In short
Uttam Kshama, the first virtue of Das Lakshan Parva, is supreme forgiveness. It means releasing anger and the desire for revenge — not merely withholding retaliation, but letting the resentment itself dissolve, so that anger finds nothing left to hold.
- Observance
- Digambar Das Lakshan Parva
- Day
- 1 of 10
- Theme
- Uttam Kshama — Supreme Forgiveness (उत्तम क्षमा)
- Fault it answers
- Krodha — anger
- Expected date
- 15 September 2026 — confirm with your panchang
Das Lakshan begins where it must: with anger. Of the four passions, anger burns the quickest and does the most immediate damage, and until it is set down nothing else can be practised honestly.
What supreme forgiveness means
Ordinary forgiveness withholds retaliation while quietly keeping the account. Uttam Kshama goes further: the account itself is closed. Jain teaching is exact about why — the harm of anger falls first on the one who holds it. The other person may not even know. Your own peace is what burns.
Forgiving without being asked
The practice does not wait for an apology. To make forgiveness conditional on the other person's repentance is to leave one's own freedom in their hands. Kshama veerasya bhushanam — forgiveness is the ornament of the brave — because it takes more strength to release than to retaliate.
Practising it today
Begin with the smaller grievances; they yield. Then approach the one that does not. If you cannot yet release it fully, at least stop rehearsing it — anger survives on retelling.
How to observe this day
- Name one person you are angry with, and stop retelling the story of it.
- Ask forgiveness from someone you have wronged, without justifying yourself.
- When anger rises today, wait — do not act while it is speaking.
- Observe fasting or dietary restraint according to your capacity.
- Attend the day's pravachan on Uttam Kshama.
Observance and timings vary between sanghs and regions. Please confirm with your local sangh and panchang. Fasting should be undertaken within your own capacity — consult your guru or an elder, and a doctor if you have any medical condition.
Common questions
What is Uttam Kshama?
Uttam Kshama is supreme forgiveness, the first of the ten virtues of Das Lakshan Parva. It means releasing anger and the desire for revenge completely, rather than merely withholding retaliation.
Why is forgiveness the first virtue?
Because anger obstructs every other virtue. Humility, truth and restraint cannot be practised honestly while resentment is being carried, so the observance begins by setting it down.