Answer

For doing Upvas, the usual Pachkhan is to take a vow to avoid all food for the day, and depending on your practice, also avoid water after a certain time.

Commonly, one takes:

• Chauvihar Upvas Pachkhan – no food and no water until the next day’s sunrise/Navkarsi time.
• Tivihar Upvas Pachkhan – no food, but boiled water may be taken during the permitted time.

The exact Pachkhan words should be taken from a learned sadhu-sadhvi, guru bhagwant, or knowledgeable Jain shravak/shravika, because wording can vary by tradition and local practice.

Explanation

In Jain Dharma, Upvas means fasting with spiritual awareness, not just skipping food. Before starting, one takes Pachkhan, which is a religious vow of restraint.

For Upvas, you generally decide:

• Will it be Tivihar or Chauvihar?
• Until when will the vow continue?
• Will you do Navkarsi, Porsi, or another timing for ending the fast the next day?

If you are doing a full traditional Upvas, many Jains take Chauvihar Pachkhan, meaning no food and no water after taking the vow until the fast is completed.

If health or capacity does not allow Chauvihar, then Tivihar Upvas may be taken, where boiled water may be allowed during the proper daytime period.

Spiritual Understanding

The purpose of Upvas is:

• to reduce attachment to the body,
• to control taste and desire,
• to spend more time in samayik, pratikraman, swadhyay, jaap, and dhyan,
• to purify karma through restraint and awareness.

Takeaway

For Upvas, take either Tivihar Upvas Pachkhan or Chauvihar Upvas Pachkhan, according to your strength and tradition. For the exact sacred wording, please ask your Jain guru or knowledgeable local Jain person so the Pachkhan is taken correctly.