What is Das Lakshan festival?

Digambers celebrate Das Lakshan maha parva for ten days. In this festival, people try to make their life meaningful by doing various sadhnas like asanas, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, meditation and samadhi yoga along with penance and chanting. The main purpose of Das Lakshan maha parva is to purify the soul and focus on essential activities.  During this time, many people also observe fast. This festival is celebrated to awaken the sleeping inner consciousness of humans, to propagate spiritual knowledge, to strengthen social harmony and the statement of equality of all religions. Also, this festival teaches that in the attainment of Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha etc., it is essential to have goodwill along with knowledge and devotion. 

Importance and observance of Das Lakshan festival

In Jainism, non-violence and purification of the soul are given the most important place. During this festival, the soul is purified through various religious activities and efforts are made to pave the way for salvation, so that one can be freed from the cycle of birth and death. Until the bondage of inauspicious deeds is not freed, we cannot attain the true golden form of the soul. Every time, the good or bad deeds done by us create karma, the consequences of which we have to suffer. Auspicious deeds take life and soul to a higher place, while inauspicious deeds make our soul impure. During this festival, ten principles – Uttam Kshama, Uttam Mardav, Uttam Aarjav, Uttam Shaucha, Uttam Satya, Uttaram Sanyam, Uttam Tapa, Uttam Tyaga, Uttam Akinchhan and Uttam Brahmacharya are adopted. All the men, women and children of the society celebrate Das Lakshan festival with full devotion. Everyone tries to follow the non-violent religion completely through their mind, words and actions and refrains from doing any kind of unnecessary work. Away from worldly attachments, maximum time is spent in worshipping God in temples, Abhishek, Aarti, Jaap and meeting Gurus and try to achieve victory by controlling their senses. The scriptures are discussed and efforts are made to cut off the karmas through Jaap. By observing fasts and vrat, one remains self-centered and away from worldly desires. By apologizing to all the creatures of the world for the mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly, well-being is wished for everyone and an attempt is made to bring oneself closer to nature. Das Lakshan festival is a festival of self-introspection, in which a pledge is taken that, directly or indirectly, we will never cause any kind of pain to any living being and will not bear any animosity towards anyone.

Ten days of Das Lakshan festival

  1.  Kshamaa (forgiveness)
   2.  Mardav (Humility),
   3. Arjav (straightforwardness),
   4. Shauch (content – absence of greed),
   5. Satya (truth),
   6. Samyam (restraint of all senses),
   7. Tapa (austerities),
   8. Tyaga (charity),
   9. Akinchan (non-possessiveness) and
  10. Brahmacharya (celibacy)