Answer

In Jain Dharma, Dharm Vichhed means the temporary disappearance or break in the living practice of Jain Dharma in a particular region or time-cycle.

According to Jain tradition, Dharm Vichhed happened after the nirvana of Bhagwan Mahavira, when over time:

• the direct presence of Kevalis ended,
• scriptural knowledge gradually declined,
• the conduct of true monks became harder to maintain,
• and the strength of people’s faith, discipline, and spiritual capacity reduced due to the descending time-cycle.

Explanation

Jainism explains time as moving through cycles called Utsarpini and Avasarpini. We are currently in the Avasarpini kaal, the descending half-cycle, where physical, moral, and spiritual capacities gradually decline.

Bhagwan Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankar of this Avasarpini. After His nirvana, Jain Dharma continued through the teachings preserved by Ganadhars, Acharyas, monks, nuns, shravaks, and shravikas. But as time passed, people’s memory, austerity, purity, and capacity to follow the highest spiritual discipline declined.

Because of this gradual decline, the complete and living form of Dharma eventually becomes unavailable in certain periods. This is called Dharm Vichhed.

Why did it happen?

Dharm Vichhed happens because of the natural decline in the time-cycle, not because Jain Dharma itself becomes false or weak.

Main reasons are:

• Decline of spiritual capacity: People become less capable of deep tapasya, renunciation, and self-restraint.
• Loss of direct enlightened guidance: After the period of Kevalis and highly realized teachers, direct perfect guidance becomes unavailable.
• Decline in scriptural memory: The ability to preserve vast scriptures exactly through memory decreases.
• Increase of passions: Kashays such as anger, ego, deceit, and greed become stronger.
• Effect of Avasarpini kaal: The world naturally moves toward spiritual and moral decline.

Spiritual Understanding

Dharm Vichhed does not mean that the truth of Jain Dharma is destroyed. The eternal truths of soul, karma, ahimsa, samyak darshan, samyak jnan, and samyak charitra remain true forever.

It means that the complete path as taught by Tirthankars becomes unavailable in its full living form for some time, until it is re-established by future Tirthankars in the appropriate time-cycle.

Takeaway

Dharm Vichhed happened due to the gradual decline of spiritual strength in the descending time-cycle after Bhagwan Mahavira’s era. It reminds us to value the Dharma that is still available today and practice it sincerely while we have the opportunity.