Samvatsari Pratikraman Vidhi and Explanation of Svetambar Murtipujak Tapa Gachchh Tradition

Author(s): Pravin K Shah
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 2

Chauvisattho
Vandana
Pratikraman
Recite Devotional Prayer remembering virtues of Tirthankars Respecting Monks, Nuns, and elders Repentance and Confession of our past Sins (minor violations) Meditation in Yoga Posture for certain duration to reflect upon our past sins Take Religious Vows to discipline ourselves for not to | commit these Sins again
Käyotsarga
Pratyakhyana (or Pachchkhana)
Later on Acharyas realized that it was difficult for the lay people to practice all six Avashyaks separately everyday. Hence they incorporated all six Avashyaks into the 4th Pratikraman Avashyak ritual. Hence a person needs to perform only this expanded version of Pratikraman ritual to complete all six daily Avashyaka rituals. This is the reason the 4th Avashyak - Pratikraman became very important and the term "Pratikraman" is used as a common name for all six essential acts. Pratikraman Ävashyaka Even though now the daily Pratikraman Avashyak ritual included all six Avashyakas, not all laypeople can perform the Pratikraman ritual everyday. Hence the Acharyas have created Pakkhi Pratikraman (to perform this ritual once every 15 days), Chaumasi Pratikraman (once every 4 months), and Samvatsari Pratikraman (once a year). The only difference among the three expanded Pratikramans are the length of Kaussag which are 12 Loggas for Pakkhi, 20 Loggas for Chaumasi, and 40 Loggas for Samvatsari that we do during the ritual. It is a strong tradition that every Swetambar Jain MUST do the annual Samvatsari Pratikraman ritual. Brief History of Pratikraman Ritual Recitation by Monks and Shravaks together: The ancient tradition says that Pratikraman needs to be performed in the presence of Gurus but not with them. This is because Atichar and Aloyana Sutras in Pratikraman are different for monks, nuns, shravaks (laymen) and shravikas (laywomen); therefore there are different pratikraman rituals for monks, nuns, shravaks and shravikas in the past. About 400 to 500 years ago in Khambhat, Gujarat, India, Acharya Shri Vijaychandrasuri started a new tradition and did Pratikraman with shravakas (laypeople) in Vadi Poshal Upashraya. Initially there was significant opposition by other Acharyas. However later on, these Acharyas accepted this new tradition and it is now a permanent tradition among Tapa Gachchha Shwetambar Murtipujak Jain community (largest community of the Jain religion). Hence, again the Pratikraman ritual has been expanded to accommodate both Monks and Shravaks Aloyana and Atichar sutras and that increased Pratikraman time significantly. There are other sub-sects of Swetambar Murtipujak Jains like Paya-Gachchha and Anchal Gachchha communities in India where laypeople do not do Pratikraman with monks and nuns. In America, there are no fully ordained Jain monks and nuns live. Also in many Jain centers, Jain Shravakas and Shravikas do Pratikraman together. They continue to use and recite the same Samvatsari Pratikraman Vidhi of Monks and Shravaks together as done in India. However, in place of specific Monks' Atichar sutras, the ritual indicates to repeat the Shravak's Atichar.. Hence these Sutras of Shravaks' Atichar are repeated several times and thus the time it takes to recite the Samvatsari Pratikraman ritual of Shravaks and Shravikas remained same about 3.0 hours.