In Jainism, worshipping a Tirthankar is viewed as a means for the devotee to purify the mind and progress on the path to liberation. Here is the core idea:

• Who benefits? The worshipper benefits. The Tirthankar is a liberated soul who has already conquered karma and is not affected by worldly affairs. Worship and reverence help the devotee cultivate right faith (samyak darshan), right knowledge (samyak jnana), and right conduct (samyakcharitra), which in turn reduces bad karma and increases good karma for the worshipper.

• How does it help?

- It refines motivation: reverence for the Tirthankar inspires sincerity, humility, self-control, and compassion. - It supports purification: regular upasana (worship) and contemplation helps lessen attachment, anger, and delusion. - It strengthens resolve on the path: hearing the Tirthankar’s teachings and commemorating their example encourages steadfast practice (like ahimsa, asceticism, and detachment). - It creates meritorious karma for the devotee: sincere worship, prayer, and adherence to dharma generate punya, which aids spiritual progress.

• What about the Tirthankar’s intervention? In Jain understanding, a Tirthankar does not intervene in worldly happenings as a god might in other traditions. Their primary role is to teach dharma and set a perfect example. The benefits of worship come from the devotee’s own inner transformation and karmic balance, not from the Tirthankar changing worldly events.

• Differences between Digambar and Śvetambar (brief): Both agree that the Tirthankar is a liberated, omniscient guide. The differences are mainly about historical details, practices, and temple/ritual emphases. The fundamental idea—worship aiding the devotee’s purification and progress—remains aligned in both traditions.

If you’d like, I can provide concise verses or stotra lines from Jain scriptures that articulate why reverence to Tirthankaras is valuable, along with their traditional meanings.