Both traditions
Chaturmas — Varshayoga
Monks and nuns stay in one place. ★ The Jain reason is not the Hindu one, and the difference is worth stating: the Hindu rationale is that Vishnu sleeps on Shesha, which has nothing to do with Jain practice. The Jain stay is varshayoga, kept so as to avoid stepping on or killing the very large number of insects that appear in wet weather. It is codified by Bhadrabahu in the Kalpa Sutra, formalised by Mahavira, and fixed in Shwetambar scripture at the Council of Valabhi.
- Both traditions
- kept by
- About four months
- how long
- begins 28 July 2026
- when it falls
Which traditions keep it
Binding on monks and nuns in every tradition. The Digambar varshayoga-sthapana date we could not confirm, so only the Shwetambar reckoning is given below.
What is done
Monks and nuns stay in one place. ★ The Jain reason is not the Hindu one, and the difference is worth stating: the Hindu rationale is that Vishnu sleeps on Shesha, which has nothing to do with Jain practice. The Jain stay is varshayoga, kept so as to avoid stepping on or killing the very large number of insects that appear in wet weather. It is codified by Bhadrabahu in the Kalpa Sutra, formalised by Mahavira, and fixed in Shwetambar scripture at the Council of Valabhi.
Tell us if this is wrong
We have shown our sources and said where they disagree. If you know this to be wrong, or you have a printed vidhi or a panchang that settles it, please tell us — we will correct it and credit you.
Sources
Where this came from
Graded, so you can weigh a claim rather than take it on trust.
- Wikipedia — ChaturmasyaInstitutional or scholarly
- Bhadrabahu Vijay, via jainworldCommunity source
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