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.
It is said that-
A child is safe in mother's hand,
Death with meditation is safe when the life style is framed according to the preachings of the Tirthankars or Jineshwaras. In the same way the follower is safe in the hands of Parmatma (God). The soul is always circulates in 4 Gatis because of various Karmas. But the true worship of this festival makes the soul free and quiet from the pain of circulation of 4 Gatis. Meditation is necessary for peaceful condition of the soul. Even the souls in the Narkis can feel quiet peaceful condition for a moment at the time of Kalyanakas. Then, human beings can certainly get and feel meditative condition if they do the rites of this festival with their inner feelings. So, this festival is important to gain peace and the feelings of meditation in life.
The Rituals of Posh Dashami
The following rites are done on this ceremony.
- Worship of Shri Parshva Nath is done for three days in the month of Magshar Vadi 9,10 and 11.
- This Vrata is observed for 10 years and 10 months.
- It is the Birth-Kalyanaka of Parshvanath.
- The observer has to do Ekasanas ( taking lunch once in respectively a day) of Sugered Water, Khir and full lunch for three days on 9, 10 and 11 of the month of Magshar. It can be done with three days' fasts or Aayambils if it is possible.
Besides 12 Swastiks, 12 Khamasanas, Kayotsarga of 12 Logassa and 20 Navakarvalis of 'Aum Rhim Shrim Shankheshwara Parshvanathaya Namh' Pad are done on this day.
This type of rites were done by Surdatt in past. The person who performs this Penance(Tap) can get happiness and various types of Wealth which help them to gain the ultimate happiness of Moksha.
