Chaityavandan = internal (bhāv) worship done in front of Jina idol or chaitya. Below is a very simple, practical way to understand and do it (mainly Śvetāmbara mūrtipūjak style).

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1. Preparation

1. Śuddhi (cleanliness)

- Take bath or at least wash hands, feet, mouth. - Wear clean, simple, non‑silk, non‑leather clothes. - Remove shoes, belt, leather items before entering temple/chaitya.

1. Before sitting

- Stand in front of the idol with folded hands. - Keep the mind humble: “I am a sinful soul; I have come to the feet of the Vitarāga Bhagwān for inner purity.”

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2. Inner attitude during Chaityavandan

• Eyes as much as possible on the idol (or on the feet of Bhagwān).
• Mouth: recite sutras softly, with respect.
• Mind: think of

1. Bhagwān’s qualities, 2. Meaning of sutras, 3. Your wish to walk on the path of liberation.

Chaityavandan is not just “reading”; it is feeling respect, repentance, and desire to become like the Jina.

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3. Sitting and posture

1. Disā-tyāg (control of senses)

- Decide: “Till I finish, I will not look here and there, or talk.”

1. Pramārjan

- Where you will sit, gently clean the place 3 times with your upper cloth, so that no tiny jīvas are hurt.

1. Ālamban (three supports in mind)

- Form in mind: - the image of Bhagwān, - the sutras, - the meaning of those sutras.

1. Posture

- Sit on the ground (cross‑legged) if possible. - For most sutras, keep both hands joined in front of chest (yoga‑mudrā), spine straight, body steady.

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4. Very basic outline of Chaityavandan (Śvetāmbara)

Exact sequence differs by gacch/pañth and guru. Here is a common simple structure (only for understanding):

1. Nissihi (renunciation formula)

– Giving up worldly thoughts and focusing on Bhagwān.

1. Khamāsan / Khamā-samana (asking forgiveness)

– Bowing and asking forgiveness from all living beings and from Bhagwān.

1. Iriyāvahiyam Sūtra

– Asking forgiveness for any harm done to living beings through movement (walking, sitting, etc.).

1. Tass Uttari & Ananth / Annattha sūtras

– Requesting that faults be forgiven and no new faults arise.

1. Kāyotsarga (Kausagga)

- Stand or sit still like a statue, hands down or in special mudrā, - Recite Logassa or Navkār Mantra with full concentration, - Feel: “I am soul, separate from body.”

1. Logassa Sūtra (if not done fully in kāyotsarga earlier)

- Praise of all 24 Tīrthaṅkars, remembering their qualities.

1. Chaityavandan Sūtra / Jagachintāmani Chaityavandan

- Main part: saluting all chaityas, Jin temples, and Jina.

1. Other Sūtras (as per tradition)

- Namutthunam, Jāvantī Cheiyāim, Jāvanta Kevi Sāhu, etc. (Śvetāmbara tradition). - These include respect to: - Arihant, Siddha, Ācārya, Upādhyāya, Sādhu, - all holy places and scriptures, - and prayers for right faith, right knowledge, right conduct.

1. Stavan / Stuti

- A hymn in praise of Bhagwān (e.g. Uvasaggaharam, Bhaktāmar, or any Jin stavan as per your guru’s guidance).

1. Ending

- Again ask forgiveness for any mistake in Chaityavandan. - Mentally resolve: “May I walk more on the path shown by Bhagwān; may I reduce anger, pride, deceit, greed.”

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5. Important points (for all traditions)

• Do not rush; it is not a race. Better to do less with feeling than more without attention.
• Pronounce sutras as correctly as you can; if you don’t know them,

- start with Navkār Mantra, Logassa, and a short stavan, - then slowly learn full Chaityavandan from a Jain guru / pathśālā.

• While someone else is doing Chaityavandan, do not disturb them.
• After finishing, do Namaskār again and leave without turning your back directly towards the idol (walk a few steps backward, then turn).

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6. Digambar note

• In Digambar tradition, the daily main practice is usually Deva-pūjā, Svādhyāy, Sāmāyik, Pratikramaṇ, etc.
• The word “Chaityavandan” is normally used in Śvetāmbara Mūrtipūjak context for the specific sutra‑sequence described above.
• Digambar devotees also do Jina vandan / Jin stuti / stavan in front of the chaitya, but the set sutras and method are different and guided by Digambar Ācāryas.

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If you wish to start today and don’t know any sutras, you can do this very simple form:

1. Clean place, sit straight in front of Jina.
2. Join hands, recite Navkār Mantra at least 9 times slowly.
3. Think of Bhagwān’s qualities (vītarāg, sarvajña, kṣamā, karuṇā).
4. Admit your mistakes of the day and ask forgiveness.
5. Take a small vow like: “Today I will not hurt anyone knowingly,” or

“Tomorrow I will control my anger more.”

This simple beginning itself is true Chaityavandan in bhāv.