Answer

Dev Vandan is the devotional worship and respectful salutation of Arihant Bhagwan, Siddha Bhagwan, Acharya, Upadhyay, and Sadhu-Sadhvi Bhagwant. The exact procedure may vary by Jain tradition, sect, family practice, and temple custom.

In general, Dev Vandan is done with:

• Clean body and clean clothes
• Pure and peaceful thoughts
• Respectful posture
• Recitation of Jain prayers or sutras
• Bhav of humility, devotion, and surrender

General Procedure

A commonly followed simple order is:

• 1. Preparation: Wash hands, feet, and mouth if possible. Wear clean clothes and keep the mind calm.
• 2. Enter respectfully: Enter the temple or prayer place with reverence and avoid unnecessary talking.
• 3. Darshan: Bow before the image of Bhagwan with folded hands and devotional feeling.
• 4. Namaskar Mantra: Recite the Navkar Mantra with concentration.
• 5. Pradakshina: In many traditions, devotees perform pradakshina around Bhagwan respectfully, if temple custom permits.
• 6. Chaitya Vandan / Dev Vandan: Recite the prescribed sutras, stutis, or prayers according to your tradition.
• 7. Vandana: Offer salutations with humility, remembering the virtues of Arihant and Siddha Bhagwan.
• 8. Prarthana: Pray for right faith, right knowledge, right conduct, forgiveness, and spiritual progress.
• 9. Khamapana: Ask forgiveness for any mistake committed knowingly or unknowingly during worship.
• 10. Conclude peacefully: Leave the place with calmness and maintain the devotional feeling.

Spiritual Understanding

Dev Vandan is not merely an outer ritual. Its true purpose is to awaken reverence for the qualities of the liberated and spiritually advanced souls.

In Jain Dharma, we do not worship Bhagwan as a creator or giver of worldly rewards. We worship Bhagwan because Bhagwan has completely destroyed attachment, aversion, karma, anger, ego, deceit, and greed. By doing Dev Vandan, we remind ourselves:

• “I also want to purify my soul.”
• “I bow to the virtues of the Vitarag.”
• “May I follow the path of Samyak Darshan, Samyak Gyan, and Samyak Charitra.”

Takeaway

The most important part of Dev Vandan is bhav — inner purity, humility, and devotion. The exact words and sequence should ideally be learned from your Guru, elder, or temple tradition, because procedures may differ among Shvetambar, Digambar, Sthanakvasi, Terapanthi, and other Jain traditions.