PARYUSHANA

What is Paryushan all about?
Paryushan Parva -Definition / Translation:
The word "Parva" means auspicious day. The word "Paryushan" has several different meanings:
1. Pari + ushan = all kinds + to burn = to burn (shed) our all types of karmäs. To shed our karmäs, we do twelve different types of austerities including fasting.
2. Another meaning of "ushan" is to stay closer. To stay closer to our own soul from all directions and to stay absorbed in our own-self (soul), we do Svädhyäya (self-study), meditation, austerities, etc., and
3. Pari + upshamanä = upshamanä means to suppress, to suppress our passions (kashäyas - anger, ego, deceit and greed) from all directions.
Therefore, the real purpose of the Paryushan is to purify our soul by staying closer to our own soul, to look at our own misdeeds, to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed, and to take vows to minimize our faults and passions. We try to forget about the needs of our body (like food) and our business so that we can concentrate on our self.
Svetämbars (meaning white [cotton]-clad; name of Jain sect whose mendicants wear white garments) celebrate eight days of Paryushan and the last day is called Samvatsari.
"This special eight-day festival is not for outward show; it is a time for introspection. It is a time to scrutinize ourselves within .It is a happy holiday, celebrated with various events, elective fasting, and introspective meditation." -Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanu.

HISTORY OF PARYUSHAN
Paryushan falls in the beginning of fall because it's the time of the rainy season in India. Because of the rain, the monks are forced to stop traveling and stay in one place. Since the monks have settled in for a duration of time, householders have the privilege to renew their faith by listening to the monks recite verses from the Kalpa and Tattvarth Sutras.The scriptures describe Lord Mahavir initiating Paryushan on "Bhadrapada Shukla panchami" which refers to the 5th day of a lunar cycle. Thus, this date is the same for both sects of Jains, the Swethambars and Digambers. Digamber Paryushan festival is called "Dashalakshana" which means "the festival of 10 virtues." Digambers take a vow to practice the 10 supreme virtues of the soul.
Swethambar Tradition: Swethambar Jains traditionally celebrate Paryushan for 8 days ending on the Bhadrapada Shukla panchami. During the 8-day festival, the Kalpa Sutra is recited. The readings from the Kalpa Sutra include Mahavirswami's past 27 lives, Trishalamata's (Mahavirswami's mother) 14 dreams before the birth of Mahavirswami, the renunciation to Keval Jnana period of his life, disciples of Mahavirswami, and the life of the other 23 tirthankaras. On the 5th day, the section on the birth of Mahavirswami is recited also known as Swapna Darshan Celebration. On this day, the 14 dreams of Mahavirswami's mother, Trishalamata, while he was in the womb, and his birth are celebrated.

Trishalamata's Dreams and Mahavir Jayanti Celebration
Swapna Darshan Ceremony occurs on the 5th day of Paryushan (Shwetambar) and celebrates the birth of Mahavirswami and Queen Trishala's Dreams. (This is different from Mahavir Jayanti). Queen Trishala, Lord Mahavir's mother, saw the following 14 beautiful and auspicious symbolic dreams at midnight after conception.
1. Elephant
2. Bull
3. Lion
4. Goddess Laxmi
5. Garland of Flowers
6. Full Moon
7. Sun
8. Large Flag
9. Silver Urn
10. Lotus‑Lake
11. Milky‑Sea
12. Celestial (Air) Plane
13. Heap of Gems
14. Smokeless Fire
After having fourteen such wonderful dreams, Queen Trishala woke up filled with curiosity and wonder. She had never had such dreams before. She told King Siddhartha about them and he called soothsayers to interpret the dreams. They unanimously said, "Sir, Her Highness will be blessed with a noble son. The dream augurs the vast spiritual realm, the child shall command. Her Highness will become the Universal Mother."
After nine months and fourteen days, Queen Trishala delivered a baby boy, who was named Vardhaman, meaning ever increasing.
Immediately after the birth of Prince Vardhaman, Indra (the King of Heaven), arriving with other gods and goddesses, hypnotized the whole city including Trishalamata and King Siddharth. He took the baby Vardhaman to mount Meru and bathed him. He proclaimed peace and harmony by reciting BRUHAT SHANTI during the first bathing ceremony of the newborn Tirthankara.
Years later, after his renunciation and realization of Absolute self-knowledge, Prince Vardhaman became Lord Mahavir, the twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara.
Thus, during Paryushan, Mahavir swami's birth is celebrated through the Swapna Darshan ceremony of his mother's dreams.

