BEGNING OF AARTI AND MANGAL DEEVO - JAIN

Practice of ärati and mangal deevo was started around 12th Century AD (almost 900 years ago) by the inspiration of Acharya Hemchandraji. It was a time when a lot of Jains were getting converted into other religions such as Hinduism and the practice of animal slaughter that Mahavir Swami had stopped during his times was getting popular again. Acharya Hemchandraji inspired the then Hindu King Kumarpal of Gujarat with his teaching of non-violence and explaining the true meaning of religion. King Kumarpal became a Jain shäravak and is said to have started the practice of Ärati and Deevo and declared the state of Gujarat as a non-violent state. Thus the mangal deevo we will sing will have the name of Raja Kumarpal in the song. The Ärati that we say today was written by Sheth Mulchand of Dhudeva (Kesaryaji) in Rajasthan. Kesaryaji is a Jain pilgrimage where the mainpratimä is a beautiful idol of Adeshwar Bhagwan in black marble. The story goes like this… Sheth Mulchand was a very pious merchant that ardently worshipped and regularly performed poojä and äratiat the Kesariyaji temple near the village where he lived. He was so deeply devoted to Adeshwarji that in his old age when he had to move to another village to live with his relatives who could take care of him there, he could not bare the separation. At that time it is said that the devs guarding the temple gave him a small piece of the actual moorti of Adeshwarji that he could take with him to pray. Thus we honor the extreme Bhakti of Sheth Mulchand by singing the ärati he sang everyday at Dhudeva, Kesariyaji. Even today the ärati at Kesaryaji is unique and mesmerizing and is sung in a special folk tune that is worth participating in. 2. Ärati 2.1. Spiritual Meaning: There are many meanings of Ärati. One meaning is to experience the spiritual joy from all directions (Ärati = Ä + Rati; Ä means from all sides and Ratimeans Joy – spiritual joy). When a religious activity is concluded with success, we do Ärati to express our spiritual joy. Ärati also means to seek the end of “Ärt” (misery). This material world (Samsär) is full of misery, and the aspirant is performing Ärati to free himself / herself from the cycle of the misery of the material world, cycle of birth and death. Third meaning is that to fill our inner selves with spiritual joy, and to end the mental unhappiness. To free from the miserable cycle of the material world (Samsär), one needs to have bright light of five types of knowledge. That’s why we light five Dipaks(which has candle like flame). In front of these five lights, there is a symbol of a snake which indicates that delusion (Moha) is like snake and as snakes are afraid of fire, the delusion is conquered by the true knowledge. The symbol of These five Dipaks are also symbol of five great vows (Panch Mahä Vrat) through its practice, one attains the salvation. Five Dipaks are also symbolic of practicing five Samitis (Restraints), It is also representative of restraining negative activities of five senses and five characteristics ofSamyak Darshan (Right Perception). Another way to understand the purpose of performing Ärati is that, to free our selves from the miserable cycle of material world, we need to detach our selves from all worldly attachments as five supreme beings (Panch Parmeshthi) have done it. To pay our spiritual tribute to these five Panch Parmeshthi, we light up five Dipaks, and we mentally contemplate that “I want to also give up all worldly attachments, and want to initiate myself (takeDikshä) to become a Sädhu (or Sädhvi) to free my self from four Sämsarik destinies and to attain the fifth destiny, Moksha.