Answer

In Jain Dharma, if you have repeated a pāpa again, you should ask for forgiveness with sincere repentance, humility, and a firm resolve to improve.

You can say from the heart:

“Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ.”

It means: “May the wrongs I have done become fruitless. I sincerely ask for forgiveness.”

Explanation

To ask forgiveness properly, follow these steps:

• Accept the mistake honestly without hiding it.
• Feel true regret for the harm caused by thought, speech, or action.
• Ask forgiveness from the person you hurt, if possible.
• Ask forgiveness from all living beings through Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ.
• Do Pratikraman if you know the practice, or sincerely reflect and repent.
• Make a firm resolve to reduce and stop that mistake in the future.

A simple prayer can be:

“I knowingly or unknowingly committed wrong through mind, speech, or body. I sincerely repent for it. May I have the strength to control myself and not repeat it again. Michchhāmi Dukkaḍaṃ.”

Spiritual Understanding

In Jain Dharma, forgiveness is not just saying sorry. It includes:

• Ālochana — accepting and confessing the fault
• Pratikraman — turning back from the wrong path
• Pratyākhyān — making a vow not to repeat it

If the same pāpa is repeated, do not lose hope. Repeated repentance with stronger awareness slowly weakens passions like anger, ego, deceit, and greed.

Takeaway

Ask forgiveness sincerely, do Pratikraman, make a clear inner promise to improve, and take practical steps to avoid repeating the same pāpa. True repentance becomes powerful when it leads to real change.