णमो अरिहंताणं
Navkar Mantra
Ṇamo Arihantāṇaṁ
The Namokar Mantra, salutation to the five supreme beings.
108 a malaDaily jap
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Jain practice
Reverence, equanimity and the purification of the soul
Jain prayer honours the virtues of liberated souls rather than asking for favours. Counting the Navkar Mantra is a steady, meditative practice of self-conquest. PrayerCount keeps the count with no ads beside the mantra.
108 Navkar in a malaParyushan sankalpNo ads while you count
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Mantras
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ॐ ह्रीं अर्हं नमः
Om Hreem Arham Namah
Om Hrīṁ Arhaṁ Namaḥ
A short mantra many Jains chant during meditation (dhyan).
108 a mala21 malas
Count thisॐ ह्रीं श्री महावीर स्वामिने नमः
Mahavir Mantra
Om Hrīṁ Śrī Mahāvīra Svāmine Namaḥ
Salutation to Bhagavan Mahavir, the 24th Tirthankara.
108 a malaMahavir Jayanti
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How jap has been practised
- Shraman tradition
Prayer as inner awakening
Jain prayer does not ask a creator for favours. As taught by the Tirthankaras, the 24th being Bhagavan Mahavir, it is reverence for the Pancha Parameshthi, the five supreme beings who have conquered inner passions.
- The eternal invocation
The Navkar Mantra
The Navkar (Namokar) Mantra, in Prakrit, bows to spiritual qualities rather than to named individuals. For centuries Jains have recited and counted it at dawn and dusk to soften the ego and steady the soul.
- Daily discipline
Samayik and Pratikraman
Samayik is 48 minutes (one muhurta) of equanimity, often with Navkar jap. Pratikraman is reflection on one's actions, asking forgiveness of all living beings: Micchami Dukkadam.
- Stotras and festivals
Collective jap
Acharyas composed hymns such as the Bhaktamar Stotra and the Uvasaggaharam Stotra. During Paryushan and Das Lakshan, communities take up shared jap targets together.
Mala and counting
The mala, and why we count
12Arihant8Siddha36Acharya25Upadhyaya27Sadhu
12 + 8 + 36 + 25 + 27 = 108 virtues of the Pancha Parameshthi
108 virtues
The 108 beads of the navkarwali stand for the 108 virtues of the five supreme beings.
Cotton navkarwali
Many Jains use a cotton or knotted-thread navkarwali, in keeping with ahimsa, and keep it in a clean cloth bag.
9 and 68
The Navkar Mantra has 9 padas and 68 letters, so many jap goals use multiples of 9: 9, 27, 54 or 108.
Navpad Oli
Twice a year, Svetambara Jains observe the 9-day Navpad Oli, honouring one of the nine padas each day, with its own colour and mantra count.
Sacred text
Featured text: the Navkar Mantra
No ads are ever shown beside this text
णमो अरिहंताणं
Ṇamo Arihantāṇaṁ
णमो सिद्धाणं
Ṇamo Siddhāṇaṁ
णमो आयरियाणं
Ṇamo Āyariyāṇaṁ
णमो उवज्झायाणं
Ṇamo Uvajjhāyāṇaṁ
णमो लोए सव्व साहूणं
Ṇamo Loe Savva Sāhūṇaṁ
एसो पंच णमोक्कारो, सव्व पावप्पणासणो ।
Eso pañca ṇamokkāro, savva pāvappaṇāsaṇo
मंगलाणं च सव्वेसिं, पढमं हवइ मंगलं ॥
Maṅgalāṇaṁ ca savvesiṁ, paḍhamaṁ havai maṅgalaṁ
Meaning
- I bow to the Arihantas.
- I bow to the Siddhas.
- I bow to the Acharyas.
- I bow to the Upadhyayas.
- I bow to all the Sadhus in the world.
- This fivefold salutation destroys all sins, and of all auspicious things it is the first and foremost.
Many Digambara traditions recite the first five lines. The last two lines are recited in many Svetambara traditions.
Preview text. Before launch, every line will be checked by a Jain scholar from each tradition.
Practice
Practices and occasions
How PrayerCount fits the way you already practise.
108
Daily Navkar jap
One or more malas each morning. Keep a daily streak and see your lifetime total.
Daily goal · streak8
Paryushan
The most important days of the Jain year. Svetambara Paryushan is 8 days; Digambara Das Lakshan is 10.
8 or 10-day sankalp48
Samayik
Forty-eight minutes of equanimity, often with Navkar jap.
48-minute timer∞
Navkar sankalp
A personal vow, such as 1 lakh Navkar over a set number of days.
Sankalp tracker✦
Group jap
A sangh can count together, with one live total for everyone.
Group plan☾
Quiet counting
Discreet mode and pocket lock let you count while travelling or at work, without looking at the screen.
Discreet · pocket lockCan I count only the first five lines?
Yes. Each tap counts one complete Navkar, however your tradition recites it.
Can I use it during Paryushan?
Yes. Set an 8 or 10-day sankalp, and PrayerCount works out your daily jap.
Is there a 48-minute Samayik timer?
Yes. Choose Timer mode, set it, and you get a soft chime when the time is complete.
Will there be ads beside the Navkar Mantra?
Never. Sacred text and the counter are always ad-free.
Other traditions
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Begin today's jap
Open the counter, choose Navkar Mantra and start your first round. Add PrayerCount to your home screen to keep it one tap away.