Date: 2026-04-09Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, attends the program held in New Delhi on the occasion of World Navkar Mahamantra Day as the Chief Guest
**Executive Summary**
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah attended the "World Navkar Mahamantra Day" in New Delhi on April 9, 2026, to emphasize the mantra's role in promoting global peace and individual spiritual purification. The event highlighted the universal, non-discriminatory nature of the Navkar Mantra and its relevance in resolving modern conflicts. Key objectives included the preservation of this ancient tradition and encouraging the youth to practice the mantra under spiritual guidance.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Spiritual Significance and Universal Appeal**
* The Navkar Mantra is defined as a formless, impartial, and universal prayer that does not discriminate based on religion, caste, region, or time period.
* Collective chanting is presented as a tool to purify the environment, calm mental disturbances, and strengthen mutual harmony and sensitivity.
* The word “Namo” signifies the melting of the ego and a state of complete surrender, guiding practitioners toward self-purification.
**The Five Supreme Beings (Panch Parmeshthi)**
* **Arihant:** Souls who have conquered "inner enemies" (anger, pride, deceit, and greed) and possess 12 divine qualities.
* **Siddha:** Fully liberated souls who have destroyed eight types of karmas and attained eight pure qualities, rising above the cycle of birth and death.
* **Acharya:** Heads of monastic orders responsible for discipline and guidance, endowed with 36 qualities.
* **Upadhyaya:** Teacher-saints responsible for the deep study and dissemination of scriptures, requiring 25 specific qualities.
* **Sadhu:** Monks and seekers who develop 27 virtues through discipline, renunciation, and penance.
**Tradition and Preservation**
* The mantra embodies a total of 108 virtues across the five categories of supreme beings.
* The tradition has been sustained for thousands of years, originating with the 24 Tirthankaras.
* While initially passed down orally, the mantra was later preserved through inscriptions and various scriptures.
**Impact Analysis**
**The Youth**
**Impact**
Younger generations are identified as the future custodians of the tradition, though they may find the profound depths of the mantra difficult to grasp immediately.
**Action Required**
They are urged to never stop practicing the mantra and are encouraged to seek guidance from Acharyas, monks, or learned saints to understand its deeper meanings.
**Religious and Social Organizations**
**Impact**
These groups are recognized for their commendable efforts in the preservation and propagation of the mantra.
**Action Required**
They must continue their efforts to guide future generations toward a life of divinity and positivity through the continued dissemination of the mantra.
**The Global Community**
**Impact**
In an era of ideological conflict, the community is presented with a spiritual framework for achieving collective welfare and mental peace.
**Action Required**
Individuals are encouraged to adopt the practice of collective chanting with devotion to benefit both the individual and the nation.
Key Entities Referenced
World Navkar Mahamantra Day: Also known as 'Vishwa Navkar Mahamantra Diwas', this is the global program held to promote collective chanting of the Navkar Mantra for world peace and mental purification.
Navkar Mantra: A universal, formless prayer central to the event, emphasized as a means to achieve spiritual power, communal harmony, and the elimination of ego.
Shri Amit Shah: The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation who served as the Chief Guest and primary speaker at the event.
Ministry of Home Affairs: The primary central ministry associated with the attendance of the Home Minister and the dissemination of the event's proceedings.
New Delhi: The central location where the World Navkar Mahamantra Day program was organized and attended by government officials.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Union Home Minister and Minister of
Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, attends the
program held in New Delhi on the occasion of
World Navkar Mahamantra Day as the Chief
Guest
At a time when situations of conflict prevail in different parts
of the world, the collective chanting of the Navkar Mantra for
the welfare of the entire world is highly meaningful and
relevant
At a time when the world needs peace, the collective
chanting of the Navkar Mantra will not only help purify the
environment but also calm the disturbances of the mind
The Navkar Mantra is a completely formless, impartial, and
universal prayer, in which there is no discrimination based on
period, caste, region, or religion
When people collectively chant the same mantra with
devotion, it benefits not only the individual but also the entire
nation and the world
India is a land of diverse sects and religions, where every
tradition highlights the special significance and spiritual
power of mantras
When a person bows in reverence, it marks the beginning of
the melting of their ego
Posted On: 09 APR 2026 2:07PM by PIB Delhi
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah attended an event in New Delhi as the
Chief Guest on the occasion of ‘Vishwa Navkar Mahamantra Diwas’.Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah said that at a time when different parts
of the world are witnessing conflict in efforts to assert their ideologies, the collective chanting of the
Navkar Mantra here for the welfare of the entire world is highly meaningful and relevant. He said that
India is a country of diverse sects and religions, where every tradition highlights the special significance
and spiritual power of mantras.
