Answer

Your feeling is understandable. In Jain Dharma, the purpose of Samvatsari Pratikraman is not to prove that everyone becomes fully transformed overnight. Its purpose is to create an opportunity for:

• self-reflection
• repentance for mistakes
• asking and giving forgiveness
• reducing ego, anger, deceit, greed, and attachment
• starting again with more awareness

If someone performs Pratikraman only as a ritual, without inner awareness, then naturally the inner change may be very little. But that does not make Pratikraman meaningless. It means the person has not yet practiced it deeply.

Explanation

Jain Dharma teaches that real change happens through bhāv — inner feeling and intention.

Two people may do the same Pratikraman outwardly:

• One may simply recite words.
• Another may truly remember their faults, feel humility, ask forgiveness sincerely, and resolve not to repeat them.

The outer action may look the same, but the inner result is different.

Samvatsari is like a mirror. A mirror does not force us to clean our face; it only shows us what needs cleaning. Similarly, Pratikraman shows us our anger, ego, harsh words, selfishness, jealousy, and carelessness. Whether we actually change depends on our sincerity.

Spiritual Understanding

In Jain Dharma, transformation is gradual because karmic habits and passions are very deep. Anger, pride, deceit, and greed have been strengthened over a long time. One Pratikraman may not destroy them completely, but sincere Pratikraman weakens them.

Even one moment of true repentance is spiritually valuable.

The point is not to judge whether others changed. The deeper question is:

• Did I become a little more aware?
• Did I reduce even one harsh reaction?
• Did I ask forgiveness with humility?
• Did I forgive someone from the heart?
• Did I see my own faults instead of only others’ faults?

That is where Samvatsari begins to become meaningful.

Takeaway

Samvatsari Pratikraman is not meaningless because people do not change immediately. It becomes meaningful when even one person turns inward sincerely.

If others remain the same, that is their spiritual journey. But if we use Samvatsari to reduce our own ego, anger, and hurt, then Pratikraman has already served its purpose.