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before going to bed why do you count 7 Navkarsi
Before sleeping, counting or reciting Navkar Mantra 7 times (7 Navkārsī / 7 Navkār) is done mainly for these traditional reasons:
- Shuddhi (purification of the day)
- The whole day we do many kāyik, vācik, mānasik (through body, speech, mind) faults. - By reciting Navkar 7 times with bhāva before sleeping, we try to reduce the bondage of these karmas and end the day with pavitra smaran of Panch Parmeshti.
- Protection of bhāva till next morning (up to Navkarsi)
- After night pachchhakkhān (Tivihār / Chauvihār, Navkārsi nu pachchhān etc.), we fix our niyam for next day. - 7 Navkar strengthen that vow and keep our drishti towards dharma till we wake and do Navkarsi.
- Smaran of 7 divisions of time / day’s completeness (paramparā-arth)
Older updesh sometimes connect “7” with: - 7 tattva, - or 7 vyavahār-bhed, - or simply “whole day’s” faults being wrapped up symbolically in 7 Navkar. It is not a rigid scriptural number, but a well-accepted maryādā in many Jain families.
- Peaceful and dharmic sleep
- Last thought before sleep has strong effect on mind. - If the last thought is Navkar, remembrance of Arihant–Siddha–Āchārya–Upādhyāya–Sādhu, then even sleep becomes more shānt and sāttvik. - This supports better bhavnā and guards against very bad dreams, fear etc. (as per traditional belief).
- Not a strict scriptural compulsion
- Agam / Shāstra do not command specifically “exactly 7 times before bed” as an absolute rule. - It is a good household practice (shravak-maryādā) widely followed. - Some may do 3, 7, 9, 21, 108 etc. according to their niyam and capacity. - Main thing is: Navkar with samyak bhāva, not the exact number.
- Same for Digambar and Shvetambar?
- Both traditions accept Navkar as the main mantra and encourage ending the day with stuti–prārthanā–pratikraman. - The habit of “7 Navkar before sleep” is a lok-prathā seen in both, details may differ family to family, but the core idea (purifying the day and sleeping with dharmic smaran) is the same.
In simple words: We count 7 Navkar before going to bed so that the whole day’s faults are repented, our next day’s niyam (like Navkarsi) is strengthened, and we go to sleep with pure, peaceful remembrance of Panch Parmeshti.
