Paryushan & Das Lakshan Vow Spotlights 2021

Celebrating Jain youth and their commitments

YJA would like to spotlight those who took vows* or fasted this Paryushan or Das Lakshan! We recognize these individuals for working towards spiritual progress by taking this meaningful obligation upon themselves!

Each vow-taker was asked the following question: What impact did taking this vow have on you? You can find their respective responses under their names, along with other religious activities they may have performed.

Note: These names were submitted to us through a form we released at an earlier time. This is not a complete list of Tapasvis in our community by any means.

*Vows constitute anything that one decided to uphold (not cursing, spending time reading religious material, limiting phone use, etc.) prior to the start of either Paryushan or Das Lakshan.

What are some of the specific vows mentioned below?

• Upvas* — no food is consumed (complete fast)
• Ekashana* — one meal is eaten in one sitting (partial fast)
• Biyashana* — two meals are eaten in two separate sittings (partial fast)
• Maun Vrat — vow of silence

*In each of these fasts, only boiled water is consumed (except that of a Chauvihar Upvas, or waterless, complete fast). For partial fasts, Jain food is consumed between sunrise and sunset.

Prisha Shroff, 14 | Chandler, AZ

Atthai Tap (8 consecutive Upvas)

“It helped me control my desires!”

Aarav Lodha, 14 | Glen Allen, VA

1 Upvas, 2 Ekashana, and 5 Biyashana

“For having control on desires.”

Tanish Jain, 14 | Shrewsbury, MA

3 Ekashana and 1 Upvas; gave up eating after sunset

“I had a lot of peace of mind and I also remained positive.”

Arnav Jain, 14 | Houston, TX

1 Ekashana and 2 Biyashana; gave up eating after sunset

“I felt more relaxed and [had] more time to focus on school.”

Misha Mehga, 14 | Montreal, QC

1 Upvas and 1 Biyashana; completed Chauvihar each day

“It felt relaxing and I felt calmer.”

Veeraj Shah, 14 | Stamford, CT

Will complete 1 Samayik each month for one year

“During this Paryushan, I had an opportunity to attend my first Samayik class for youths. I was impressed by the thoughts of not doing any bad karmas during those 48 minutes and reflecting on your thoughts and actions. Some of my Pathshala teachers have offered that I could do a Samayik with them. I am looking forward to doing Samayik every month with a spiritual person and even more to those 48 minutes of peace and being in a state where I am not accumulating more karmas.”

Siddharth Karani, 15 | Wilmington, MA

3 Upvas and 1 Biyashana; gave up eating after sunset; limited amount of food consumed, distance traveled, number of vehicles used (and took several other vows)

“They helped me gain more self-control, and pay more attention to what I was doing, as to not break a vow.”

Keya Shah, 15 | Herndon, VA

1 Biyashana; gave up green vegetables, root vegetables, eating out, eating after sunset, TV, wasting food, chocolate, buying new clothes

“These vows helped me practice Ahimsa and created mindfulness about being kind towards others. This also helped me control my desires and value things we often take for granted.”

Samar Parasmal, 15 | Sugarland, TX

Attham Tap (3 consecutive Upvas)

“It brought me closer to my soul and helped me give up my attachment to food.”

Forum Shah, 15 | Fair Lawn, NJ

22 consecutive Upvas

“Control over body desires of having meals.”

Rohan Shah, 16 | East Windsor, NJ

2 Upvas, 2 Ekashana, and 4 Biyashana

“Taking these vows gave me a chance to focus on self-reflection and the importance of inner peace.”

Ariha Mehta, 17 | Warren, NJ

4 Biyashana

“It helped remind me that I had control over my body and taste buds, rather than it having control over me. This helped me feel more at peace and connected to Jainism.”

Saanji Shah, 17 | Schaumburg, IL

7 Ekashana and 1 Upvas; completed Pratikraman each morning and evening

“I got to spend more time on self-reflection.”

Daksh Mota, 17 | Morrisville, NC

Limited stepping on grass and device usage

“Helped me establish more self-control and patience.”

Vanshika Shah, 18 | Clarksburg, MD

2 Upvas and 1 Ekashana; followed a vegan diet

“I learned a lot of self-control and had to figure out how to eat Jain my first year of college.”

