Significance of Gandhodaka

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GANDHODAKA
Do you know where gandhodaka is applied, and how and why ? Almost everday, it is put on eyes, forehead, neck etc. But while doing so, one must chant one or all of the following three. Slokas : निर्मलं निर्मली करणं, पवित्रं पाप नाशनं। जिन गन्धोद वन्दे, अष्टकर्म विनाशनं।। [Nirmalam nirmali karanam, pavitram paao nashanam, Jin gandhodakam vande, ashtakarma vinashanam] Pure one that frees all impurites, destroyer of sins, holy, I pray to that gandhodaka (frahant) that perishes all the eight kinds of sins produced by our acts. निर्मल से निर्मल अति, श्री जिन का अभिषेक। रोग हरे सब सुख करे, काटे कर्म अशेष।। Nirmal se nirmal ati, Shri Jin ka abihshek. Rog hare sab sukg kare, kate karma ashesh. Purer than the purest, Shri Jin's abhisheka (anointment) Drives the diseases away, dissolves the unending karmas. मुक्ति श्री वनिता करोदक—मिदं पुण्यां— करोत्पादकम्। नागेन्द्र त्रिदशेन्द्र चक्र पदवी, राज्यभिषेकोदकम्।। सम्यज्ञान चरित्र दर्शनलता, संवृद्धि सम्पादकम्। कीर्ति श्री जयसाधवं तव जिन ! स्नानस्य गन्धोदकम्।। Mukti Shri Vanita karodaka-midam punyam-karotpadkam Nagendra tridashendra chakra padvi, rajyabhishekodakam, Samyagyan charitra darshanlata, samviriddhi sampadakam. Kiriti Shri jaya sadhakam tav Jin ! sanasya gandhodakam. It offers salvation, vrings good fortune and wealth and provides material prosperity too. O Jin, this water of your abhisheks gives all round, perfect knowledge, purifies character and gets us power of thought and philosphy. This is the accomplishing of all kinds of growth and progress. It is bestower of fame. Lakshmi and triumph. O Jin, by having bath with this water we get all these things. In the earliest mythological work, Jinsenacharya has laid down the sihnificance of the Jinabhishek as follows : माननीय मुनीन्द्राणां जगतामेक पावनी। साव्याद्—गन्धाम्बु—धारास्मान् या स्म व्योमाप—गायते।। [ Maananeeya muneendranam jagatamek pawani, Savyada-gandhambu-dharasmaan ya sma vyomaap-gayate [ Who is venerable even to muneendras Supreme monks and is unparallel in providing holiness to the world, that gandhambudhara (abhishek) that appears like the milky way. might bless us.] It is something worth pondering. a little bit, that the ordinary water of our practical (everyday) use gets. charhed by shanti mantras chanted by us, as well as by the Jin idols consecrated through ankanyas method and Surya Mantra at the time of panchakalayana. The latter is because stone idols too invariable contain traces of metals, and metal as you know, are good conductors of electricity. Marble stone even has the power to turm milk into curds. In the south India, there are still a number of statues, the annointing water from which can neutralize snake poison. The authority or right to put `Suryamantra' into the idols rests with Digambar sages alone. As the sun, that gives light to entire world, is the source of eternal power, the current modern science too is operating a number of instruments with solar energy. Therefore, the skiful scientists, who obtain the siddhi (mystic skill) of the suryamantra as a means, are none but our digambar sages. Any idol that receives this suryamantra from a sage having a patient, determined character, is attractive, miraculous and effective to that extent. Water is a good conductor of electricity. It is present every where and is easily available at all places. That is why when this gandhodaka is capable of curing the incurable diseases, why does it not get us rid of the mental physical and supernatural ailments of our lives ? Your question is most appropriate. You must have heard that if parasmani (touchstone) touches an iron object, it (iron) turns into hold. But there is one condition upon the iron is to turn into gold. It is that it should not have any rust on it. Because however hard you might try with the parasmani, the rusted iron can never become gold. In the same way, those bodies and souls that are rusted with passions and desires, however through a gandhodaka bath you might give them, they can never be cured of thier maladies. Therefore, before observing the effectiveness of the gandhodaka, there has to be a faith in it. But detachment from passions and desires, self-control and sacrifice too are essential pre-requisites for that. Some people dispute or question that gandhodaka should be applied only to the upper body, i.e. forehead, neck and navel. As a medicine, if oral, is eaten; and if for application, is applied. Likewise, while one suffers from a disease, there is no harm in giving gandhodaka all over the body. After all, when maina sundari had sprinkled it all over the seven hundred lepers, besides her husband, had it not touched the wounds of the decaying lepers ? it is even said : जिण चरण—कमल— गंधोदएण, तणु सचवि कलिमलु हणि उजेण। संसार महावय णासठाइं, पवि हियहं जेण सुह—भावणाई।। Jina charan-kamal-gandhodayen, Tanu sinchavi kalimalu hani ujena. Sansar mahavaya Nasthain, Pavihiyahan jena suha-bhavanain, Which means, whosoever treated body with the gandhodaka from the lotus-feet of Shri Jinendra Bhagwan, he by destroying the impurities of all the sins, acquires the feeling of happiness in his heart. Therefore, we ought never to dispute over this matter.