Das Lakshana Parva 2028: Date, History & Significance

The Tattvartha Sutra is read over the ten days, one chapter or theme a day, matched to the day's dharma. Devotees do the daily temple abhisheka and puja, hear pravachan, and keep graded fasts — many keep the full Dashalakshana vrat of ten days on boiled water alone. The day of Uttam Kshama (supreme forbearance) is the first and sets the tone.

The parva closes with Ananta Chaturdashi and, the next day, Kshamavani (Kshama-vani, 'the utterance of forgiveness'), on which every Digambara Jain asks and grants pardon with 'Uttam Kshama' and 'Micchami Dukkadam', mirroring the Shvetambara Samvatsari. Sugandha Dashami, a fragrance-offering rite, falls within the ten days.

The ten dharmas are set out in the Tattvartha Sutra (Umasvati, c. 2nd–5th century CE) as the qualities that carry the soul toward liberation. Das Lakshana takes each in turn as a day's discipline, so that the festival is a structured, repeated training in the virtues rather than the commemoration of an event.

Source: Kalpa Sutra, Tattvartha Sutra and Jain conduct literature

Das Lakshana is the Digambara form of the Bhadrapada self-purification season, structured on the Tattvartha Sutra's list of ten dharmas; it is kept across the Digambara heartland of MP, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra and by the Digambara diaspora.

• Kalpa Sutra, Tattvartha Sutra and Jain conduct literature
• Jain community tradition and temple practice

1. Digambar Jains keep ten days, each devoted to one of the ten virtues: forgiveness, humility, straightforwardness, contentment, truth, self-restraint, austerity, renunciation, non-attachment and celibacy.
2. A chapter of the Tattvartha Sutra is explained each day, and temples hold abhishek and puja.
3. The festival ends on Anant Chaturdashi, and Kshamavani, the day of forgiveness, follows.

• MP, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, UP. Ten days of Tattvartha Sutra reading, temple abhisheka, graded fasts, Sugandha Dashami, and Kshamavani forgiveness.
• Digambara diaspora. Full observance in temples worldwide; the Dashalakshana vrat kept by the committed.

• Plain food before sunset — Simple food without root vegetables, eaten once or twice before sunset.

Das Lakshana Parva (Digambara) is kept on the day when Panchami of Bhadrapada Shukla paksha prevails at sunrise. That day is Thursday, 24 August 2028. Panchami holds at sunrise only on this day.

at sunrise

Das Lakshana Parva runs Bhadrapada Shukla Panchami to Chaturdashi — ten tithis of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, in August or September — beginning as the Shvetambara Paryushana ends and closing with Ananta Chaturdashi and, the following day, Kshamavani.

A lunar date: Panchami of the bright half of Bhadrapada drifts about 11 days earlier each solar year, then jumps back ~19 days when a leap (Adhika) month is inserted.