Paryushan Mahaparv 2024 with A.Ratnasundersuri M.S.| Duties of Devotee | Day 1 | Dhule | 31 Aug 2024

Day 1 Paryushan Mahaparv 2024
Duties of Devotee
Shravak ke kartavya
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What is bound to a fixed location is a pilgrimage, what is bound to a fixed date and time is a festival. To experience the pilgrimage, we have to go there, but great festivals like Paryushan rather come where we are. With how much interest and devotion we get involved in the parv of paryushan, is now in our hands.

In the discourse series on the five duties of a shravak during the Paryushan festival written by Shri Lakshmisuri M.S., today on the first day, we will see the five stages of the journey of the path of sadhana. Then we will go into the depth of these five duties.

1. Swapna Yatra - Dreaming Big:

• The journey towards sadhana or success in worldly life begins with a dream, a desire.

• The journey of Tirthankar Bhagwan started with "I will do good to all the living beings if I have the power" and Tirthankar binds the most auspicious tirthankar naam karma.

• Swapna Yatra is either towards getting a societal "label" which is the blind race towards success, or the one towards elevating to a "level" (through purity, humility…) which takes us towards meaningfulness in life and not materialistic success or accomplishments.

• Till the time disease and death do not come near us, the importance of societal labels can be enjoyed, but the real joy and happiness upon reaching a higher spiritual level, sustains in all situations.

2. Smaran Yatra - Constant Recall:

• Now whatever good desire's foundation is laid in the previous stage, by constantly recalling and memorising it again and again, you will eventually move forward towards action.

3. Sattva Yatra - Call to Action

• After daily recall, one has to finally expend all the latent willpower one day and accelerate towards the goal. The goal is finally reached and our journey consummates only through the right action.

4. Samadhan Yatra - Balance of mind

• Even if you do not get complete success according to what you desired in your dreams, maintaining balance of mind and having a compromising nature is needed. And then again start a new journey with a new dream. Never degrade or deride your good dreams, keep them always alive.

5. Smashan Yatra - Peaceful Death

• If you succeed in all the previous stages and reconciliation from good dreams, then your death is deemed to be peaceful and even the death can be a cause for celebrations.

• Trayate iti yatra in Sanskrit, the "yatra should protect us": The journey towards peaceful death will propel us to a pious and noble next birth, and ultimately consummate into a mukti yatra, the journey towards liberation!

1. First Duty of Paryushan - Practicing non-violence
• In Delhi Rupnagar, a gentleman used to do Pradakshina (circumambulation) in Derasar (Jain temple) for 1 hour every morning so that there would be no violence by stepping on grass during his morning walks, and he could also avoid discussion on politics and unnecessary idle talks from friends early in the morning!

• A lady from Rajkot saw that the fishes were dying due to less water on other side of the dam built on the river. She took the initiative and also with the help of the government agencies, all the fishes were transferred to the other side for their survival!