Why do Jains fast? Fasts may be done as a penance (Prayschit), especially for Jain Monks (Maharaj Saheb). In Jainsim, a person’s life is a reflection of his karmas. Happiness or comforts usually we don’t notice but any distressful situation to extreme calamities, we always try to find out solutions. Shastras indicate either you suffer through with sambhav or adopt a way of austerity, to cut it short. It can be done before karmas start manifesting. More or less like prevention. The prevention is undertaken through penance. The other benefits are self-control and ahealthier, joyful life. Fasting also purifies body and mind, and reminds the practitioner of Mahavira’s emphasis on renunciation (Tyag) and asceticism( Saiyam), because Mahavira spent a great deal of time fasting. It is not sufficient for a Jain simply to not eat when fasting. They must also stop wanting to eat. If they continue to desire food the fast is pointless. What do you mean by Tivihar Upvas? In Upvas, Don’t eat or drink anything except achet ( boiled /dhovan) water. Achet water can be drunk from Porsi to sunset Only. By doing Upvas, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 1000 billion years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara. What do you mean by Chauvihar Upvas? Chauvihar or Chouvihar Upvas means you do not drink or eat anything, not even boiled /dovan water. What is Navkarsi ? Don’t eat or drink anything untill 48 minutes after the sunrise, then sit at one place , recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water. By doing navkarsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 100 years of torture in hell – i.e. karma nirjara. What is Pachkan? Pachkan is basically an oath. It means you have committed to something be it fast or not eating after sunset. What is Porsi? Don’t eat or drink anything untill One Prahar time after the sunrise, then sit at one place ,recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water. By doing Porsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 1,000 years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara. What is Prahar? Take total daytime(i.e. If sunrise is at 6:45 am and sunset is at 7:15 pm then whole daytime is 12:30 hours), divide it by four then it will give one prahar time. One Prahar = Total daytime/4 i.e. if daytime is 12 hours and 30 minutes then One Prahar = (12:30)/4 = 3:07:30 (3 Hours 7 Minutes 30 Seconds) What is Sadhporsi / dodhporsi ? Don’t eat or drink anything untill 1.5 Prahar time after the sunrise, then sit at one place recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water. By doing sadhporsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 10,000 years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara. What is Purimaddha (two porsi)? Don’t eat or drink anything untill Two Prahars time after the sunrise, then sit at one place ,recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water. By doing two Porsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 100,000 years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara. What is Ayambil? In Ayambil, Eat only once in a day, Don’t eat any Vigai-Fruits-Vegetables, sitting at one place within less than 48 minutes. Other than that dont eat or drink anything except Boiled or dhovan water can be drunk up to sunset Only. By doing Ayambil, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 100 billion years (1000 crore years) of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara. Navpad Ni Oli means doing 9 Ayambils during Ashwin or Chaitri. What is Ekasanu? In Ekasan, Eat only once in a day, sitting at one place within less than 48 minutes. Other than that dont eat or drink anything except boiled or dhovan (achet) water. Boiled or achet water cab be drunk up to sunset Only. By doing Ekashan, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 1 million years (10 Lac) of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara. What is Chauvihar? In Chauvihar, one does not take any food or any liquids after the sunset until the sunrise next day or for particular period. What is Tivihar? In Tivihar one does not take food of any kind including liquids except achet water after the sunset until the sunrise of next day but can take water. What is Dharana pachkhan/ Abhigrah? In Dharana Abhigrah is customised pachakhan. One can decide any kind of tyag based on God’s way and take pachakhan. i.e. One can decide that he/she will not eat Sweets for 5 days. Then they should decide it and take Dharana Abhigrah pachakhan. What is Unodari / Unodri ? Always eat little less than, what you desire and need to eat. We are limiting ourselves partially. At times this may become more difficult, as once you start eating. Scientifically, we all understand this is a healthy practice. What do you mean by Santhara? Santhara or Sallenkhana is a procedure in which a Jain stops eating with the intention of preparing for death. This is different from suicide as it is not taken in passionate mood of anger, deceit or other emotions, but is undertaken only when the body is no longer capable of serving its owner as a instrument of sprituality and when inevitability of death is a matter of undisputed certainty. The intention is to purify the body, and remove all thought of the physical things from the mind. As well as giving up food and water, the ascetic abandons all desires and dislikes so that they can concentrate exclusively on the spiritual as they approach death. What is Vigai? There are Six types of Vigais, namely Milk, Yogurt, Jaggary, Ghee, Oil and Fried Food. Vigai Tyag could be Kacho (Partial) or Mul (Complete). This helps us to control temptation for eating food, which helps you to cut down passions. What is Kayakiesh? Kayakiesh means to place body under stressful environment or situation e.g. cold, heat, walking bare feet, hunger, kesh loach etc. This helps us to reduce attachment to body. What is Varshitap? The duration of this tap is from Fagan krushna aathum to vaishakh shukla trija in next year. This consists of one day of besana and one day of upwas on alternate days for the complete year. If the day falls on the tithi, an upwas must be observed causing two consecutive days of fasting. Parnas are done with cane sugar juice. What is Vardhaman Tap Oli? Start with one ambyil, then two, then three and gradually go up to 100 What is Siddhi Tap? One day fast and parna or besana, two day fasts and parna or besana, three fasts and parna or besana and so on to include eight fasts and parna or besana are performed during the paryushana. Also some rituals are involved.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 05:25:00 +0000
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