Shrii EkAdasii

The Holy Day of Shrii Hari
....updated 16th March 2015

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What to do if you cannot fast - Narottamdasa RSA

Ekadasi humour......

Ekadasi Meditation, Vows and Story:

Ekadasi Morning Meditation on the Lord:
      Lotus Feet: Om Damodaraya Namah
      Thighs: Om Madhavaya Namah
      Private Parts: Om Kamapataye Namah
      Hips: Om Vamanaya Namah
      Navel: Om Padmanabhaya Namah
      Stomach: Om Vishvamutaye Namah
      Heart: Om Jnanagamyaya Namah
      Throat: Om Srikanthaya Namah
      Arms: Om Sahasrabahave Namah
      Lotus Eyes: Om Paramayogine Namah
      Forehead: Om Urugayai Namah
      Nose: Om Narakeshvaraya Namah
      Hair: Om Sarvakamadaya Namah
      Head: Om Sahasrashirshaya Namah

          Midday: Bathe in river, lake or pond.  Chant, while smearing mud upon body: "O Asvakrante!  O Rathakranthe!  O Visnukranthe!  O Mrttike!  O Mother Earth!  Kindly remove all the sins I have accumulated throughout many past lives so that I may enter the sacred abode of the Supreme Lord."

          Light fortnight Ekadasi: meditate upon the 12 holy names
          of Lord Vishnu while applying tilaka.

Dark fortnight: meditate upon 16 holy names:
om vasudevaya namah, om keshavaya namah, om narayanah namah, om madhavaya namah, om sankarshanaya namah, om govindaya namah, om vaishnave namah, om madhusudanaya namah, om pradyumnaya namah, om trivikramaya namah, om vamanaya namah, om sridharaya namah, om aniruddhaya namah, om hrishikeshaya namah, om padmanabhaya namah, om damodarayah namah.

          One should read about the particular Ekadasi (The Ekadasi book).

      Do not sleep in day, take massage, engage in sex life,
          take intoxication, touch impure people, shave.

          On Dvadasi, one should not sleep in the day, eat in another's home, eat more than once, eat urad dahl, rub oil on the body.  One may break the fast at the right time by drinking water if eating is difficult to arrange.

"O sages, one who hears about these Ekadasis will learn how to observe them properly.Each Ekadasi bestows particular benefits on the faithful observer. "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." (or fast to the best of their ability while still observing ekadasi)

A small on-line booklet on EkAdasii vichAra and AchAra, line of Madhwacharya.

More from the Madhwa line of Vaishnavas here:

Srila Prabhupada speaking about Ekadasi - many quotes

The Story of Ekadasi
(This article was originally written in 1956 by Sri Navincandra Cakravarti, a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura and in 1979 translated into English by Vyenkata dasa brahmacari.)

Many devotees are very inquisitive about the appearance of Sri Ekadasi and about her special characteristics. Therefore I am presenting this description from the fourteenth chapter of the Padma Purana, from the section entitled "Kriya-sagara-sara."
 Once the great sage Jaimini Rsi said to his spiritual master Srila Vyasadeva, "Oh Gurudeva! Previously, by your mercy, you described to me thehistory of the glories of the Ganga river, the benefits of worshipping Vishnu, the giving of grains in charity, the giving of water in charity, and the magnanimity of drinking the water that has washed the feet of the brahmanas. O best of the sages, Sri Gurudeva, now, with great enthusiasm, I desire to hear the benefits of fasting on Ekadasi and the appearance of Ekadasi.

   kasmad ekadasi jata tasyah ko va vidhir dvija
    kada va kriyate kim va phalam kim va vadasva me

   ka va pujyatama tatra devata sad-gunarnava
     akurvatah syat ko dosa etan me vaktum arhasi

    etac canyac ca viprarse
      vicintya karunamayah
    babhuva sahasa tatra
       svayam ekadasi tithih

Read each story in connection with each individual ekadasi:

Basic Rules for understanding the Vaishnava Calendar.

