MY SINCERE AND HONEST APOLOGY TO ALL LIVING BEINGS INCLUDING FRIENDS AND OTHERS KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, TO WHOM I MAY HAVE HURT BY MY ACTS DIRECT OR INDIRECT OR BY MY TALKS KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY ON THIS GRAND PARYUSHAN PARVA, AN OCCASION OF SELF INTROSPECTION.
The superb Jain festival popularly known as ‘Paryushan Parva’ organised every year in the auspicious month ‘Bhadrapad’ of the Hindu calendar extends from the fifth day to fourteenth day of the bright fortnight.
The festival ordains the Jains to observe the ten universal supreme virtues in daily practical life. Besides assuring a blissful existence in this world and the other world for every living being, it aims at the attainment of salvation - the supreme ideal for mundane soul.
All members of Jain community- high and low, young and old, and males and females, participate with full vigour and zeal in the various religious rituals and cultural programs. They listen with rapt attention to the holy sermons of the saints and learned Jain scholars arranged during the ten-day festival.
In these celebrations lie dormant the seeds of the well being, peace and happiness of the common man. We forgive those who have wronged us and seek forgiveness from those we have wronged.
Forgiveness is sought not just from human colleagues, but from all living beings ranging from one sensed to five sensed. If we do not forgive or seek forgiveness but instead harbour resentment, we bring misery and unhappiness on ourselves and in the process shatter our peace of mind and make enemies. Forgiving and seeking forgiveness oils the wheel of life allowing us to live in harmony with our fellow beings. It also attracts meritorious karma.
Paryushan Parva is a grand Jain festival of self-introspection, self-enlightenment and self-achievement, which ultimately leads to the one and only one final goal, i.e., liberation or salvation.