• Why Arihant comes before Siddha in worship: In Jain practice, Arihants are the ones who have conquered inner passions and shown the path to liberation, while still living with a body. They reveal the truth and teach others how to attain siddhahood. Siddhas are the liberated souls who have already destroyed all karmas and reside in moksha. Because Arihants actively guide people toward liberation, they are given first place in the Namokar Mantra and in devotional attention, even though Siddhas are the highest perfected beings. This ordering reflects the practical role of Arihants as teachers for the world, before one can fully become a Siddha. You can read more about this order here . ( jainknowledge.com)

• How this is stated in practice: The Navkar (Namokar) Mantra salutes the Arihant first and the Siddha second, among the Panch Parmeshthi. This reflects the traditional sequence and the reasons given above. You can read more here . ( jainknowledge.com)

• Brief note on tradition differences: Both Digambar and Shwetambar traditions acknowledge Arihant as a perfected, omniscient guide and Siddha as the liberated soul, and they share the same basic worship order in the Namokar Mantra. The emphasis on Arihants as teachers before Siddhas is a common Jain understanding, rooted in the role Arihants play in teaching and establishing the Jain sangha. For a summary of how Siddha and Arihant fit together in Jain thought, you can read a related explainer here . ( jainknowledge.com)

• Simple takeaway: Arihant precedes Siddha because Arihants, though still embodied, show the path and teach others how to liberation; Siddhas are the final liberated beings. The worship order in Namokar Mantra reflects that cause-and-effect relationship. You can read more about Panch Parmeshthi here . ( jainknowledge.com)

If you’d like, I can also include the exact Sanskrit/Prakrit lines from the Namokar Mantra and explain each term.