Answer

One should do Pratikraman daily during Paryushan because Paryushan is a sacred time for self-purification, repentance, forgiveness, and spiritual discipline. Pratikraman helps us reflect on our mistakes, ask forgiveness for harmful thoughts, words, and actions, and renew our commitment to live with more awareness and non-violence.

Explanation

Pratikraman means “returning back” — returning from wrong conduct to right conduct.

During daily life, knowingly or unknowingly, we may commit faults through:

• Mind — anger, ego, deceit, greed, jealousy, bad thoughts
• Speech — harsh words, lies, gossip, hurtful language
• Body — carelessness, violence, attachment, improper actions

By doing Pratikraman daily in Paryushan, we:

• Remember our mistakes honestly
• Repent with humility
• Ask forgiveness from all living beings
• Forgive others from the heart
• Reduce anger, ego, attachment, and hatred
• Strengthen samyak charitra — right conduct

Paryushan is especially important because it is considered a time of intense spiritual effort. Just as we clean our homes regularly, Pratikraman helps clean the inner self.

Spiritual Understanding

In Jain Dharma, the main goal is to purify the soul from karmas. Wrong actions and passions bind karma to the soul. Pratikraman helps weaken these karmic causes by creating:

• Alochana — sincere confession of faults
• Pratikraman — turning away from wrong actions
• Pratyakhyan — resolving not to repeat them
• Kshamapana — asking and giving forgiveness

Daily Pratikraman during Paryushan makes the festival meaningful. Without inner reflection and repentance, Paryushan becomes only an outer observance. With Pratikraman, it becomes a true journey toward purity, humility, and compassion.

Takeaway

We do Pratikraman daily in Paryushan to cleanse our thoughts, words, and actions; seek forgiveness; reduce karmic bondage; and move closer to the true nature of the soul. It is a daily spiritual reset during the holiest days of self-discipline and forgiveness.