Jain Snatra Puja
The Ritual Bathing of the Tirthankara
Verses and ritual directions for the Jain Snatra Puja, the ceremonial bathing of a Tirthankara image, attributed to Pandit Veervijayji.
Ritual Procedure (Puja Vidhi)
1Preparation and Purification
Clean the altar and the Tirthankara idol. Gather ritual items: a kalasha (sacred pot) with water, milk, sandalwood paste, rice grains, flowers, incense, a lamp, and fresh cloth. The devotee should bathe and wear clean clothes as a sign of physical and mental purity.
2Invocation and Sankalpa
Stand before the idol, fold hands, and chant a sacred mantra (e.g., 'Om Namo Arihantanam') to invite the presence of the Tirthankara. Then declare your intention (sankalpa) for performing the Snatra Puja, asking for spiritual purification and blessings.
3Abhisheka with Pure Water
Pour pure water from the kalasha gently over the idol from head to toe, reciting mantras. This symbolizes washing away karmic impurities and awakening divine qualities. Repeat this step using a mixture of milk and water if desired.
4Application of Sandalwood Paste
After drying the idol with a soft cloth, apply a paste of sandalwood (chandan) on the forehead and body of the Tirthankara. Sandalwood represents virtue, serenity, and cooling of passions.
5Offering of Rice and Flowers
Place unbroken rice grains (akshat) on the idol, then offer fresh flowers such as marigolds or jasmine. Rice symbolizes abundance and prosperity; flowers represent devotion and the blossoming of the soul.
6Lighting Incense and Lamp
Light incense sticks (agarbatti) and a ghee lamp (deepak). Wave the incense in front of the idol to purify the atmosphere, then perform aarti by rotating the lamp in a clockwise direction while singing hymns or bhajans.
7Aarti
Offer a lit lamp before the idol in a circular motion while devotional songs are sung, marking the bathing ritual's completion with light.
8Final Prayer and Conclusion
Fold hands, close eyes, and recite a concluding prayer like the Bhaktamara Stotra or a simple dedication. Ask the Tirthankara to bless you with wisdom and liberation. Bow down three times, then distribute the offerings (prasad) to devotees.
Verses
First, prepare the sacred space: replace the initial three layers with three beautiful slabs and place the throne upon them.
On the lower slab, draw a saffron swastika in the centre, set rice upon it, and place a coconut.
On the throne, draw a saffron swastika, place a silver coin, count three recitations of the Navkar mantra, and seat the metal idol of the Lord upon it.
To the right of the idol, at the height of its nose, set a ghee lamp.
Then the one performing the Snatra puja should tie the sacred thread, take a pot filled with panchamrita (a mixture of milk, curd, sugar, ghee, and water), count three Navkar mantras, and bathe the Lord and the Siddhachakra.
After that, perform the ritual of balakunchi, bathe with water, wipe the limbs with three cloths, and worship with saffron.
Then wash the hands and draw a saffron swastika on the right palm.
Finally, the one performing the Snatra should stand holding a tray of kusumanjali (a mixture of saffron, rice, and flowers).
Verse 1
I bow daily to the Jineshvara, who is an ocean of the essence of soothing peace and nectar, supremely pure, a great mountain of jewel-like virtues, and the sun that awakens the lotus of devoted souls.
Verse 2
With wisdom, remove the ornaments, place the idol on the bathing seat, and then perform the water ablution.
Verse 3
O Jina, at the time of your birth, the gods and asuras bathed you with jeweled golden kalashas on the peak of Mount Meru—blessed are those who have seen you!
Verse 4
With kalashas of pure water they bathe you, with priceless garments they adorn your limbs. O Adi Jina, I offer kusumanjali, washing your limbs that are of the nature of Siddhas.
Verse 5
The self becomes pure, soft, and delicate; O Adi Jina, I offer kusumanjali.
Verse 6
Now place the kusumanjali on the right thumb.
Verse 7
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
This text belongs to the Svetambara Jain tradition and is attributed to Pandit Veervijayji, whose Snatra Puja is traditionally dated to around Vikram Samvat 1885 (early 19th century CE). The ritual is performed on special occasions such as Mahavir Jayanti, when an image of a Tirthankara is bathed with panchamrita and other sacred items. The verses accompany the actions of the devotee, from preparation to the offering of kusumanjali (a mix of saffron, rice, and flowers).
Story & Significance
Snatra Puja re-enacts Indra's birth-bathing of a Tirthankara on Mount Meru, a ceremonial washing of the idol performed on Jain festivals and auspicious days.
Read the full story →About this Text
Composed by: Pandit Veervijayji
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Ritual sequence
This text is a step-by-step guide for the Snatra Puja, a ceremonial bathing of a Jain Tirthankara idol. It begins with preparing a throne and drawing a saffron swastika, then proceeds through the actual bathing with the five nectars (milk, curd, sugar, ghee, water), and ends with offering a handful of flowers (kusumanjali) to the idol's right toe.
Author
The Snatra Puja is attributed to Pandit Shri Veervijayji Maharaj, a Jain scholar-poet whose composition is traditionally dated to about Vikram Samvat 1885 (19th century CE), and it remains a classic of Jain liturgical devotion.
Poetic form
The first verse is composed in the Drutavilambita meter, a Sanskrit poetic meter known for its flowing, rapid rhythm. The name literally means 'swift and slow,' reflecting its alternating pattern of short and long syllables, which gives it a graceful, lilting quality.
Mythological reference
The third verse recalls the legend of the Tirthankara's birth, when the gods and demons (devas and asuras) descended to Mount Meru to bathe the newborn with golden pitchers filled with precious substances. This ritual re-enacts that celestial event, making the devotee's act a participation in divine history.
Symbolic meaning
The text emphasizes that the true purpose of the ritual is not just physical cleansing but inner purification. The verse 'Atam nirmal hui sukumali' (the soul becomes pure and gentle) highlights that the external bathing of the idol symbolizes the washing away of karmic impurities from the devotee's own soul.
Practical instruction
The verses are interspersed with stage directions in parentheses, such as 'take the kalash and stand' or 'place the kusumanjali on the right toe.' This makes the text a complete, self-contained manual that a priest or devotee can follow in real time during the ceremony.
Mahavira
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