Yashvi Shah, 18 | Laurel, MD

2 Upvas, 3 Ekashana, and 3 Biyashana; completed Pratikraman each day

“Allowed me to spend some time, away from distractions, to focus on Jainism and self-reflection, and to practice self-restraint.”

Ankith Desai, 18 | Champaign, IL

Completed 45 minutes of spiritual activities (listening to Stavans, meditation, etc.) each day

“I was able to learn more about Jainism and Paryushan than I did before. I also got to learn more about Jain stories through various Stavans I heard.”

Atishi Porwal, 18 | Chicago, IL

Gave up stepping on grass, root vegetables; completed saying one Navkar Mantra each morning and evening

“Not walking on grass was doable, but eating completely Jain food was difficult because I’m in college and don’t have the ability to make my own food. Nonetheless, it was a challenge that I was proud to have faced and glad to have overcome! As for Navkar Mantra, reciting it at the beginning and end of my day helped me center myself and find peace, even if my day didn’t go well.”

Sara Jain, 19 |Clarksville, MD

2 Upvas and 4 Biyashana; gave up social media

“Adhering to these vows allowed me to practice the Jain values I grew up with and follow Paryushan while navigating college.”

Amay Mehta, 20 | Warren, NJ

6 Biyashana

“I learned to control my taste more and to focus on my soul rather than my body.”

Hetvi Patwa, 20 |Swedesboro, NJ

Attham Tap (3 consecutive Upvas) and 1 Upvas

“It taught me about self-control and discipline, and it really made me see how much a determined mindset can accomplish.”

Mudra Sanghvi, 21 | Chicago, IL

1 Upvas; gave up social media

“This vow impacted me in many ways. It helped foster more in-person connections with the people I love. It also helped me cleanse my mind from being envious and jealousy.”

Sameer Shah, 21 | Hillsborough, NJ

2 Upvas

“I have never really been someone who has done upvaas in the past, so partaking in this was to really show me that if I set my mind to accomplishing something, I am capable of doing so.”

Harshita Jain, 21 | Edison, NJ

Atthai Tap (8 consecutive Upvas), ending with Chauvihar Upvas; gave up TV, movies, and non-devotional music; completed Pratikraman each morning and evening

“I was able to take the time to focus on religion and my soul, complete more Kriya, and visit the temple more frequently.”

Bansari Shah, 22 | Chicago, IL

Chhath Tap (2 consecutive Upvas), 1 Chauvihar Upvas and 1 Biyashana; completed Darshan each day

“During my tap, I was able to spend more time self-reflecting, focusing on my connection to Jainism, and asking for forgiveness for my sins.”

Achal Shah, 22 | Monroe, NJ

5 Biyashana and 3 Upvas

“It made me understand the value of self-control and tested me to push my body and my mind.”

Satej Shah, 22 | Chicago, IL

2 Upvas and 6 Ekashana; gave up TV, movies, and music; completed 17 Pratikraman and served Tapasvis at the temple

“I was able to reflect on my thoughts, words, and actions for the past year.”

Siddharth Shah, 23 | Tomball, TX

10 Ekashana

“I was able to form a deeper connection with the Digambar sangh in Houston and practice the Jain conduct I learned about when I was in Pathshala.”

Aditya Parekh, 24 | Irvine, CA

7 Ekashana and 1 Upvas

“Peace, prosperity, and happiness.”

Mahima Shah, 24 | New York, NY

5 Ekashna and 1 Upvas

“Decreased attachment to food and increased mental clarity.”

Shailja Shah, 24 | Edison, NJ

4 Upvas

“Fasting gave me a sense of discipline throughout the 8 days of paryushan. It also allowed me to reflect on my daily habits and actions and understand what I need to change in my lifestyle.”

Pranay Patni, 25 | New York, NY

1 Upvas and 9 Ekashana

“I was able to practice self-restraint and control through my fasts. I also realized that when I put my mind to it, I can easily figure out how to prioritize my Jain values and that I should be more cognizant of that in my everyday life.”

Pragati Chaudhary, 25 | Long Island, NY

Atthai Tap (8 consecutive Upvas)

“Strength — mind over matter.”

Vishal Shah, 29 | Chicago, IL

Atthai Tap (8 consecutive Upvas)

Khub Khub Anumodana to our vow-takers! We hope their words inspire all of us to work towards our own spiritual upliftment!

We hope this content was useful and informative for you all, and if we provided you with any misinformation, we sincerely ask for your forgiveness. Michhami Dukkadam!