Union Home Minister said that mantras guide human life towards a higher path, awaken our
consciousness, and strengthen noble intentions. He added that when people collectively chant the same
mantra with devotion, it benefits not only the individual but also the entire nation and the world.
Shri Amit Shah said that our enlightened sages have, through tireless penance over generations, composed
these mantras for the welfare of all humanity. We should accept them with devotion and also follow them
in practice. He said that the Navkar Mantra is a completely formless, impartial, and universal prayer, in
which there is no discrimination based on period, caste, region, or religion. Such an inclusive and
universally accepted prayer is extremely rare in the world.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that this prayer is a reverence to the virtues of
great souls who, by conquering their karma, have paved the path to self-realization and liberation. In this
sacred mantra, the word “Namo” signifies complete surrender, guiding the seeker to renounce ego and
move towards self-purification.
Union Home Minister said that when a person bows in reverence, it marks the beginning of the melting of
their ego. He explained that an “Arihant” is one who destroys (“hant”) the inner enemies (“ari”). These
enemies are the impurities or vices embedded in the body, mind, emotions, nature, and disposition, which
hinder the attainment of liberation (moksha). The seeker who conquers these inner enemies is called an
Arihant.
Home Minister said that a person who has attained perfect knowledge, achieved complete victory over
anger, pride, deceit, and greed, and is endowed with the 12 divine qualities described in Jain scriptures, is
considered an Arihant, and we bow to such Arihants. He added that the mantra also pays homage to the
Siddhas. A soul that has attained a completely liberated state is called a Siddha. Those who have destroyed
the eight types of karmas, risen above the cycle of birth and death, and attained eight pure qualities are
known as Siddhas. He said that we bow to such countless Siddhas and seek their blessings.
Shri Amit Shah said that homage is also paid to the Acharyas, who are the heads of the monastic order.
Establishing discipline, observing the great vows, and guiding all seekers are the primary responsibilities
of an Acharya. One whose conduct can be followed to attain liberation is called an Acharya. According to
Jain scriptures, a person endowed with 36 qualities attains the position of an Acharya. Similarly, homage
is also paid to the Upadhyayas, that is, the teacher-saints. Their responsibility is to undertake deep study of
the scriptures and to widely disseminate that knowledge. Only after attaining the prescribed 25 qualities
do they become eligible for the position of an Upadhyaya.
Union Home Minister said that monks, ascetics, and seekers are those who, by practicing discipline,
renunciation, great vows, and penance, gradually develop 27 virtues within themselves; a person
endowed with such qualities is called a Sadhu. He said that this mantra symbolizes reverence to the five
supreme beings (Panch Parmeshthi). According to its core philosophy, these five are divided into two
main categories. The first category is “Dev”, which includes those great personalities’ beings who have
risen above ordinary human existence and attained the states of Arihant and Siddha. The second category
is “Guru”, which includes Acharya, Upadhyaya, and Sadhu. He said that the essence of the Navkar
Mantra lies in bowing to all these five types of great personalities’ imbibing their virtues, and seeking their
blessings.Shri Amit Shah said that we collectively bow to the 108 virtues embodied in Arihant, Siddha, Acharya,
Upadhyaya, and Sadhu. He said that this mantra enables one to remember and revere the virtues of all of
them together in a very short span of time. He urged the youth that even if they may not fully understand
the profound meaning of this mantra immediately—whose depth can be properly understood only under
the guidance of an Acharya, monk, or learned saint—they should never stop practicing it.
Union Home Minister said that the tradition of the Navkar Mantra has been continuing for thousands of
years, with significant contributions from the 24 Tirthankaras and their followers. Initially, this mantra
was passed down orally from generation to generation; later, it was preserved through inscriptions and
eventually found a place in various scriptures. He said that the efforts being made by different sections of
society for the preservation and propagation of this mantra are commendable. These efforts will play an
important role in guiding future generations toward a life of divinity and positivity. He added that at a time
when the world needs peace, the collective chanting of the Navkar Mantra can help purify the
environment as well as calm the disturbances of the mind. It will also strengthen mutual understanding,
harmony, and sensitivity toward one another.
***
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