Answer

During Dashlakshan Parva, Jains generally eat simple, pure, and sattvic food, depending on their personal vow, family tradition, and health.

Commonly preferred foods include:

• Boiled or simple grains such as rice, wheat preparations, or rotli
• Simple dal if allowed in your tradition
• Milk, curd, ghee if one is not observing a stricter fast
• Dry fruits in moderation
• Simple cooked vegetables that are acceptable in Jain diet
• Boiled water, usually consumed within the permitted time

Many people avoid:

• Root vegetables like potato, onion, garlic, carrot, beetroot
• Green leafy vegetables, depending on tradition
• Fermented foods
• Outside food
• Heavy, fried, spicy, or indulgent food
• Eating after sunset

Explanation

Dashlakshan is a sacred period of self-purification, especially observed in the Digambar Jain tradition. The focus is not on “what tasty food to eat,” but on reducing attachment to food and practicing restraint.

Depending on one’s capacity, people may observe:

• Upvas – complete fasting
• Ekasan – eating once in one sitting
• Beasan – eating twice
• Ayambil – very simple, tasteless food
• Partial dietary restraint – simple Jain food without unnecessary indulgence

Spiritual Understanding

The purpose of food restraint during Dashlakshan is to support the ten virtues such as forgiveness, humility, truth, purity, self-restraint, austerity, non-attachment, and celibacy.

Eating less and eating simply helps reduce passions like greed, anger, and attachment.

Takeaway

Eat only what supports saṃyam and spiritual awareness. During Dashlakshan, food should be simple, non-violent, limited, and taken with inner discipline.