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Namaste,
I read online of a Jain who worships Saraswati. Are Jains allowed to worship gods and goddesses from Hinduism or any other religion? Do Jains believe it is possible to practice other religions as a Jain? For example, can there be a Christian Jain/Neo-Pagan Jain/etc. according to Jains?
hariḥ oṁ
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namasté
We find sarasvatī in the ṛg ( rig , some like ṛk) ved 1.3.10. Some think Her a river, perhaps. But what of Her name? Does it give us a hint to Her greatness?
sarasvatī सरस्वती suggests abounding or connented with ponds, water, rivers. But there is more beauty to Her name.
sarasvatī - sa स by itself is considered a noun for Śiva and/or Viṣṇu; a noun for knowledge, or meditation. If we extend the 'a' and make it sā सा it becomes giving, bestowing, granting. This sā is also a noun for Lakṣmī or Gaurī, sā another name for them both.
sara is a lake, a pool, waterfall and She is known or connected to rivers. Yet ths sāra is essence, the best part, the chief ingredient of anything - and that is sattā or Being.
Her name in components is also a thing of beauty sa-rasa-va-ti: sa we know i.e. a noun for Śiva and/or Viṣṇu; a noun for knowledge, or meditation + rasa¹ is the best or finest or prime part of anything , essence ( note ra-sa is just sa-ra in reverse) and also means precious ,valuable. And va is auspiciousness, strong, powerful, and ocean-water. We can look at vati¹ as it means likeness or assemblence of 'like or as'.
She is the essense, the best of everything - the Ocean of Being (sa). It is She who is the essense of our being and existence. How so? When we consider our makeup of food composed of rasa¹. When we consider our SELF as 'sa', it is Śiva, the core of Being.
This sā सा and sa स are quite profund and is found in many bīja mantra-s due to its connections to Śiva-Viṣṇu & the connection to the various forms of śakti e.g. lakṣmī, gaurī, sitā, satī, sāvitrī, dākṣāyaṇī, sarasvatī.
praṇām
words and additional posts
- rasa रस is associated with taste. Those tastes recognized in Ayurveda are:
- madhura or sweet,
- amla or sour,
- lavaṇa or salt,
- kaṭuka or pungent,
- tikta or bitter,
- astringent or kaṣāya.
- Yet rasa is the constituent fluid or essential juice of the body, some call ojas ओजस् - vigor , energy , ability , power.
- ti stands for iti - or iti refers to something that has been said or thought , or lays stress on what precedes is my undersanding , but am not sure it applies in sarasvatī's name. I look to stand corrected.
- Other places that discuss Śrī Devī in other forms i.e. the daśa mahāvidyā-s or the 10 great ( Maha) forms of power or knowledge (vidyā) see HDF post http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=3226
Jains, like hindus consider Saraswati devi as goddess of learning.Saraswati devi is popularly called srutadevata in jainism.Quote:
Originally Posted by heartfully
Reference:
Encyclopaedia of Jainism
By Narendra Singh
Jainism doesn't have any abrahamic influences
Namaste
In January, while sitting in Howrah Train Station, I got to talking to a lady who said she's a follower of Jainism.
She said Jainism teaches ahimsa and sattvic living but does not posit anything about God at all. So God for them is anything you want to believe in or any concept that you may find transcendental meaning.
Being unfamiliar with Jainism, dont know if she was accurate.
thank you for such a beautiful and elaborate explanation. i cherish this.
this is such a beautiful post. you took so much time to help me. thank you. hugs
namaste,
heartfully
Quote:
Originally Posted by yajvan
i like that. i got a small poster of Her for me altar yesterday. it is amazing how the Divine arrives in the most needed form just when its the right time.
i have to look up that encyclopedia. i could use that, for sure.
namaste,
heartfully
Quote:
Originally Posted by proudhindu
i didn't know that. i heard differently, but i'm sure that there are a variety of opinions as many people throughout the world begin to explore jainism as a spirituality that can change us all for the better.
namaste,
heartfully
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jivattatva