give me summary of tassa uttari stotra and why do we say this standing up in Chaitya vandan
Answer
Tassa Uttari Stotra is recited in Chaitya Vandan as a prayer of repentance, purification, and spiritual upliftment.
In this stotra, the devotee expresses the wish to rise above faults, sins, carelessness, and worldly attachments, and to move toward purity of soul through right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct.
It is said standing up because it is connected with reverence, alertness, humility, and readiness to purify oneself before the Arihant Bhagwan.
Explanation
The phrase “Tassa Uttari” means moving toward something higher or superior. In the context of Chaitya Vandan, it expresses the devotee’s inner aspiration:
- to rise above sinful thoughts, words, and actions,
- to remove spiritual negligence,
- to purify the soul,
- to develop humility and devotion,
- to progress toward liberation.
It is not merely a verbal recitation. It is a spiritual resolve that says: “May I become better, purer, and closer to the true nature of my soul.”
Why It Is Recited Standing Up
In Chaitya Vandan, standing posture shows:
- Respect: The devotee stands before the image of Arihant Bhagwan with reverence.
- Alertness: Standing helps avoid laziness and reminds us to be spiritually awake.
- Readiness for purification: It symbolizes that the soul is ready to rise above faults.
- Humility: The body stands respectfully, while the mind bows internally.
- Spiritual upliftment: The posture matches the meaning of the stotra — to move upward toward purity.
Spiritual Understanding
Jain Dharma gives importance not only to words, but also to bhav — the inner feeling. When we say Tassa Uttari standing up, we are reminding ourselves:
- I should not remain spiritually careless.
- I should rise above anger, ego, deceit, and greed.
- I should become more aware of my soul.
- I should walk on the path shown by the Arihants.
So, the standing posture supports the inner feeling of spiritual elevation.
Takeaway
Tassa Uttari Stotra is a prayer to rise above impurities and move toward the pure nature of the soul. We recite it standing up in Chaitya Vandan to express reverence, alertness, humility, and the sincere resolve to spiritually uplift ourselves.