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Why you should follow navkarsi
Navkarsi (Navkarshi) is not just “late breakfast.” It is a beautiful Jain practice with clear spiritual reasons behind it. Here are the main “why” points, in very simple language:
- Ahimsa – less killing of tiny jeevs
- At night and early dawn many small insects and micro‑organisms move around more. - By eating only after sunrise + some time (about 48 minutes), there is less chance of harming them in food and water. - This supports the main Jain vow: Ahimsa (non‑violence).
- Discipline of eating – control on tongue and mind
- Navkarsi fixes a time for the first food and water. - You are not eating as soon as you wake up or whenever you feel like. - This slowly builds self‑control, which is the base for any higher Jain sadhana (Samayik, Pratikraman, Paushadh, fasts, etc.).
- Starting the day with dharma, not with food
- Before Navkarsi time, you can do: - Uthapan, morning stuti, Navkar mantra - Samayik or Pratikraman (as per tradition) - First you remember Arihant, Siddha, Sadhu, and then you think of food. - This puts spiritual life first, worldly needs second.
- Helps in following Chovihar / Tivihar properly
- Usual ideal sequence: - Previous day: Chovihar – no food and no water after sunset. - Next day: First food / water only at Navkarsi time. - This creates a clean night fast + proper morning start, which is highly praised in Jain achar.
- Purity and mindfulness while eating
- When you wait for a fixed time, sit properly, recite Navkar mantra and then eat: - Mind is calmer. - You remember that food is just for supporting life, not for enjoyment only. - Such mindful eating reduces raag–dvesh (attachment–aversion).
- Support for health (secondary benefit)
- Long gap from last evening meal to Navkarsi gives the body rest. - Simple, sattvik food in a fixed window is generally good for digestion and discipline. - But in Jain Dharma, health is a bonus; the main reason is dharma and ahimsa, not diet fashion.
- Same spirit in both Digambar and Shwetambar traditions
- Both accept the idea: first meal after sunrise + fixed gap (commonly 48 minutes). - Some local sanghs may differ slightly in exact minutes, but purpose is the same: - Non‑violence - Discipline - Spiritual start to the day.
In short: You should follow Navkarsi because it is a daily, small but powerful vow that:
- protects countless small lives (Ahimsa),
- trains your mind in self‑control,
- keeps your first thought of the day towards dharma, not towards the plate.
If you want to read more detailed explanation and Navkarsi‑nu Pachkhan, you can see it here:
