In short
Uttam Akinchanya, the ninth virtue of Das Lakshan Parva, is supreme non-attachment. It is the realisation that nothing worldly truly belongs to the soul — not wealth, not relationships, not even the body — and the inner release that follows from seeing this.
- Observance
- Digambar Das Lakshan Parva
- Day
- 9 of 10
- Theme
- Uttam Akinchanya — Supreme Non-attachment (उत्तम आकिंचन्य)
- Fault it answers
- Parigraha — possessiveness
- Expected date
- 23 September 2026 — confirm with your panchang
Where tyaga is the act of giving, akinchanya is the understanding behind it: that there was never anything to hold in the first place.
A realisation, not a transaction
Akinchanya literally means having nothing. It does not require a householder to abandon home and family — it requires the recognition that these were never possessions of the soul. The word for the fault is parigraha, and Jain teaching distinguishes carefully between owning something and being owned by it.
Inner and outer possessions
Outer parigraha is wealth, land, goods. Inner parigraha is subtler and harder: attachment to reputation, to relationships as belongings, to opinions, to the body itself. A person can live simply and still be thoroughly possessive.
Why it comes near the end
Akinchanya is placed ninth because it depends on everything before it. Anger, pride, deceit and greed released; senses restrained; austerity practised; giving begun. Only then can the hand open without effort.
How to observe this day
- Look at one possession and ask honestly whether you own it or it owns you.
- Loosen an attachment to how you are seen by others.
- Hold a relationship with love but without possessiveness.
- Reduce something you have accumulated without noticing.
- Sit quietly and consider that the body too will be set down.
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 Akinchanya?
Uttam Akinchanya is supreme non-attachment, the ninth virtue of Das Lakshan Parva. It is the realisation that nothing worldly — including the body — truly belongs to the soul.
What is the difference between tyaga and akinchanya?
Tyaga is the act of giving and renouncing. Akinchanya is the understanding behind it — recognising that nothing was ever truly one's own to begin with.