Answer

During Dashlakshan Parva, Jains usually eat simple, sattvik, and non-violent food, according to their capacity and family tradition.

Commonly acceptable foods may include:

• Simple grains such as wheat, rice, and certain millets
• Dal and pulses, if allowed in one’s household practice
• Cooked vegetables that are not root vegetables
• Milk, curd, ghee, and other dairy items, if personally accepted
• Fruits, depending on the type of observance
• Dry fruits and nuts
• Simple homemade food without onion, garlic, potato, or other root vegetables

Many people also observe stricter practices such as:

• Upvas – complete fasting
• Ekasan – eating once in one sitting
• Beasan – eating twice in two sittings
• Ayambil – eating very simple food without taste-enhancing items
• Avoiding green vegetables on certain days, depending on tradition

Explanation

During Dashlakshan, the focus is not only on what we eat, but also on reducing attachment to taste, comfort, and indulgence.

Generally, Jains avoid:

• Root vegetables such as potato, onion, garlic, carrot, beetroot, radish, etc.
• Non-vegetarian food, eggs, alcohol, and honey
• Fermented foods, depending on family tradition
• Food prepared after sunset or eaten at night
• Overly spicy, oily, or luxurious food
• Packaged foods where ingredients are unclear

Some families follow very strict rules, while others follow simpler dietary discipline. The exact practice may differ between Digambar, Shvetambar, and local traditions.

Spiritual Understanding

Dashlakshan is a time for inner purification through the ten virtues:

• Uttam Kshama – supreme forgiveness
• Uttam Mardav – humility
• Uttam Arjav – straightforwardness
• Uttam Shauch – purity/contentment
• Uttam Satya – truthfulness
• Uttam Sanyam – self-restraint
• Uttam Tap – austerity
• Uttam Tyag – renunciation
• Uttam Akinchanya – non-possessiveness
• Uttam Brahmacharya – celibacy/purity of conduct

Food discipline supports these virtues by helping reduce passions, desires, carelessness, and violence.

Takeaway

Eat simple, freshly prepared, non-root, vegetarian Jain food according to your strength and tradition. The main aim of Dashlakshan is not taste, but sanyam, tap, ahimsa, and inner purification.