What are daslakshan
Das Lakshan (also called Das Lakshana Parva) are the ten supreme virtues that Jains focus on during the Digambara Das Lakshan festival, which follows Paryushan. Each day is dedicated to one Virtue and to reflecting and practicing it.
The ten Uttam Lakshanas are:
- Uttam Kshama — supreme forgiveness
- Uttam Mardav — supreme humility
- Uttam Arjava — supreme straightforwardness/honesty
- Uttam Shaucha — supreme purity/contentment
- Uttam Satya — supreme truthfulness
- Uttam Sanyam — supreme self-restraint
- Uttam Tap — supreme austerity
- Uttam Tyag — supreme renunciation
- Uttam Akinchanya — supreme non-possessiveness
- Uttam Brahmacharya — supreme celibacy/chastity
Notes:
- These are central to the Digambara tradition. They guide conduct and inner purification during the ten days of Das Lakshan.
- Shwetambar Jains celebrate Paryushan Parva (eight days), and the related end-prayer is Samvatsari; the Das Lakshan festival itself is not observed in the same way in the Shwetambar tradition.