From the very time of taking bath etc. at home, or since the desire to have jinendra Dev’s darshan (vision) begins, the fruit and significance of that darshan starts, Our earlier Acharyas (teachers) say.
When thought, hundred fruits, lacs on going over, Infinite, crores of fruits accrue when offering to Jinvar is made.
Which means, when the very thought of having the god’s darshan comes to our mind, that, `Oh, I have to go to the temple, have god’s darshan. `The moment such thought occurs, thousand fold fruit begins.
When you, carrying the samagri, chanting bhajan etc. proceed in eeryapath towards the temple, you receive lacfold fruit. But when reaching the temple, you have the actual darshan of the jinmurti, the fruit is certainly endless, crores of times.
You must have read, heard that Shri Sammed Shikhar Ji’s prayer of each tonk (a holy spot having the god’s feet or their impressions) begets fruit many-many crores times of fasts. Not only that, Shri Umaswami Acharya ji, the auther of Tatvarthsutra too has written in the final hymn that—
दशाध्याये परिच्छिन्ने तत्वार्थे पठते सति।
फलं स्यादुपवासस्य भाषितं मुनि पुंगवै:।
Dashadhyaye parichhinne tatwarthe pathate sati,
Falam stadupawasasya bhashitam muni pungavaig .
That is, reading ten chapters of the Tatrarthasutra delivers the fruit or credit of one fast. So say the renowned sages.
In the present day modern and materialistic world, whenever there is a mention of fruit, some people consider it just a temptation put forth, to make a person learn to visit a temple, go on a pilgrimage. receite sutras, psalms etc. But it is far from truth that all is mere temptation or hypocracy and one might not get the fruit.
The vision of our earlier teachers Acharyas was greatly scientific and psychological. They devised a simple, pure arithmetic. For instance, five litres of water can be made sweet with just two spoonful of saccarine. Both happen to be equally sweet.
But is there any comparison between one kilo of sugar and two spoonful of saccarine ? Exactly, in the same way the amount of credit one obtains through refinement of fruits earned by the means of fasts numbering crores of days, can be had just by paying a single visit to temple, performing a single tonk of Shikarji’s prayer and reciting the it for a single day.
If all these acts are performed whole-heartedly, with passion and envolvement, we should have no misgivings about the fruit or outcome.
On way to the temple, one should keep chanting some hymn, stotra, psalm, prayer etc. for example, Darshan Stuti, Bhaktamar Stotra, Vinai Patha, Meri Bhawana, Alochana Patha, Mahavirashtaka, Manhalashtaka, Gomatesh stuti, etc.
Be they in any language-Hindi, Sanskrit, Prakriti, they should be learnt by heart and chanted from memory. That brings out the importance of Dev-darshan and consistency in its practice. It does refine the fruits that are capable of destroying our unholy or sinful acts. Here, a simple dev-darshan strotra in Sanskrit is being presented.
It must be put into memory.
दर्शनेन जिनेन्द्राणां, साधुनां वन्दनेन च।
न चिरं तिष्ठते पापं, छिद्र हस्ते यथादकम्।।
वीतराग मुखं दृष्टवा, पद्मराग सम प्रभं।
जन्म-जन्म कृतं पापं, दर्शनेन विनश्यति।
दर्शनं जिन सूर्यस्य, संसार ध्वान्त—नाशनम्।।
बोधनं चित्त पदमस्य, समस्तार्थ प्रकाशनम्।
दर्शनं जिन चन्द्रस्य सद्धर्मामृत—वर्षणं।।
जन्म—दाह—विनाशाय, वद्र्धनं सुख—वारिधे।
जीवादि तत्वं प्रतिपादकाय, सम्यक्त्व मुख्याष्ट गुणार्णवाय।
प्रशान्त रूपाय दिगम्बराय, देवाधिदेवाय नमो जिनाय।।
चिदानन्दैक रूपाय, जिनाय परमात्मने।
परमात्म—प्रकाशाय, नित्यं सिद्धत्मने नम:।।
अन्यथा शरणं नास्ति, त्वमेव शरणं मम।
तस्मात्कारूण्य भावेन, रक्ष—रक्ष जिनेश्वर:।।
न हि त्राता, न हि त्राता, न हि त्राता जगत्त्रये।
वीतरागात्परो देवो, न भूतो न भविष्यति।।
जिने भक्ति—जंने भक्ति—जिंने भक्ति—दिने—दिने।
सदा में स्तु, सदा में स्तु, सदा मे स्तु भवे—भवे।।
जिन धर्म विनिर्मुक्तो, मा भवेच्चक्रवत्र्यपि।
स्याच्चेटोपि दरिद्रोपि, जिन धर्मानुवासित:।।
जन्म जन्म कृते पापं जन्म कोटि समार्जित।
जन्म—मृत्यु जरा रोगं, हन्यते जिन दर्शनात्।
अद्या भवत्सफलता नयन द्वयस्य, देव त्वदीय चरणांबुज वीक्षणेन।
अद्य त्रिलोक—तिलवं प्रतिभासते मे, संसार वारिधिरियं चुलुक प्रमाणम्।।
Darshanam dev devasya, darshanam paap nashanam,
Darshanam swarga sopanam, darshanam moksha sadhanam.
Darshanen Jinendranam, sadhunam vandanen cha.
Na chiram tishthate papam, chhidra haste yathodakam.
Veetrag Mukham dratva, Padmarag Samam Prabham.
Janma-janma kritam papam, darshanen vinashyati.
Darshanam Jin suryasya, sansar dhwant-narshanam
Bodhanam chitta padmasya, samastratha prakashanam.
Darshanam Jin chandraya, saddharmamrita-varshanam.
Janma-daha-vinashrya, vardhanam sukh-vardhe.
Jivadi tatwam pratipadakaya, samyaktva mukhyastha gunarnvaya.
Pramatma-prakashaya, nityam siddhatmane namah.
Anyatha sharnam nasti, tvameva sharanam mum.
Tasmatkarunya bhaven raksha-raksha Jineshwarah.
Na hi trate, na hi trata na hi trtraye.
Veetaragatparo devo, naaavishyati,
Jine bhakti-Jine bhakti, Jine bhakti dine-dine.
Sada meastu, sada meastu, bhave-bhave
Jin dharma vinirmukto, ma bhavecchkravasiaha.
Syacchetoapi daridroapi, Jin dharmanuvasitah.
Janma-Janma Kratam Papam, Janama Koti Samarjitam.
Janma-mirtyu jara rogaym, hanyate jin darshanat
Adya bhavastsafalata nayan dvayasya,
Dev twadiya charambuja veekshnena.
Adya trilok-tilak pratibhasate mey,
Sansar varidhi-rayam chuluk pramanam.
This should also be memorized and one should keep memorizing many more new hymns. There should at least be seven prayers for seven days so that you may make one patha or rercitation everyday with a feeling of devotion and understanding.