One has to perform devotional service in full

One has to perform devotional service in full tapasya, austerity. One should fast on the two Ekadasi days, which fall on the eleventh day of the waxing and waning moon, and on the birthdays of Lord Krishna and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There are many such fasting days. SB 3/27/22

Not So Strict Actually on the Ekadasi days we shall not take any food, even drink water. But in our society we are not doing so much strictly. We say, "Ekadasi, you don't take food grains. Take little fruit, milk. " This is tapasya. So we cannot execute this tapasya? So if we are not prepared to undertake even this very, very easily executable tapasya, then how we can expect go back to home, back to Godhead? SB 3/12/19

Hospital Fasting Ekadasi day, we observe fasting. And there are many patients in the hospital, they are also fasting. But they'll "No, no. " They'll, within heart, "If I get, I shall eat. " But those who are devotee, they voluntarily "no. " The same fasting is going on for the devotees and the hospital patient. And that "no" and this "no, " there is difference. Param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9. 59]. It is not meant for the mass of people, but at least if we keep a section of people ideal to the human society, they will be guided. At the present moment, there is no ideal section.

Devotees used to go to forests, high hills or mountains on pilgrimages, but such severe austerities are not possible in these days. One should instead eat only prasada and no more than required. Fasts are meant to decrease the fat within the body so that one will not sleep more than desired and will not become inactive and lazy. This human form of life is meant for austerity, and austerity means controlling sex, food intake, etc. In this way time can be saved for spiritual activity, and one can purify himself both externally and internally. SB 4/28/37

Auxiliary Principle Regulated fasting on Ekadasi can be considered an auxiliary principle supporting the main principle of worshiping Lord Krishna. Such secondary principles help one become fit for executing the primary processes of devotional service.

The members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness fast from grains and beans on Ekadasi, and this vow should always be observed by all of its members. SB 1/12/1

Sachi Mata His mother replied, My dear son, I will give You whatever You ask. Then the Lord said, “My dear mother, please do not eat grains on the Ekadasi day. ” Adi 4/40

From the very beginning of His childhood life Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced the system of fasting on the Ekadasi day. In the Bhakti sandarbha, by Srila Jiva Gosvami, there is an admonishment that a person who eats grains on Ekadasi gets sin equal to murdering his mother, father, brother or spiritual master.

In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekadasi day is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life. The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one's faith and love for Govinda, or Krishna. The real reason for observing fasting on Ekadasi is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service.

Tamala Krishna: Sometimes we have heard that Ekadasi is a inauspicious alignment of the planets and therefore one has to counteract this inauspiciousness by more chanting. Prabhupada: (laughs) No, no. It is the most auspicious. And chanting is more effective. [break] Yes. Tamal Krishna: We should always chant twenty-five rounds on Ekadasi if initiated. Prabhupada: Initiated? Everyone. Why initiated?

Tamala Krishna: So that should be standard for our movement on Ekadasi day? Prabhupada: Standard is sixteen, but if one can chant more, then he is welcome. Tamala Krishna: It's not mandatory for Ekadasi. Jayapataka: Recommended. Prabhupada: No. Ekadasi means that, fasting and chanting. Tamala Krishna�: Sometimes I'm wondering, because our men have to go out on book distribution. Prabhupada: No, no. That is also preaching work. For that purpose you can stop this, but generally, one who has no preaching work, he can chant.

One who hears this Bhagavatam on the Ekadasi day is assured of long life, and one who recites it with careful attention while fasting is purified of all sinful reactions. SB 12/12/60

According to Srila Sreedhara Swami, Ekadasi is an appropriate day for performing special Deity worship. SB 11/27/25

Vishnu Prasadam On Ekadasi, everything is cooked for Vishnu, including regular grains and dhal, but it is enjoined that a Vaishnava should not even take Vishnu prasadam on Ekadasi. It is said that a Vaishnava does not accept anything eatable that is not offered to Lord Vishnu, but on Ekadasi a Vaishnava should not touch even maha-prasadam offered to Vishnu, although such prasadaam may be kept for being eaten the next day.

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took the food of Lord Vishnu in His ecstasy as Vishnutattva. Adi 10/71 Jagadish & Hiranya Pandit

Benefits of Fasting • It gives one a taste for renunciation, and thus helps one to give up sense gratification. • Fasting gives the system a rest: The physiological system may become overworked due to a overeating or indiscrimination in diet. • Fasting helps us practice self-discipline in eating and concentrate more on pleasing God. • Fasting helps keep the body light and the stomach free so that one can meditate better. The digestive system draws the blood circulation towards the digestive organs. Therefore blood circulation to the head is decreased once food is taken: so we feel sleepy.

1. Completely fasting from food and water (although acamana water and caranamrita are still allowed). 2. Taking water while fasting from all food. 3. Taking water and a little fruit. 4. Taking water and one meal in the afternoon. 5. Drinking and eating as usual but without any grains or pulses.

Other Points • Completely fasting from food and drink on Bhima-nirjala Ekadasi atones for any mistakes one has made on all the other Ekadasis for the previous year. • One should not overdo fasting. It is supposed to cause buoyancy of feeling and not fatigue. One should only practice as much fasting as one's capacity allows and not try to artificially impress others. • If one cannot do service because of fasting, he is better off eating.

