What is the reason behind washing clothes and not doing pooja when a girl is menstruating? Will i get a bad karma if i do it? Can i do pooja of dev like ghantakarna mahavir?
In Jain dharma, menstruation is seen as a natural body process, not a sin. The jīva (soul) always remains pure.
I’ll answer your points one by one:
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1. Why “wash all clothes” and “don’t do pūjā” during periods?
These are maryādā / customs, mainly for:
- Ritual shuddhi (cleanliness for worship)
- For dravya‑pūjā, abhiṣek, going in garbhagṛha, etc., very high बाह्य (external) cleanliness is expected. - Because during rajasvalā (periods) there is continuous discharge, our elders kept a rule: - pause touch‑based temple/pūjā work - after bleeding stops, take full bath, wear fresh washed clothes, then again start all pūjā as before. ( jainknowledge.com)
- Hygiene and rest
- Earlier there were no modern facilities; managing blood flow was hard. - So they gave women rest from heavy work and temple duties for a few days.
- Not a scriptural “impurity” of the soul
- Jain āgams do not say that a menstruating woman’s soul becomes impure or low. - It is only a temporary aśaucha for certain rituals, not a judgment on the person. ( jainknowledge.com)
So, washing clothes and pausing certain pūjās are traditions for cleanliness and discipline, not because the girl is “bad” or “dirty” inside.
You can read more here
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2. Will I get bad karma if I do pūjā during periods?
No, just having periods and doing bhakti does not itself give bad karma.
In Jainism, karma comes mainly from:
- हिंसा (violence),
- कषाय – anger, pride, deceit, greed,
- अशुद्ध भाव – wrong intention, ego, carelessness.
If you:
- sit cleanly,
- with shradha and vinay,
- recite Navkār, stavans, do mental pūjā,
then there is no special pāp only because you are menstruating. ( jainknowledge.com)
Where it can become a problem is:
- If your family/sangh has a clear maryādā that “during these 3–4 days don’t touch mūrti / don’t go in garbhagṛha”,
- and you knowingly break it with ego or anger like “I don’t care, I will show them,”
then the ego and disobedience‑bhāva can create some dosh. So, from Jain view:
- No paap just for periods + bhakti.
- Some paap can come from proud, rebellious, or careless bhāva against accepted maryādā.
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3. What can I do, and what to avoid, during periods?
Generally allowed and good to do (both Digambar & Śvetāmbara):
- Navkār Mantra jāp
- Mental or seated sāmāyik, pratikraman (as health allows)
- Listening to pravachan / svādhyāy
- Meditation, jain tatva chintan
- Dān, dayā (kindness, helping others) ( jainknowledge.com)
Usually avoided during days of flow (depending on local custom):
- Snātra‑pūjā, abhiṣek
- Touching mūrti, yantra, āgams
- Entering garbhagṛha or doing dravya‑pūjā very near the idol
- Preparing and handling pūjā‑dravya in temple
After bleeding ends, do:
- Full snān (including head wash as per your usual habit),
- Wear fresh washed clothes,
- Then resume all normal pūjā and mandir activities. ( jainknowledge.com)
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4. Can I do pūjā of dev like Ghantākarṇa Mahāvīr?
Yes, you can absolutely remember and worship devs like Ghantākarṇa Mahāvīr during periods, with the same basic guideline:
- At home:
- In temple:
The restriction, where it exists, is about physical contact and ritual cleanliness, not about any dev being “angry at you” because of periods.
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5. About washing clothes specifically
There is no fixed Jain scriptural rule like “you must wash all clothes in this exact way / on this exact day.” ( jainknowledge.com)
The simple Jain way is:
- Maintain daily personal hygiene as your health allows.
- When periods are over, do:
The rest (how many days, which day exactly to bathe, family rules about washing) is family or community custom, not a heavy dharmic sin matter.
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Summary
- Menstruation is natural; your soul is always shuddha.
- The rules about not doing certain pūjās are ritual and cleanliness customs, not statements that you are impure.
- You do not get bad karma just for doing sincere bhakti during periods. Karma depends on intent and himsā, not on this body process.
- You can do jāp, stavan, mental pūjā of Ghantākarṇa Mahāvīr and other devs; just follow your local maryādā about touching idols and entering garbhagṛha.