Das-Dharma (Ten Righteous Virtues):-
Uttam Kshama (Forbearance) - उत्तम क्षमा
Uttam Mardava (Supreme Modesty) - उत्तम मार्दव
Uttam Aarjava (Straight Forwardness) - उत्तम आर्जव
Uttam Satya (Truth) - उत्तम सत्य
Uttam Sauch (Purity) - उत्तम शौच
Uttam Sanyam (Supreme Restraint) - उत्तम संयम
Uttam Tap (Susterity) - उत्तम तप
Uttam Tyaga (Renunciation) - उत्तम त्याग
Uttam Aakinchanya (Non-Attachment) - उत्तम अकिंचन्य
Uttam Brahmcharya (Supreme Celibacy) - उत्तम बह्मचर्य
It's 10-days Vrata that comes every year during Shukla Panchami to Chaturdashi of Bhadrapada, Maghor Chaitra months.
The Das-dharmas are all prefixed by the word ‘Uttam’ (Supreme) to signify that they are practiced at the highest level by the Jain monks. The householder practises them to a lesser extent. It lasts over a period of ten days, each day being dedicated to one of the ten Dharmas.
Day 2(27/08/2017): Supreme Modesty/Humility (उत्तम मार्दव)
Wealth, Good Looks, Reputed Family or Intelligence often lead to Pride. Pride means to believe one to be Superior to Others and to Look Down on Others. By being Proud You are measuring Your worth by temporary material Objects. These objects will either leave you or you will be forced to leave them when you die. These eventualities will cause you unhappiness as a result of the ‘dent’ caused to your self-worth. Being humble will prevent this. Pride also leads to the influx of the Bad Karmas.
All the Souls are Equal, none being Superior or Inferior to another. The Nischaya view encourages one to understand his True Nature. All Souls have the potential to be Liberated Souls. The only difference between the Liberated Souls and those in bondage is that the former have attained Liberation as a result of their ‘Effort’. With Effort, even the latter can achieve Liberation.
Day 3: Straight Forwardness (उत्तम आर्जव)
The action of a deceitful person is to think one thing, speak something else and do something entirely different. There is no harmony in his thought, speech and actions. Such a person loses credibility very quickly and lives in constant anxiety and fear of his deception being exposed. Being straight forward or honest, oils the wheel of life. You will be seen to be reliable and trustworthy. Deceitful actions lead to the influx of karmas. Delusion about one’s identity is the root cause of unhappiness. The soul is made up of countless qualities like knowledge, happiness, effort, faith, and conduct. It has the potential to achieve Omniscience (Kevala Gyana केवल ज्ञान) and reach a state of Supreme Bliss. Again, the body, the karmas, the thoughts and all the emotions are separate from the true nature of the soul.
Day 4 (29/08/2017) : Supreme Contentment/Purity (उत्तम शौच)
Contentment or Happiness, derived from material objects, is only perceived to be so by a Soul in a state of false belief. The fact is that material objects do not have a quality of happiness and therefore happiness cannot be obtained from them. The perception of ‘enjoying’ material objects is only a perception. This perception rewards the soul with only misery and nothing else. Real happiness comes from within, as it is the soul that possesses the quality of happiness.
Day 5 (30/08/2017): Supreme Truth (उत्तम सत्य)
If talking is not required, then do not talk. If it is required then only use the minimum of words, and all must all be absolutely true. Talking disturbs the stillness of the mind. Consider the person who lies and lives in fear of being exposed. To support one lie he has to utter a hundred more. He becomes caught up in a tangled web of lies and is seen as untrustworthy and unreliable. Lying leads to an influx of karma.
Satya comes from the word SAT which one of the meaning is "Existence". Existence is a Quality of the Soul. Recognising the Soul’s true nature as it really exists and taking shelter in the Soul is practising Nischaya Satya Dharma.
Day 6(31/08/2017): Self-Restraint (उत्तम संयम)
Temporary (Vyavahara nay):-
Restraining from injury to Life – Jains go to great lengths, compared to other world religions, to protect life. This encompasses all living beings, from one-sensed onwards. The purpose of not eating root vegetables is that they contain countless one-sensed beings termed ‘nigod’. During Paryushan the Jains also do not eat green vegetables to reduce harm to the lower sensed beings.
Self-Restraint from desires or passions – These lead to pain and are therefore to be avoided.
Permanent (Nīshyānay):-
Restraining injury to the Self – This has been elaborated upon in Nischay Kshama Dharma.
Self Restraint from desires or passions – Emotions, e.g. likes, dislikes or anger lead to misery and need to be eradicated. They are not part of the true nature of the Soul and only arise when the Soul is in a state of False Belief. The only method to free Oneself from these is to contemplate on the true nature of the Soul and in the process commence the journey to Liberation.
Day 7 (01/09/2017): Supreme Penance (उत्तम तप)
This does not only mean fasting but also includes a reduced diet, restriction of certain types of foods, avoiding tasty foods, etc. The purpose of Penance is to keep Desires and Passions in Control. Over-indulgence inevitably leads to misery. Penance leads to an influx of Meritorious Karmas.
Meditation prevents the rise of desires and passions in the Soul. In a deep state of meditation the desire to intake food does not arise.
Day 8 (03/09/2017): Supreme Renunciation (उत्तम त्याग)
Renouncing worldly possessions leads to a life of Contentment and assists in keeping desires in check. Controlling desires not only leads to an influx of Meritorious Karma, but also absolving oneself from Bad Karma. Renunciation is done at the highest level by Jain ascetics who renounce not only the household but also their clothes. A person’s strength is measured not by the amount of wealth he accumulates but by the amount of wealth he renounces.
Renouncing the emotions, the root cause of misery, is Supreme Renunciation, which is only possible by contemplating on the true nature of the Soul.
Day 9 (04/09/2017): Supreme Non-Attachment (उत्तम अकिंचन्य)
This assists the person in detaching from External Possessions. Being unattached from these, helps control our desires and leads to an influx of Meritorious Karmas.
This assists us in being unattached from our Internal Attachments: False belief, Anger, Pride, Deceit, Greed, Laughter, Liking, Disliking, Lamentation, Fear, Disgust, Sexual Desires. Ridding the Soul of these leads to its Purification.
Last and Father of All Das Dharmas i.e. Day 10(05/09/2017): Supreme Celibacy (उत्तम बह्मचर्य)
This means refraining from all pleasures associated with the sense of Touch. Jain Saints practice this to the highest degree with all their Mind, Speech and Body (Mann, Vachan aur Kaay)
Brahmacharya is derived from the word Brahma – Soul and Charya – to dwell. Nischaya Brahmacharya means to Dwell in your Soul. Only by residing in the Soul are you the master of the Universe. Residing outside your Soul makes you a Slave to Desires.