Slayer of Mura demon in Hamavati cave at Badarikashram in Satya Yuga. A Form of the Lord

Give me the power to deliver from the greatest sins that person who fasts on this day. One who strictly observes a complete fast on my appearance day, with controlled senses, goes to the abode of Lord Visnu after he has enjoyed all kinds of pleasures in this world. This is the boon I desire to attain by Your mercy, my Lord. O Lord, whether a person observes complete fasting, eats only in the evening, or eats only at midday, please grant him a religious attitude, wealth, and at last liberation. "

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: "O most pious lady, what you have requested is granted. All My devotees in this world will surely fast on your day, and thus they will become famous throughout the three worlds and finally come and stay with Me in My abode. Because you, My transcendental potency, have appeared on the eleventh day of the waning moon, let your name be Ekadasi. If a person fasts on Ekadasi, I will burn up all his sins and bestow upon him My transcendental abode. "

For the purpose of punishing the humans beings, He created a personality whose form was the embodiment of sin. The different limbs of this personality were constructed of the various sinful activities. His head was made of the sin of murdering a brahmana, his two eyes were the form of the sin of drinking intoxicants, his mouth was made of the sin of stealing gold, his nose of the sin of killing one's wife, his arms the form of the sin of killing a cow, his neck made of the sin of stealing accumulated wealth, his chest of the sin of abortion, his lower chest of the sin of having sex with another's wife, his feet of the sin of killing one's father, and his hair the form of lesser, less severe sinful activities. Padma Purana

'Oh Papapurusa! Rise up! Don't lament any longer. Just listen, and I'll tell you where you can stay on the auspicious lunar day of Ekadasi. On the day of Ekadasi, which is the benefactor of the three worlds, you can take shelter of foodstuff in the form of grains. There is no reason to worry about this any more, because My form as Sri Ekadasi Devi will no longer impede you. ’ Every kind of sinful activity takes its residence in grain. Whoever follows Ekadasi is freed from all sins and never enters into hellish regions. ’

Breaking Fast Technically speaking a day begins at sunrise. That means that before sunrise is a part of the previous day. So the Ekadasi vrata starts at sunrise and lasts until the next sunrise. If one eats grains during this period, one breaks the fast and the vrata and the results, and gets bad results as well. This also does not allow one to get up and eat grains before the sunrise of the day on which the Ekadasi vrata begins, for those early hours are meant for japa and prayer, not for eating.

What Foods to Avoid Srila Prabhupada specified foodgrains and beans (pulses) as foods that must be avoided on Ekadasi. One may use spices for cooking, although mustard seeds should be avoided. * You should not use powdered asafetida (hing), since it (generally) contains grains. Sesame seeds are also to be avoided. Do not use any cooking ingredients that might be mixed with grains, such as ghee that has been used to fry puris, or spices touched by hands dusted with capati flour.

Ekadasi mahaprasada should be stored until the next day; if that is not possible it can be distributed to persons not strictly following Vaisnava regulations or to animals. In fact, mahaprasada maintains its purity on Ekadasi despite the presence of the papa-purusa, and therefore it will purify anyone who eats it. Nevertheless, the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, being strict followers of Vaisnava regulations, avoid mahaprasada on that day because their strict sadhana will be hampered by the presence of the papa-purusa.

One day, Lord Gaurahari went from Gundica mandira to the Jagannatha-vallabha gardens and sat amongst the flowers. The day was ekadasi. He celebrated this auspicious occasion by chanting the holy name incessantly, day and night. Present with Him were Svarupa Damodara, Ramananda Raya, Vakresvara Pandita and the other resident Vaisnavas of Sri Purusottama-ksetra, Puri.

The Lord said, "Today, all of you should refrain from eating and sleeping, and constantly chant Krsna's name. Some of you should chant japa, some of you should circumambulate the temple with prostrated obeisances and others should discuss the pastimes of Lord Balarama and Lord Krsna. " Everyone became spiritually surcharged by the Lord' instructions and busied themselves with different activities, chanting, "Govinda, Govinda!" They felt intoxicated with prema.

Suddenly, Sri Gopinatha arrived from Gundica, accompanied by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. They were laden with Lord Jagannatha's maha-prasadam! They placed the prasadam of cooked rice, a variety of vegetables, pitha, pana, sweet rice, curd and yoghurt before the Lord. At the Lord's bidding, devotees offered respectful obeisances to the prasadam and then continued chanting the Lord's name deep into the night in an ecstatic mood of devotion, free from all material desires.

Early next morning, the devotees, begged permission from Sri Gaurahari and, went to take bath. On returning, they sat down and respectfully honoured maha-prasadam, breaking their ekadasi fast. They experienced ineffable bliss.

Names of Ekadasis Since there are 12 months in a year, with two Ekadasis in each month, there are 24 Ekadasis in each year. Each Ekadasi has a name, that are Utpanna, Mokshada, Saphala, Putrada, Shattila, Jaya, Vijaya, Amalaki, Papamocani, Kamada, Varuthini, Mohini, Apara, Nirjala, Yogini, Padma (Devashayani), Kamika, Putrada, Aja, Parivartini, Indira, Papankusha, Rama, and Haribodhini (Devotthani). Occasionally there are two extra Ekadasis that happen in a lunar leap year, which are Padmini and Parama.

Each Ekadasi day has particular benefits and blessings that one can attain by the performance of specific activities done on that day. By engaging in the extra study to learn what these are, one can derive even more benefit from each particular Ekadasi.

It is said that even if one mistakenly misses the observance of an Ekadasi, he or she may make up for it by observing it the very next day on Dvadasi, and then break one’s fast from grain on the next day, Trayodasi. One may also observe the special fast on Nirjala Ekadasi. This is also called Bhima Ekadasi

Devotees who miss an Ekadasi day often observe a complete fast from all food and liquids on the Nirjala Ekadasi, and thus make up for whatever was missed. However, this is a very potent Ekadasi, so a complete fast on this day gives one who observes this many pious credits.

Rukmangada & son Dharmangada Sandhyavali Mohini Brahma Yamaraja

The End