthankaras. Have you not seen this?