Answer

You can explain it gently like this:

“Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami is primarily a Hindu festival connected with the Ramayana tradition and the victory of Shri Ram over Ravan. In Jain Dharma, our main festivals are based on Jain Tirthankars, Jain scriptures, spiritual purification, tapasya, forgiveness, and liberation. So Dussehra is not traditionally a Jain festival, even if some Jain families culturally observe it because of the society they live in.”

Explanation

In Jain Dharma, festivals generally have a direct connection with:

• Tirthankars, such as Mahavir Janma Kalyanak
• Spiritual purification, such as Paryushan and Das Lakshan
• Forgiveness and humility, such as Samvatsari and Kshamavani
• Liberation and moksha, such as Diwali, which is connected with Bhagwan Mahavir’s nirvana
• Tapasya and self-discipline, such as Ayambil Oli

Dussehra/Vijaya Dashami, as commonly celebrated, is centered around the idea of victory of good over evil, especially through the story of Ram and Ravan. That form of celebration belongs mainly to Hindu tradition.

Jain tradition also has its own versions of Ram, Lakshman, and Ravan in Jain literature, but Jain Dharma does not traditionally celebrate Dussehra as one of its core religious festivals.

How to Say It Respectfully

You can say:

• “Respecting other festivals is good, but we should also know what belongs to Jain Dharma.”
• “A Jain can appreciate the ethical message of good over evil, but religiously Dussehra is not a Jain festival.”
• “Our Jain festivals focus more on conquering inner enemies like anger, ego, deceit, and greed.”
• “If we want to observe that day spiritually, we can do samayik, pratikraman, swadhyay, or tapasya instead of treating it as a Jain festival.”

Spiritual Understanding

In Jain Dharma, the real victory is not over an outside enemy. The real victory is over inner passions:

• Krodh – anger
• Maan – ego
• Maya – deceit
• Lobh – greed

So if a Jain person wants to connect with the idea of “Vijaya,” the Jain way is to understand it as victory over one’s own weaknesses, violence, attachment, and passions.

Takeaway

Dussehra is not traditionally a Jain religious festival. A Jain may respect it culturally, but should understand that Jain festivals are rooted in Jain principles of ahimsa, self-discipline, forgiveness, tapasya, and liberation.