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PREFACE
Preface Mithyatva (false knowledge about the attributes of our soul and worldly reality) and Kashayas which are anger, ego, deceit, and greed are the soul's impurities. We need to remove such impurities in order to attain total freedom or liberation. To remove such impurities, Jainism has prescribed six essential practices known as Ävashyaka to be performed daily. Pratikramana is defined as the 4th Avashyak. The Six Ävashyakas or Practices are: 1 Sämäyika
Equanimity 2 Chauvisattho or
Devotional Prayer Chaturvimshati-stava
3
Vandana
Respecting Monks and Nuns
4
Pratikraman
Repentance and Confession of Sins of Minor Violations of Vows
5 6
Käyotsarga Pratyakhyana or Pachchakhana
Meditation in Yoga Posture Religious Vows
Monks and nuns and devoted Jain lay people (Shrävaks and Shrävikäs) staunchly observe these rituals, while others practice them to the best of their ability.
During the last few centuries, studies of Jain literature indicate that the word "Pratikraman" is used as a common noun for all six essential acts (six Ävashyaka). This is also meaningful because over the course of time, the Pratikraman ritual has been enhanced to include ritual sutras of all six Avashyakas.
Hence the present Pratikraman ritual which covers all six Ävashyaka or six essential acts, occupies an important place in the Jain tradition, comparable to Sandhya in the Vedic (Hindu) tradition, Namaj in Islam, Kharavela Avesta in the Zoroastrian faith, and confessional prayer in the Jewish & Christian traditions.
The annual Pratikraman that all Jains should strive to participate in is called Samvatsari Pratikraman, which is performed on the last day of Paryushan.
Pratikraman should be performed as per the rituals defined in our ancient literature with proper understanding to obtain maximal benefit. However, this is very difficult for the primarily English
ENGLISH PRATIKRAMAN
