Pratikramana Full Version

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Mahavideh Foundation

Page 53

[3] These Are Not Lord Mahavir's Pratikramans
Pratikraman
Mahavir keep it pending, 'I will do padakmanu (Jain ritual of doing pratikraman) when paryushan (once a year Jain ritual of doing pratikraman) comes.' Then, when that time comes, they go and say, 'Michhami dukkadam.'
Now who understands what this means? They do not even understand what the term "padakmanslang term for pratikraman' means. Now what do you do with that? There was a seventy-year-old Jain sitting amongst a few of us. I wanted to help him and so I said to him, "They do not understand padakmanu and they say they do padakmanu.' I called out to one old man, 'Sir, come here.' He asked, 'What is it?' I asked him, 'Where did you go?' He told me, 'I went and did padakmanu.' So I asked him, "What is padakmanu?' He said, 'I have been doing it for forty years, but I do not know what it means. Tomorrow I will ask the maharaj.' God bless! Is that Lord Mahavir's fortune or someone else's? What luck that all this goes on! 'I will go and ask the maharaj!' Now how can one tackle all this?!
Do you do padakmanu or not?
Seeker: Yes, I do, only once a year. That day I ask for forgiveness for the whole year.
Dadashri: Is that it? Then is it all resolved that day?
You have been doing it for forty years! Should you not ask? If you do something, should you not ask, 'Sir, what is all this? Why am I doing it?' Is there not a need to ask this? Who is going to tell you off if you ask?
When these people do pratikraman once a year, they wear new clothes. What is pratikraman for? Is it for getting married or what? To do pratikraman means one has to repent so much. Why does one need to wear new clothes for that? Are they getting married? In addition, they do early morning pratikraman (rayshi), and late evening pratikraman (devshi).
By the evening, they don't even remember what they ate in the morning, so how are they going to do pratikraman in this way?
What is the definition of the vitarag dharma - religion as prescribed by the Omniscients? Jain dharma is to be found everywhere but not the vitarag dharma. How can you call one a Jain when he does pratikraman just once a year? Nevertheless, there is no problem with doing once a year pratikraman (samvatsari pratikraman). It is better to do it once a year than not at all.
Michhami Dukkadam Questioner: What is 'michhami dukkadam'?
Dadashri: Michhami dukkadam is a word of the Ardhamaagdhi language (language spoken during the time of Lord Mahavir). By michhami dukkadam one is trying to say, *Mithya me dushkrutam' meaning, "May my bad deeds (dushkrut) become fruitless (mithya).'
But nothing like that occurs in simply saying it; you have to do pratikraman for that. Saying 'michhami dukkadam' without the understanding means it all goes to waste. All the effort goes to waste. Michhami dukkadam means whatever wrong actions that have occurred, may they become null and void.
Questioner: Should we do pratikraman for our job?
Dadashri: No. You should not worry about the work you are doing. This pratikraman is for all kinds of things, not just for wrong actions (dushkrut). Therefore, there is no need to worry. Dushkrut means that there is direct violence (himsa) involved. Did you understand that? It does not suit Jains to have bugs infest the grains in their grocery business. Yet, if that occurs, then they should repent for it, should they not? 'Dear Lord, why did this have to occur to me?' He should not be pleased about