Lay Followers
Paryushan and Kshamapana
पर्युषण और क्षमापना · પર્યુષણ અને ક્ષમાપના
A victorious king, a prisoner in chains, and the two words that set him free
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
King Udayan has defeated his enemy and leads him home in chains. Then Samvatsari arrives, the day of forgiveness, and Udayan discovers that saying sorry to all living beings is not complete while one of them sits in his camp in iron.
What it teaches Forgiveness Courage Friendship
The opening of the children's telling
Every year, at the end of a special time called Paryushan, Jain families say two words to each other: Micchami Dukkadam. It means, please forgive me if I have hurt you, and I forgive you too.
Long ago, there was a good king named Udayan. Another king named Chandapradyot did something very wrong. He came at night and took away people and treasures from Udayan's palace.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Forgiveness is not complete until we offer it to the person we find hardest to forgive.
To talk about together
Why do you think Udayan took off the chains before he asked to be forgiven?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.