More than once I’ve been asked – why do I believe in and worship Hindu Gods being Jain? Do Jains worship Hindu Gods? Jains aren’t Hindus apparently; that’s what we’re taught. You’ll meet a number of Jains in South India who are extremely guarded about worshipping Jain deities only. They don’t ever speak ill of polytheists, they’ll probably even visit Hindu temples for social purposes but they’re fully devoted to tenets of Jainism alone. Polytheistic Jains are extremely impressed by them because they choose the difficult path of sticking to the more difficult religion and its tenets: Jainism isn’t an easy way of life. The ‘path to liberation’ that forms the fundamental ideology of the religion demands a great deal of self restraint and sacrifice on many levels. People who do manage to adhere by those ideals lead very simple, but challenging lives.
I’m clearly not one of them. I’ve been brought up with the tenets of both religions like most of us and I’ve grown to be able to revere them equally while keeping them as apart as possible. That is a considerable challenge in South Karnataka especially because the Jain community is neck deep in the native rituals of the land such as Bhootaradhane and Nagaradhane. Almost every Jain household has a shrine for the Bhootas of the land that are actually not connected to the religion. All native cultural and folk rituals that go directly against the principles of Jainism are practiced by the people of such households. A number of Hindu temples are headed by Jain families as well so the line is almost a blur to us.
Is there a distinction between the two religions on a personal level for me? Yes. I understand Jainism and Hinduism distinctly from whatever little I’ve been able to learn about both religions. The defining factor is the ideal of ‘Moksha’ or liberation of the soul towards which Jainism encourages us to walk. The religions are not the same on many levels but, the only religion that Jainism can perfectly co-exist with is Hinduism. Jainism does not believe in a creator, says that Karma determines everything and the soul within us seeks liberation from the cycle of life and death. A lot of defining anecdotes from Jain scriptures correlate with those from Hindu ones. In fact, the large number of deities in Hindusim too is accommodated in Jainism as beings who have attained ‘Deva Gati’. Gods like Devendra, Kubera make appearances in Jain scriptures. In fact, it is said that Devendra was present at court when Lord Adinatha decided to renounce his titles and walk the path to salvation.
‘Anekantavada’ or pluralism allows me and my fellow Jains to accommodate polytheistic beliefs without being questioned. Hinduism allows a mixture of perceptions and beliefs too. The very idea of worshipping multiple Gods in the place of one allows for a strong pluralistic point of view towards life. So no, when Jains celebrate Hindu festivals we’re not confused about our religious (and resulting social and political) inclinations. We’re as devout at Mastakabhisheka as at the Nema or Bramhakalasha. And personally, religion is all but a path to spiritual accomplishment. All the Gods that I have been introduced to – Jain or Hindu – are my anchors in the mental world and though I can differentiate them effectively, I do not have an issue worshipping them all. It works well for me, and for a lot of people I know. Jains of South Karnataka especially have co-existed well with the majority while also thriving on our own. Hopefully, the status will remain the same for decades to come.
Connected reading: Who are Teerthankaras in Jainism?
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