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56 / MANAV DHARMA Description:
While observing Prosodopavasa, an observer should pass his day in solitude, sitting on a mat or 'Ashan' he should maintain contentment for all the 48 hours and should pass his whole time in studying holy scriptures and if other persons come and sit by his side then he should not hesitate in conveying the message of scriptures to such people. Besides reading of holy scriptures, he should also devote rest of his time in spiritual meditation. Then again he can continue to read and contemplate on what is written in scriptures In this way he should pass all these 48 hour in meditation, in self study of scriptures, in contemplation and so on and should also maintain complete silence or quietness during this period.
The reality of Prosodhopavasa lies in avoiding laziness and easygoing habits and controlling the mind, speech and body along with the unwanted use of five senses. UPAVAS is the term which denotes total control of mind and five sensual senses. It should be very well kept in mind that this is a SHIKSHAVRATA which gives an observer a training of a Jain Monk along with a proper practice for becoming a Jain Ascetic. What is the duty of a Jain Monk ? It is nothing more than to renounce all worldly and homely attachments, passions and desires avoiding worldly life and to live in solitary place with the regular practice of meditation peacefully and all these are to be observed by an observer of Prosodhopavasa.
If any person, who, while observing fast on one side, does not leave all those activities of homely life and his attachment with wroldly possessions and affairs, or say, getting more indulged in them. as is seen generally in present times, then the Upvasa will not be considered fasting in its real sense. Not only this, people have been seen passing their time in amusements, chit-chatting, playing cards and talking about worldly matters and gossips and not in reading holy scriptures and meditation, then such an observance will not be called a fast but merely an act of half fasting or abandonment of food for a single time only. On this point it has been rightly said in KARTIKEYA-ANUPREKSHA- scripture through the following
verse :
कषाय-विषयाहारत्यागो यत्र विधीयते । उपवासः स विज्ञेयः शेषं लङ्घनकं विदुः ॥
According to this above version, it has been enjoined upon the observer of a fast that the four passions - Anger, pride, deceit and greed and their relevant stories, must be avoided; the desires of all the five senses be conquerred; then only such fasting will be
