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Meaning of Paryushan
Pari + ushan = all kinds + to burn
= to burn (shed) our all types of karmas. To shed our karmas, we do twelve
different types of austerities including fasting.
Another meaning of “ushan” is to
stay closer. To stay closer to our own soul from all directions and to stay
absorbed in our own-self (soul), we do Svadhyaya5 (self-study), meditation,
austerities, etc.
Pari + upshamana = upshamana means
to suppress, to suppress our passions (kashayas – anger, ego, deceit and greed)
from all directions.
Therefore, the real purpose of the
Paryushan is to purify our soul by staying closer to our own soul, to look at
our own faults, to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed, and take
vows to minimize our faults. We try to forget about the needs of our body (like
food) and our business so that we can concentrate on our-self.