fasting
Question
I HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER DEVOTOS AND I AM SURPRISED THAT THEY DO NOT IMPORT THE EKADASI DAY WHEN IT IS AN INSTRUCTION OF HIS DIVINE GRACE SRILA PRABHUPADA.
Answer
In his song Suddha Bhakata, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says
mādhava-tithi, bhakti-jananī,
jetane pālana kori
“The holy days like Ekadasi and Janmastami are the mother of devotion for those devotees who respect them.”
Padma Purana:
bhuyo-bhuyo drdha vani
sryatam syata janah
na bhoktavyam na bhoktavyam
na bhoktavyam harer dine
“O human beings, please listen, I tell you repeatedly with steadfast determination, please never eat any grains on the Day of Lord Hari (Ekadasi day, the Lord’s appearance day like Janmastami day etc.). Please never eat any food grains even by mistake on the Day of Lord Harl. Please do not eat grains on the Day of Lord Hari even if forced or compelled to do so.”
The reason to not eat food grains on Ekadasi is stated in the Brihad Naradiya Purana:
yani kani ca papani
brahma hatyadikani ca
annam asritya tiathanti
samprapte hari vasare
“Every type of sin in this world, including the grievous sin of killing a Brahmana, reside in food grains on the Day of Lord Hari (Ekadasi and other fasting days). If grains are eaten on fasting days sins enter the body of that human being.”
Hari Bhakti Vilasa states:
brahmacari grhastho va
vanaprastho ‘thava yatih
ekadasyam hi bhunjano
bhukte go-mamsam eva hi
“Whether a person is Brahmachari, Grihastha, Vanaprasthi, Sanyasi or any other social order, if they eat food grains on Ekadasi, they acquire the same sin as that received by eating cow’s meat.”
We could go on and on…
All devotees must observe Ekadasi Tithi (days) through fasting from grains and chanting more rounds of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
– Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)
17 May 2019, Narasimha Caturdasi
Eating grains on Janmastami
By Payonidhi das
Unfortunately some devotees and dear friends have not understood that one should not eat grains on Janmastami and on other apperance days, now this has never seen to be a problem in Europe to understand. But here in the US we have seen this, is a practice in some temples. Srila Prabhupada has clearly stated ekadasi prasadam is to be served on Gaura Purnima and Janmastami, but some devotees seem to either ignore these instructions to not know the proper standard.
Srila Prabhupada has clearly stated not to eat grains on Janmastami and Gaura Purnima, that the temple management at however chooses to serve grains to the devotees too is a serious mistake based on Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and that of scripture, I at least want to warn devotees as I have done before to please not eat grains on Janmastami and Gaura Purnima:
Srila Prabhupadas has clearly stated:
“So far the Advent Day of Lord Caitanya is concerned, I have written a full suggestion to Montreal, in which the main points are that we should all observe strict fasting up till moonrise, and at that time, an offering is made to Lord Caitanya of Ekadasi foods, fruits, peanuts, milk, and so forth. Then, on the next day, Friday the 15th, a full-scale feast is held to celebrate His Advent Day. On the 14th, chanting, reading of Srila Bhaktivinode’s book, Life and Precepts and Caitanya Caritamrta, Introduction to Bhagavatam, may be held all the day in the Temple.” (San Francisco, written 12th March 1968 letter to Balai)
“Lord Caitanya’s Appearance day falls on March 22 (1970), that is on a Sunday. The devotees should fast until evening, when there is a ceremony and offering of a small amount of Ekadasi preparations. The next day, the devotees should celebrate amongst themselves with a small scale feast. You may hold the celebration open to the public on the following Sunday. The preparation to be offered specially on this occasion is bhuni kichri: Fry equal parts dal and rice in ghee and massala. Add two times water as dal and rice, and add vegetables (if you use more ghee, use less water). Cook it until it is dried and the rice is soft.”(Letter to Krishna dasa. 18th February 1970. Los Angeles.)
“P. S. No feasting in the evening of Caitanya’s birthday. Fasting all day till evening moon rise. Then take Prasadam like Ekadasi. Next day you can have full swing feasting. On the birthday if can take a procession of Kirtana on the street it is very nice.” (Post Script to Letter to Rayarama dasa. September. Unknown place unknown date Ref: 91-05-14.)
Adjusting the program for preaching (feasting):
“You can take quotations from the above mentioned books, and have discussions. Fasting should be continued up to evening, then you may have food like on Ekadasi, fruits, milk, etc. On the next day you may observe festival. Janardana consulted me and said he thinks Sunday feasting would be best, so you may do that if you like. Or you may do both days, as you feel best.”(Letter to Mahapurush. 7th March 1968.
Regarding Gaura Purnima)
“We performed Lord Caitanya’s Birthday ceremony, not very gorgeously, but amongst ourselves, and Govinda dasi cooked very nice Ekadasi foodstuffs. The next day I expected some big ceremony but it couldn’t be performed. (Letter to Purusottam. 6th March 1969. Hawaii)
For example, the scriptures state fasting from all grains and beans on Janmastami should be followed the same way one follows Ekadasi. Srila Sanatana Goswami supports this statement in his Digdarshini Tika where he states, “Just as one follows the rules of fasting on each Ekadasi, the same rules should be followed for fasting on Janmastami.”
Age of 8
In the Bhavisya Uttara Purana, Vyasadeva quotes Lord Krsna instructing King Yudhisthira thus,
“Everyone past the age of eight, whether they be Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya, Sudra, woman, widow, or following a different faith, have to fast on My appearance day.”
The Skanda Purana states,
“All sages and saintly kings like King Prahlada have fasted on Lord Krsna’s appearance day, year after year.”
The Agni Purana states,
“When the Rohini constellation was present on Janmastami day, all learned sages from the time of Satyayuga, Tretayuga and Dvaparayuga, had fasted on Janamastami day to please Lord Krsna.”
In the Brahma Purana it is stated,
“For those who properly fast on the correct Janmastami day, Kaliyuga cannot influence them.”
In order to please Lord Krsna, one must fast from grains and beans throughout the entire day and night of Janmastami, until the proper break-fast time arrives. Only then one should accept prasad consisting of grains and beans. As stated by Lord Brahma in the Brahma Purana, “When the Janmastami tithi and its Rohini Naksatra ends (next morning), then only one should consume grains to break the fast.”
The Yajnavalkya Smriti supports Lord Brahma’s statement, stating the following,
“Only when both–the tithi and the–Naksatra timings of Janmastami have ended, then only one should break ones fast. There is no other way than this.”
In the Vayu Purana it is stated,
“If one desires to become free from all sin, he or she should accept some rice Mahaprasada of Lord Jagannatha (or other grains of Mahaprasadam) on the day after Janmastami day.”
Lord Brahma instructs Narada in the Visnu Rahasya,
“Anyone who eats grains on Janmastami day becomes filled with all categories of sin performed in the three worlds, and takes birth as a snake in the forest.”
Based on what instruction of Srila Prabhupada is grains even served to guests on Janmastami? But my main concern is that devotee don’t eat grains on Janmastami as it is highly inauspicious.
Hita Harivamsa who was a disciple of Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami was rejected by him as he refused to fast on Ekadasi and Janmastami from grains, we surely should not follow this line of the sahajiyas and due to ignorance eat grains on Janmastami, the result will be very bad.
His grace Deenabhandhu Prabhu made a comment also that other vaisnava groups will see this as a deviation in ISKCON if eating grains on Janmastami is permitted, I surely agree.
But the real concern is for those devotees that eat grains on Janmastami.
Please stop eating grains and feeding devotees grains on Janmastami
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