Answer

In Jain Dharma, Nirjal Upvas means fasting without food and without water. It is considered a powerful form of tapasya when done with right faith, humility, self-control, and spiritual awareness.

The main benefits are:

• Self-control over hunger, thirst, and desires
• Karma nirjara — shedding of karmas through tapasya
• Purification of mind by reducing attachment to the body
• Spiritual discipline and strengthening of willpower
• More time for dharma such as samayik, pratikraman, swadhyay, japa, and meditation
• Practice of renunciation by temporarily giving up bodily comforts

Explanation

In Jainism, fasting is not done only for physical benefit. Its real purpose is spiritual purification. By voluntarily accepting hunger and thirst peacefully, a person learns to reduce attachment to taste, comfort, and bodily demands.

But Nirjal Upvas should be done with:

• Peaceful thoughts
• No anger or ego
• No pride that “I am doing great tapasya”
• More focus on soul, forgiveness, and dharma

If the mind is full of anger, pride, or show-off, the spiritual value of tapasya becomes reduced.

Spiritual Understanding

Jain Dharma teaches that true tapasya helps the soul move away from attachment and passions. Nirjal Upvas can support:

• Samvar — stopping new karmas
• Nirjara — shedding previously bound karmas

However, the inner feeling is most important. A simple fast done with humility can be more spiritually meaningful than a difficult fast done with ego.

Takeaway

Nirjal Upvas is beneficial when it is done for soul-purification, self-control, and karma nirjara — not for pride, competition, or display.

If health is weak, one should take proper guidance from elders, guru, or knowledgeable persons before doing Nirjal Upvas.