Fasting & Paryushan
Types of Taap Performed
"Taap" is an act of penance or devotion. People perform several types of Taap during Paryushan including reading Jain books and scriptures, listening to lectures by Jain scholars and monks, singing devotional songs, performing pujas, and meditating. The most common form of Taap during Paryushan is fasting or abstaining from eating certain meals during the day.
The following list describes the most common fasting rituals:
Ekasana: Eating 1 meal a day at one sitting.
Beasana: Eating 2 meals a day, 1 meal per sitting.
Upvas: No comsumption of food for an entire day. Can consume as many glasses of water however must also consume before sunset.
Chut: No consumption of food for two days consecutively. (Upvas) ·
Attham: No consumption of food for 3 days consecutively(Upvas)
Atthai: No consumption of food for 8 days consecutively. (Upvas)
What's the deal with H2O?
While performing either of these Taaps, only boiled water can be consumed. The water must be freshly boiled to make it pure of any microscopic life forms (i.e. bacteria). Also, water boiled one day should not be consumed the day after to prevent killing any newly formed bacteria.

LAST DAY OF PARYUSHAN: SAMVATSARI PRATIKRAMAN
The last day of Paryushan is called Samvatsari, meaning the annual ceremony of public confession. This involves the ceremony called Pratikraman, where people admit their sins and plea for forgiveness. Pratikraman means "to return from sins or confessions." Admitting to committed sins and pleading for forgiveness is directed towards the spiritual teachers, family members, friends and society members regardless of age or sex, raising the real spirit of universal friendship and goodwill. These sins include any type of violence committed towards any type of living being through mind, speech, or action.
If Pratikraman is done in the evening, the vow for Chauvihar, not eating or drinking anything for rest of the day and night until the next morning, can be taken. If this is too difficult for someone, they can take the vow of Tivihar, which means the same as Chauvihar, except that consumption of water is allowed. If the Pratikraman is done in morning, food or drink should not be consumed for one to two hours.

REMINDER OF MISTAKES TO AVOID:
During Pratikraman, we should concentrate on the ceremony and keep our thoughts and body steady, without movement. There are thirty-two different kinds of mistakes that we should avoid, as listed in Jain scriptures, for the mind, speech, and body. The ten mental lapses to avoid are doing Samayik without respect to the Jain scholars and the philosophy, or for fame, prestige, desire for wealth, with fear or pride, for other material reward, with doubt, with anger, with impertinence, under compulsion, and without the willingness to do it. The ten verbal lapses to avoid are speaking bad words or speaking without thinking, talking or singing songs which raise uncontrollable emotions, or indulging in quarrelsome language, gossip, mocking language, irrationality, in doubtful speech, uttering incomplete words or letters, or uttering speedily without clarity. The twelve physical lapses to avoid are sitting uncourteously with crossed legs or with one leg over another, with unsteady posture, with unsteady eyesight, leaning against something, with hand on the head or forehead or in a sorrowful posture, doing domestic work, stretching body, hands, or legs lazily or drowsily, making sounds by cracking knuckles, scratching dirt from the body, or sleeping. By doing Samayik without these mistakes and with the correct procedure, we attain immense spiritual benefits.
At the end of the ceremony, we turn to our family, friends, and even strangers and say "Michchami Dukkadam." "Michchami" means fruitless and "Dukkadam" means bad deeds. Therefore, a literal translation of the greeting is "My bad deed (with you) be fruitless" or, "May any bad deeds I have committed toward you be forgiven." Our words and our physical activities are a reflection of our happiness, sorrow, anger, greed, jealousy, and egoism. Sometimes we act without thinking and hurt other people emotionally or physically. This greeting asks for forgiveness from others for our past actions as well as making peace within yourself for committing those actions.
Pratikraman can also be performed each day of Paryushan.

The Day After Samvatsari Pratikraman
The next day after Pratikraman is performed is Parna Day. On this day, the people who have committed to "Taap" break their Taap with a feast and celebration. They are honored for their achievement as well.

Paryushan as the Festival of Forgiveness
Great Ächäryas have said: “Kshamä Viram Bhushanam, Kshamäväni Michchhä Mi Dukkadam” - To ask for forgiveness is a great quality of the brave ones and if I have committed any mistake, knowingly or unknowingly, I ask for your forgiveness.
The process of shedding karmä really begins by asking for forgiveness with true feelings, and to take some vows not to repeat mistakes. The quality of forgiveness requires humility (vinay - absence of ego) and suppression of anger. In this way, Paryushan is a festival of forgiveness; a time to embrace the essense of Michchami Dukkadam and renounce our unwholesome ways.
During Paryushan, we learn, we review, and we observe the practice of forgiveness to purify ourselves and to live in the spirit of friendship.