What is a festival day (Parva - a Jain Festival) according to Jainism?
The daily worship is always fruitful and useful for the upliftment of the soul, but the day of festival or parva is a special day of worshipping, a special kind of worshipping and there is always an ancient event joined with the day. The Parva has some special kind of rites that can increase merits for future. More Penance, more worship, more religious activities are done on the day of Parva. A Soul can create or bind the 'Aayushya Karma' of the next births in future.
Every Parva is celebrated with some special rules and principles. The rites of worship and activities have some special kind of importance in Jain festivals.
The world of today is influenced, wrongly by the false knowledge, So the Samyak Gyan is necessary.
Gyan is the light of the inner soul. It is a natural light. It is also a bright flame of life. We can't see anything without its light. We can't know even the difference between true and false Gyan is called the second sun and third Eye. So the worship of Gyan Panchami should be done.
The following shloka is sung on this day.
'Samkit Shrddhavantane Upanue Gyan Prakash,
Pranamu Pad ha; Tehana, Bhav Dhari Ullas?
This festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Kartik. It is also known as 'Saubhagya Pachami' and as the 'Labha Panchami'.
The Kayatsarga of 51 Logassa, 51 Swastikas, 51 Khamasanas and the Jap Pad of 'Namo Nanassa' - 20 Navakarvalis are performed on the day.
As a result of this, the knowledge covering Karmas are destroyed. The foolish or ignorant can become wise. In past, Vardatt and Gunamanjari had done something against it. So they had to face the results of their sins. This is a famous story.
The fast is observed without speaking any words, i.e. with keeping totally silence. So that the observer can get happiness, good luck and omniscience later on.
