Bharat Devotion
Embroidered artwork for Salutation to Vardhamana (Mahavira): Embroidered Jain ahimsa palm with a gold wheel, white marble temples and lotuses at dawn

Salutation to Vardhamana (Mahavira)

StavansMahavira

Salutation to Vardhamana (Mahavira)

A short Jain stuti saluting Lord Mahavira (Vardhamana) as the teacher of non-attachment, honoring the scripture he taught as a raft across the ocean of samsara.

Verses

Namostu Vardhamanaya Nirmamatva Prakashini Yena Praneetam Idam Shastram Sansararnav Tarakam

Salutation to Vardhamana, the illuminator of non-attachment, by whom this scripture was composed—the one that serves as a raft to carry beings across the ocean of worldly existence.

Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)

Auspicious Day

Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)

Best Time (Muhurta)

Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)

Sacred Offerings

Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering

Spiritual Benefits (Phalashruti)
  • Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home

Background

This Sanskrit verse comes from the Jain tradition, a faith that emphasises non-violence and spiritual liberation. It is a reverent salutation to Lord Mahavira, also known as Vardhamana, the 24th Tirthankara (a spiritual teacher who shows the way across the ocean of rebirth), and it honours the teaching ascribed to him as a raft that carries beings across the endless cycle of suffering and death. Reading note: we could not trace this verse to a named work or author in a published edition, so its source and composer are unverified, and it should be read as a devotional verse of the Jain stuti tradition.

Did You Know?

Vardhamana (Mahavira)

The verse honors Vardhamana, also known as Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara (spiritual teacher) of Jainism. He lived around the 6th century BCE and is considered the founder of the Jain tradition as it is known today.

Nirmamatva (Non-Attachment)

The word “nirmamatva” means freedom from the sense of “mine” or possessiveness. It is a central Jain virtue, representing the complete detachment from material and emotional clinging that leads to liberation.

The Scripture (Shastra)

The verse speaks of “this shastra” that Vardhamana taught, without naming it. It points to the teaching of Mahavira in general, which Jain tradition preserves in its agamas, and it does not name a single text.

Ocean of Samsara

The line calls the scripture a “savior across the ocean of samsara” (samsara-arnava-tarakam). In Indian thought, samsara is the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and crossing it is the goal of spiritual practice. The text is presented as a raft or boat to reach liberation.

#Jainism#Mahavira#Stavan#Tirthankara#Nirmamatva
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Connected Teachings

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JainismNamokar Mantra: The Supreme Jain Prayer of ReverenceJainismThe Chauvīsī Stotra: Salutation to the Twenty-Four JinasJainismJain Snatra Puja: The Ritual Bathing of the TirthankaraJainismAkshata and Naivedya Puja: Rice and Food Offerings