Tyag Dharma: The Practice of Letting Go of Possessions
The eighth practice of Das Lakshan Dharma Parva is Uttam Tyag Dharma, the process of freeing the soul from possessions, possessiveness and attachment to pleasure.
Das Lakshan Parva 2026
Ten virtues and two more days · 12 of 12 written
Summary · AI
- Tyag is not giving up things, but giving up attachment, possessiveness and the sense of ownership toward them.
- It has two forms: outer tyag (wealth, clothes, home, taste) and inner tyag (possessiveness, pride, attraction and aversion).
- It may be kept for a fixed time or for life, and giving what is fit for someone living under restraint is also called tyag.
- As long as possessions remain, restraint is incomplete; tyag brings lightness to life and freedom to the soul.
This summary was written by AI and may contain mistakes; the article itself is authoritative.
This is an English translation of the original Hindi. Translation may have changed the meaning a little; the Hindi original is the authoritative version.
Dear all,
Om Namah.
Salutations to Dev, Shastra and Guru.
Today is the day of Uttam Tyag Dharma.
Let us come straight to what Tyag Dharma means.
The eighth practice of Das Lakshan Dharma Parva is Uttam Tyag Dharma, the process of freeing the soul from possessions, possessiveness and attachment to pleasure. This dharma is not merely giving up things, but giving up attachment to them, clinging to them, and the sense of owning them. Tyag Dharma returns the soul to its natural freedom from attachment, its evenness and its purity.
The Word “Tyag” in Scripture and Literature
The word tyag comes from the Sanskrit root tyaj, meaning to leave, to give up.
In the Sarvarthasiddhi (9/26/443/10), Acharya Umaswami says:
“व्युत्सर्जनं व्युत्सर्गस्त्यागः” (vyutsarjanam vyutsargas tyagah): letting go is itself tyag.
The Rajavartika (9/6/18/598/5) makes it clear:
“परिग्रहस्य चेतनाचेतनलक्षणस्य निवृत्तिस्त्यागः” (parigrahasya chetanachetanalakshanasya nivrittis tyagah): turning away from possessions, living and non-living, is called tyag.
The Tatparyavritti commentary on the Pravachansar says:
“निजशुद्धात्मपरिग्रहं कृत्वा बाह्याभ्यंतरपरिग्रहनिवृत्तिस्त्यागः”: taking one’s own pure soul as one’s only possession, and turning away from outer and inner possessions, is Tyag Dharma.
The Kinds of Tyag: Outer and Inner
The Jain agamas divide tyag into two main kinds:
1. Outer tyag: giving up things, pleasures and resources:
- giving up wealth, clothes, a home, implements, taste, dwelling and the like
- taking up a restrained way of living
- the vow of giving up possessions, for munis
2. Inner tyag: giving up feelings and mental attachment:
- giving up possessiveness, attachment and the sense of ownership
- giving up pride, attraction and aversion, and self-conceit
- taking the soul as pure, and turning away from everything else
The Rajavartika says:
“Tyag is of two kinds: for a fixed time, and for life”: that is, something given up for a while, and something given up for as long as one lives.
The Importance of Tyag Dharma in the Jain Texts
The Vijayodaya commentary on the Bhagavati Aradhana says:
“संयतप्रायोग्याहारादिदानं त्यागः” (sanyatprayogyaharadidanam tyagah): giving food and other things fit for one who lives under restraint is Tyag Dharma.
The Padmanandi Panchavinshatika (101) describes tyag as giving scripture, books, a place to stay and the like to munis, with love.
The Kartikeyanupreksha (1401) connects Tyag Dharma with giving up possessiveness, attraction and aversion, and the instruments of taste.
The Samaysar says:
“Not taking up what is other than the self is tyag.”
The Place of Tyag Dharma in Das Lakshan Dharma Parva
Uttam Tyag Dharma is observed on the eighth day of Das Lakshan Dharma Parva.
This day inspires the seeker to look within: Am I attached to things? Is there possessiveness and a sense of ownership inside me?
The aim of the festival is:
- to give up possessions
- to turn away from possessiveness and attachment
- to feel the soul’s freedom
- to establish freedom from attachment
The Spiritual Side of Tyag Dharma
Tyag Dharma is not merely leaving things behind, but ending the emotional bond with them.
The Jnanarnava calls tyag the door to the soul’s freedom, where, released from possessions, it rests in itself.
The Tattvasar describes tyag as what completes restraint and austerity, because as long as possessions remain, restraint is incomplete.
Tyag Dharma in Everyday Life
In today’s age, when gathering, consuming and owning have become the centre of life, Tyag Dharma is a revolution of the soul.
It teaches us that true dharma is that which is free from within, where the soul is not bound to any thing, person or idea.
- Tyag brings lightness to life
- Tyag brings freedom to the soul
- Tyag makes the direction of liberation clear
How to Practice Tyag Dharma
On the eighth day of Das Lakshan Dharma Parva, the seeker should:
- examine how much of what they own they actually need
- recognise the tendencies of possessiveness and attachment
- bring restraint and contentment into life
- experience the soul’s freedom
This practice returns the soul to its original nature: freedom from attachment, and independence.
Conclusion: Tyag Dharma, the Festival of the Soul’s Detachment
Tyag Dharma is the state of the soul in which there is no bondage.
This dharma teaches us that the path to liberation passes through letting go, where the soul is free of possessions, attachment and possessiveness.
As the Sarvarthasiddhi says:
“Without Tyag Dharma the soul remains in bondage, and letting go alone leads it toward liberation.”
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