In Jainism, there is no belief in a creator God who grants or withholds things for us. The focus is on our own effort to purify the mind and realize the true self.

Why then worship or pay respect to enlightened beings (like the Tirthankaras) or revered figures?

• Inspiration and guidance: Worship is a way to remember and imitate the virtues of the enlightened beings—truthfulness, non-violence, compassion, self-discipline. This helps us culture wholesome qualities in ourselves.
• Remembrance, not a transaction: It isn’t about asking for favors from a higher power. It’s about reminding the mind to stay on the right path and to overcome passions that bind us.
• Support for practice: Rituals and prayers can support daily practice (samayik, five vows, meditation), giving structure to our spiritual effort.

Important points in Jain view:

• The ultimate goal is self-realization and liberation through right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct (samyak darshan, samyak jnana, samyak charitra).
• God, in the Jain sense, is not an external benefactor; instead, every soul carries the potential for enlightenment through its own efforts.
• Both Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions honor the Tirthankaras and venerable teachers, though their rituals and interpretations may differ in form.

If you’d like, I can explain how specific Jain prayers or rituals are meant to support personal practice, or compare how Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions view reverence and worship.