Jain Digest 2006 07 Vol 24 No 3

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 25

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
Shri Veer Jina Nirvanam, Karyma Lokanugairih:" To convert the Hindu calendar into a Jain calendar, certain changes were made to the Jodhapur Hindu calendar to accommodate Jain religious days and was printed as a
If a Kshaya or Vriddhi Tithi occurs on a Parva Tithi
(pious day) in the Hindu calendar, follow the rules below Jain calendar. Presently it is done the same way. Those
for Ärädhana: changes are defined later in this article.
• In case of Kshaya (loss) Tithi, previous Tithi
should be considered as Parva Tithi STRUCTURE OF HINDU CALENDAR
• In case of Vriddhi (double) Tithi, the 2nd Tithi
should be considered as Parva Tithi Definition of Tithi (Day) in Hindu Calendar
• Do not change Veer Nirvan Day (Deevali day). In the Hindu calendar, the day starts with the local Keep it same as indicated in the Hindu Panchäng. Also this sunrise and the position of the Moon (Moon phase) at rule directed that do not change the leap month of the Hindu that time decides the Tithi (known as Udaya Tithi). This calendar. Tithi is applied for the entire day even if the Moon phase
To practically implement the above rules into the Jain may change to the next Tithi a few minutes after Sunrise.
calendar, the tradition indicates that in the old times the This concept of Tithi is different from the Jain Agamic
Jodhapur Hindu calendar was changed as follows and calendar. The Tithi is not connected with Sunrise (Udaya
was called the Jain calendar or Jain Panchang and all Jain Tithi) in the Agamic calendar.
sects have accepted it. Kshaya (loss and Vriddhi (double or extra) Tithi
In case of Kshaya (loss) of Parva Tithi: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, In the Hindu calendar the day begins at Sunrise. Several and 15. make Kshaya of Tithi: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and also 13 times in a year a condition occurs that the same Tithi (Moon
respectively. phase did not change more than 12 degree) may exist
In case of Vriddhi (double) of Parva Tithi: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, between two consecutive Sunrises. This is called Vriddhi
and 15; make Vriddhi (double) of Tithi: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13. (double or extra) Tithi. Similarly a situation occurs that
and also 13 respectively. one Tithi does not touch any Sunrise at all. This is known as Kshaya (loss) Tithi. This happens because the duration One can see that in case of Parva Kshaya or Vriddhi of each Tithi varies between 22 hours and 26 hours and Tithi, the Jain calendar has simply changed the previous the duration between the two consecutive Sunrises is about Tithi as a Kshaya or Vriddhi Tithi. Also when Tithi 15 was 24 hours. Please note that only Kshaya Tithi occurred in either Kshaya or Vriddhi, the rule defined in the Gätha was the Agamic Jain calendar but the Hindu calendar has both applied twice and made 13 as a Kshaya or Vriddhi Tithi. Kshaya (loss) and Vriddhi (extra) Tithi.
This way the printed Jain calendar will not have any Kshaya or Vriddhi Parva (pious) Tithis. The common people will
not have any confusion about Parva Tithis to carry out LEAP YEAR(13 MONTHS)
their Ärädhana of religious vows and penances. Even though both Hindu and Ägamic Jain calendars Also in the adjusted Jain calendar, the last day of the are Lunisolar calendars, they used different leap year year is Äso Vad 15 as per Gujarati naming convention or calculation method. In Hindu calendar, any of the 12 months Kärtik Vad 15 as per Rajasthani naming convention (Mahävircan be a leap month while the Ägamic Jain calendar defines swami's nirvana day) remained same as per Hindu calendar. five year time cycle (Yuga) in which Posha (middle of the This way the Jain community can celebrate their social year month) and Ashadha (year ending month) are only and religious Parva days (which are compromised), using two leap months.
only this new Jain calendar. Changes made to the Hindu Calendar:
Paryushan Parva and Samvatsari Day Parva Tithis (Pious Days)
According to Jain Ägam literature, the history of Jain Ächärvas have defined Tithis: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, and Paryushan Parva is more than 2000 years old. However 15 as pious or Parva Tithis (days) in both Sud and Vad part there is no clear indication of the actual number of of the Moon cycles of every month. People take special Paryushan Parva days and the exact Tithi of Samvatsari vows and perform various penances (Ärädhanä) on these day. According to Kalpa sutra only a day of Samvatsari is days. To fulfill their Ärädhanä without any interruptions called Paryushan. of Kshaya or Vriddhi Tithi, the ancient Jain literature has
The Jain tradition indicates that monks can not stay at indicated some special rules to apply to the Hindu calendar
calendar one place for more than 30 days. However during four
one defined in the following Gätha or Sutra:
months of rainy season, from Ashadha Sud 15 to Kärtik
Sud 15, they must stay at one place to minimize violence "Kshaye Purva Tithi Karya, Vridhhau Karya Tathottara; that would occur in traveling during rainy season.
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