Dash lakshan park 1-10 days meaning
Dash lakshan Parva (Das Lakshan) is the Digambar Jain ten-day festival that comes after Paryushan. Each day is built around one supreme virtue (uttam-dharm) of the soul, guiding followers to purify conduct and mindset. The Shwetambar calendar handles Paryushan differently, but the Digambar Dash Lakshan runs for ten days and ends with reflection and forgiveness rituals.
Ten days and their meanings (Uttam Kshama to Uttam Brahmacharya):
- Uttam Kshama — Supreme Forgiveness
- Uttam Mardava — Supreme Humility / gentleness
- Uttam Aarjava — Supreme Straightforwardness / honesty
- Uttam Shaucha — Supreme Purity
- Uttam Satya — Supreme Truth
- Uttam Sanyam — Supreme Self-restraint
- Uttam Tap — Supreme Austerity
- Uttam Tyag — Supreme Renunciation / disinterested giving
- Uttam Akinchanya — Supreme Non-attachment / non-possessiveness
- Uttam Brahmacharya — Supreme Celibacy / chastity
How to observe:
- Each day focus on practicing that virtue in daily life.
- Perform pratikraman (confession) and seek forgiveness from others for any wrongs.
- Some observe fasting or lighter diets according to capacity.
- The festival often includes discourses on the ten chapters of Tatvatra Sutra and communal prayers.