Samvatsari Tithi Article V4 20120905 - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the article "Samvatsari Tithi Article V4 20120905" by Pravin K. Shah:

Central Issue: The article addresses the recurring confusion and disagreement within the Jain community regarding the observance of Samvatsari, the day of annual forgiveness and Pratikraman, and its connection to the Jain calendar. This disunity is a significant concern, particularly for the younger generation in North America who value Jain unity and open-mindedness.

Historical Context and Jain Calendar:

Lunisolar Nature: The Jain calendar, like Hindu, Buddhist, and Jewish calendars, is lunisolar. This means it's based on the moon's phases but adjusted with an extra month periodically to stay aligned with the solar year and seasons. A "Tithi" is the fundamental unit, representing a specific phase of the moon.
Agamic Jain Calendar: The article highlights that the original Jain Agamic calendar, described in texts like Chandra Prajnapti and Surya Prajnapti, had specific rules for adjusting Tithis and adding months. Notably, it indicates the Jain year ended on Ashadha Sud 15, with the New Year beginning on Shravan Vad 1 (Rajasthani convention) or Ashadha Vad 1 (Gujarati convention).
Extinction of Agamic Calendar: The Agamic Jain calendar is believed to have faded out due to several factors:
- Divergence from Hindu Calendar: Differences in dates for festivals like Diwali and New Year caused friction.
- Social Influence: Jains, being a minority, often followed the social and religious practices of the dominant Hindu community, including the use of Hindu calendars for life events.
- Loss of Calculation Knowledge: Famines and other societal changes may have led to a loss of expertise in calculating Tithis based on the Agamic method.
Adoption of Hindu Calendar: In the absence of an active Agamic calendar, Jain Acharyas adopted a Hindu lunisolar calendar as a basis. The Jodhapur (Candasucand) calendar became the prevalent base, with specific adjustments made to define Jain religious days. This adoption led to differences in calculation methods between sects and geographical regions.

Key Differences and Disagreements:

Hindu vs. Agamic Tithi Calculation: The Hindu calendar defines a Tithi based on Sunrise (Udaya Tithi), meaning the Tithi present at sunrise dictates the day's designation, even if the moon phase changes shortly after. This differs from the Agamic calendar, where Tithis were not tied to sunrise.
Kshaya and Vriddhi Tithis: The Hindu calendar experiences "Kshaya" (lost) and "Vriddhi" (extra/double) Tithis because the duration of a Tithi can vary, and the period between sunrises is approximately 24 hours. The Agamic calendar primarily had Kshaya Tithis, but the Hindu calendar has both.
Leap Year Calculations: While both are lunisolar, the Hindu calendar allows any month to be a leap month, whereas the Agamic Jain calendar had a specific five-year cycle with designated leap months.
Jain Parva Tithis Adjustments: Ancient Jain scriptures provide rules for adjusting Hindu calendar Tithis for Jain pious days (Parva Tithis). These rules involve either taking the preceding Tithi (for Kshaya) or the subsequent Tithi (for Vriddhi) as the Jain Parva Tithi. Mahavir Nirvana Day (Diwali) was generally kept the same as in the Hindu calendar.

The Samvatsari Day Controversy:

Agamic Basis: Ancient Jain literature suggests monks were required to stay in one place during the rainy season (Ashadha Sud 15 to Kartik Sud 15). Samvatsari Pratikraman was performed by Ashadha Sud 15 or within a 50-day grace period, falling around Bhadarva Sud 5.
Shvetämbar Murtipujak (Tapa-gachchha) Shift: A story involving Acharya Kalak and a king of Ujjayini led to a shift in the Samvatsari day for the Tapa-gachchha sect. To accommodate a social event, Samvatsari was observed on Bhadarva Sud 4 for that year. This change, for unclear reasons in later history, became a practice for a significant portion of the Shvetämbar community.
The Problem of Bhadarva Sud 5: When Bhadarva Sud 5 experiences a Kshaya or Vriddhi Tithi in the base Hindu calendar, it creates a conflict. If Bhadarva Sud 4 is the adopted Samvatsari day, the rules for Kshaya/Vriddhi Tithis (which would normally involve adjusting the preceding or succeeding Tithi) become problematic, potentially shifting the Samvatsari day to Bhadarva Sud 3 or 6.
Historical Divisions: This issue has caused the Shvetämbar Murtipujak community to celebrate Samvatsari on different days approximately 12 times in the past 120 years. Various conferences have attempted to resolve this, leading to compromises that still create variations. Some adopted the Mumbai-based Janma-Bhumi calendar, while others continued with the Jodhapur calendar.
Sthanakavasi and Terapanthi Practices: These sects generally follow the 50-day limit from Ashadha Sud 15, meaning they celebrate Samvatsari on Bhadarva Sud 5. This often places their observance one day later than the majority Shvetämbar sect.
Digambar Practice: Digambar Jains celebrate Paryushan as the "Das Lakshana Parva" for 10 days starting from Bhadarva Sud 5, with the first day dedicated to forgiveness (Kshamävani).

Recommendations and the North American Context:

Root Cause: The author emphasizes that the present Jain calendar is derived from the Hindu calendar, not directly from Jain Agam literature. Therefore, arguments based solely on Agamic scriptures to justify current date differences are not entirely valid.
Proposed Solution for India: A simple solution for India is for the Shvetämbar Murtipujak Tapa Gachchha Jains to revert Samvatsari to Bhadarva Sud 5 and use the Candasu Chandu Hindu calendar as their base, thus uniting all sects on this day.
North American Opportunity: North America, with its non-sectarian Jain centers, temples with diverse Murtis, and unifying organizations like JAINA, provides a unique environment for Jain unity.
Practical Suggestion for North America: To overcome the conflict between religious observance and daily life (school/work), the author proposes celebrating Paryushan from Saturday to Saturday, with Samvatsari on the first Saturday of September. This allows for:
- Participation in religious activities without work/school disruption.
- Unified celebration of Samvatsari/Kshamavani on a Saturday.
- Digambar observance of Das Lakshana following the unified Samvatsari.
Personal View: The author clarifies this is his personal recommendation, aiming to foster unity and asking for pardon if any feelings were hurt.

Overall Message: The article is a scholarly exploration of the historical and technical reasons behind the discrepancies in Jain calendar observances, particularly for Samvatsari. It aims to educate the community, highlight the need for unity, and propose practical solutions, especially leveraging the unique environment in North America for a unified approach to celebrating this significant Jain festival.