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Can you share the text recited during Janam Vanchan
Short answer (what is actually recited)
- Shvetāmbara tradition (during Paryushan): the Janma‑vachan is the public reading of the Mahavira Janma Kalyāṇak section from the Kalpa‑sūtra (Bhadrabāhu). Around it, devotees also recite the Namokār Mantra and short praises like “Vardhamānāya Namo Namaḥ.” The cradle (pālnā) hymns/halārdu are sung afterwards.
- Digambara tradition: a formal “Janma‑vachan” from the Kalpa‑sūtra is not practiced. Instead, the Janma Kalyāṇak of Bhagwān Mahāvīr is celebrated with stavan/stotra and readings from revered Digambara works (e.g., Mahāpurāṇa/Uttarapurāṇa, Jina‑charitra), plus abhiṣek and ārādhanā.
Commonly recited lines around the Janma‑vachan (Shvetāmbara)
1) Namokār (Navkār) Mantra Namo Arihantāṇam Namo Siddhāṇam Namo Āyariyāṇam Namo Uvajjhāyāṇam Namo Loe Savva‑sāhūṇam Eso Pañcha Namokkäro, Savva‑pāva‑paṇāsano Maṅgalāṇaṃ cha savvesiṃ, paḍhamaṃ havai maṅgalaṃ
2) Praise during pālnā (cradle) after the reading “Vardhamānāya Namo Namaḥ” (repeated gently while swinging the pālnā)
3) Halārdu/stavan for Mahāvīr (devotional lullabies; tunes vary by sangh and region)
About the core “text” itself
- The Janma‑vachan text that is read is the Kalpa‑sūtra’s narrative of Mahāvīr Bhagwān’s birth (including Mata Trīśalā’s fourteen auspicious dreams, the auspicious signs, and the celebrations). This is traditionally read in Prākrit/Gujarati (with explanation in local language) by a monk/nun or the designated reader in the upāśraya/derasar. Exact phrasing, pauses, and accompanying responses can vary slightly by gaccha/saṅgh, but the source remains the Kalpa‑sūtra’s Janma‑Kalyāṇak chapter.
Note on differences
- Shvetāmbara: Kalpa‑sūtra is canonical and its Mahāvīr Janma chapter is the standard Janma‑vachan.
- Digambara: the festival focus is on ārādhanā and readings from Digambara Āgama‑based purāṇic texts; there is no Kalpa‑sūtra Janma‑vachan.
For a simple overview of the practice and its source, see:
