bhavini 0 Report post Posted January 23, 2004 I've got to do a ekadashi vrat in a few weeks time and I need to know how to perform it. It's the first time and I've heard many different opinions of what you are allowed to eat. Can somebody tell me what is the correct way. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Govindaram 1 Report post Posted January 23, 2004 Here is some information that may help you, found it on the Folio.. Some of it I don't understand, but hey what are calenders for! Letter to: Madhudvisa (excerpt) England 30 September, 1969 His Divine Grace: Regarding you first question, we observe Ekadasi from sunrise to sunrise. The 12 midnight is western astronomical calculation, but the Vedic astronomical calculation begins either from the sunrise or the moonrise. Generally it is sunrise. Our calculation is like this: when the sunrise is there, Ekadasi tithi (date) must be there. If Ekadasi tithi is not in the sunrise and the tithi begins, say after a few minutes after the sunrise, then we accept that day as previous to Ekadasi. All our ceremonies are calculated in that way. This means we must see the tithi during sunrise. Therefore, sometimes our dates of ceremonies do not exactly coincide like the western calculations. Just like Christmas Day they have fixed up on the 25th December, but our Janmastami tithi is not fixed up like that. My birthday is on the 1st September, 1896, but this year the tithi of my birthday was fixed for the 4th September. So it is very difficult to calculate, therefore we have to take help from the Indian expert almanac astronomers. Letter to: Gaurasundara(excerpt) London 20 November, 1969 Srimati Jayasri Dasi sent me some dried banana chips and they are very nice for my Ekadasi food. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yasodanandana 0 Report post Posted January 23, 2004 no grains, no legumes.. this is the prabhupada's specifical instruction. In some cases, gaudya vaishnavas, in india, avoid other kinds of food, green leafs and so on.. but if you do not have specific instructions by your guru maharaja, better (imho) to stick on the generic one by srila prabhupada. My spiritual master follow in the math the more strict system by bhaktisiddhanta sarasvati, but he says to us westerners to follow the simpler prabhupada's option (the spirit of ekadasi is to devote less time to the needs of the body and to chant more and read more... ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted January 23, 2004 "One who is physically unable to fast on Ekadasi may read the glories of each Ekadasi when it occurs and recite all the names of the Ekadasis; thus he will achieve the same goal as the person who observes the full Ekadasi vow." Whether one is a Vaisnava or a Saivite, everyone should fast on Ekadasi day. EKA BHUKTENA NAKTENA BALA VRDDHA ATURAH KSIPET PAYO MULA PHALAIR VAPI NA NIRDVAD ASIKO BHAVET (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 12/91 from MARKANDEYA PURANA) A child, an old man or a person unable to fast can take something to eat in the evening or once in the day, whether it be milk, fruit or water, but should properly follow the Ekadasi fast. One should not give up fasting on Ekadasi. VYADHIBHIK PARIBHUTANAM PITTA ADHIKA SARIRINAM TRINSAD VARSADHIKANAN CA NAKTA-ADI PRIKALPANAM (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 12/93 from BAUDHAYANA SMRTI) Any person who is diseased, or who is dominated by bile or who has aged more than thirty years (after householder life), they are advised to eat in the evening on the Ekadasi day. Srila Sanatana Gosvami remarks, "Aging more than thirty years means after household life ends. This is understood to be around sixty years of age, so thirty years added to that is ninety years." Furthermore, "One should go to the forest at the ate of fifty". According to this statement, a grhastha's life is said to be fifty years, that is he has decided to live in his family life until the age of fifty. Even then, if one adds thirty years, if becomes approximately eighty years. Therefore, fasting is recommended until a minimum age of eighty (actually it means throughout life). ASTA ETANY AVRTAGHNANI APO MULAM PHALAM PAYAH HAVIR BRAHMANA KAMYA CA GUROR VACANAM AUSADHAM (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 12/100 from MAHABHARATA, UDYOGA PARVA) Water, fruits, roots, milk, ghee, the request of a brahmana, the order of a spiritual master and medicine do not wane one's fast. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
