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Padma Puranaपद्मपुराण · Jain Ramayana
हिन्दी

Parva 68

The Siddhachakra Vow Observed in Lanka during the Ashtahnika Festival

During the eight-day Ashtahnika festival the warriors lay down arms, and Lanka keeps the Siddhachakra vow with grand worship of the Jina.

Part of The War of Lanka

Summary

From the eighth day of the bright half of Phalguna to the full moon comes the Ashtahnika festival, when the Siddhachakra vow is kept. The people of Lanka and the soldiers resolve that these eight days belong to dharma, without war or worldly undertakings, and just as the gods worship on Nandishvara island they bathe and worship the Jina with great splendour. Ravana himself worships in the Shantinatha temple with a pure heart.

What happens

5 points

  1. The Ashtahnika (the eight-day festival of worship) runs from the eighth day of the bright half of Phalguna to the full moon, and during it the Siddhachakra vow is observed. The people of Lanka and of the army take vows and resolve that these eight days belong to dharma: no fighting and no worldly undertakings, only fasts, vows and worship according to each one's strength.

  2. In these days the gods led by Indra go to Nandishvara island and bathe the Jina with water of the Milk Ocean from golden pitchers, and humans follow according to their means: the rich with pitchers of gold and gems and even the poorest with pitchers made of palasha leaves, worshipping with the eight substances (ashta dravya) such as rice.

  3. The people of Lanka joyfully decorate the shrines with flags, banners, gold, gems and pearls and draw mandalas of jewel and gold dust. They fill pitchers of gems and gold with milk, curd and ghee, cover them with lotus leaves, hang pearl strings at their necks and perform the abhisheka (ritual bathing) of the Jina with mantras and deep devotion.

  4. They worship with flowers from the Nandana grove and Lanka's own gardens, karnikara, kadamba, champa, parijata, mandara, rose, jasmine and ketaki, along with lotuses of gems and gold, to the sound of drums, mridangas, cymbals and conches, with dance and song; for eight days the citizens set aside enmity and worship as the gods do on Nandishvara.

  5. Ravana goes to the temple of Shri Shantinatha and worships with a pure mind and devotion. Gautama tells Shrenika that those who worship the Jina with great splendour enjoy the bliss of the gods, then the pleasures of Chakravartis, and finally renounce the kingdom, take the vows of a muni and attain supreme liberation, for worship brings samyaktva (right faith) and with it the pursuit of the three jewels.