1/.   The Tithi at sunrise rules the day.
2/.   If the Tithi begins after sunrise and ends before sunrise of the next day (Lost) it is combined with the  next Tithi.
3/.   If the same Tithi falls on sunrise two days in a row, observances are scheduled on the first day; exept  Ekadasi, Amavasya, or Purnima Tithis which are scheduled for the second day.

4/.   Sometimes it may be seen that on the calendar - panjika it is writen Ekadasi tithi but the next day it is writen Suddha Ekadasi fasting for ......ekadasi, this is the practical application of observing Suddha or pure ekadasi, that is free, according to Vaishnava viddhi of an blemish.

  Rules for Ekadasi.

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada makes an interesting comment in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila. 9-24-342:

"You should recommend the avoidance of mixed Ekadasi and the performance of pure Ekadasi.  You should also describe the fault in not observing this.  One should be very careful as far as these items are concerned.  If one is not careful, one will be negligent in executing devotional service."

 General Rules for observance are:-

1/.   Ekadasi must come in prior to the Arunodaya Viddhi (1hour, 12 mins, before sunrise). When it does so it is called Suddha Ekadasi - pure ekadasi. If it begins  after that, it is considered impure and is therefore to be observed on the Dwadasi ( making  Mahadwadasi or Compounded) on the next day.
2/.   If Ekadasi falls on Sunrise two days in a row, fasting is observed on the second day.
 

Mahadwadasi.
(If Mahadvadasi is in force, fasting is prohibited on the Ekadasi, but the observance is done on the Dwadasi. Compound Dwadasi-Mahadwadasi.)

1/.    If Ekadasi begins after sunrise and ends before sunrise the next day it is considered Lost,  too short, thus not full, and impure. Therefore the next day is called Unmillani Mahadwadasi.
2/.    If Dwadasi begins after sunrise and ends before sunrise on the next day (Trayodasi), it is also  Lost, and is to be observed as Tri-Sprsa-Mahadwadasi.
3/.    If Dwadasi falls on the Sunrise two days in a row the first Dwadasi becomes Vyanjuli  Mahadwadasi.
4/.    When the following Amavasya or Purnima falls on sunrise two days in a row the preceeding  Dwadasi becomes Paksa-Vardhini-Mahadwadasi, Paksa based.

Parama Ekadasi in the month of Purushottam.

Breaking an Ekadasi Fast
If you have observed a complete fast (without even water), you do not need to break it with grains. You can break it with caranamrita or fruit. Those devotees who fasted all day and took nothing other than air, it is advised to drink a mixture of 50 - 50 hot milk and water, sweatened with rock candy sugar after the sun has risen at the appropriate time. The effects of this loosen the mala (stools) in the intestine where all the toxins from the fast have been absorbed, and expell it all within about half an hour. Then take a light lunch, eating only once on the dwadasi.

If you have observed Ekadasi by eating fruit and vegetables etc., then it should be broken the following day by taking grains at the time specified in the Vaisnava Calendar.

Mahadvadasi is observed like Ekadasi.

For more details see Navadvip Panjika intro of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura (NP-intro.doc)

Vratas - what to do / auterities:
From Pancharatra Pradipa - Appendix 3

Notes on Ekadasi…

The Hari-bhakti-vilasa gives many rules for observing Ekadasi…, and these are discussed at length in Volume II of Pancharata-Pradipa. Here, however, we will mention only a few points concerning Ekadasi in relation to general standards of Deity worship in ISKCON:

Offering Grains to the Spiritual Master and Lord Caitanya

In a conversation, Srila Prabhupada said that grains should not be offered to either the spiritual master or Lord Caitanya and His associates on Ekadasi

Devotee: On Ekadasi, we can offer the Deity grains?
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. But not guru. Ekadasi observed by jiva-tattva, not by Vishnu. We are fasting for clearing our material disease, but Radha-Krsna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu . . . Caitanya Mahaprabhu also may not be offered grains because He is playing the part of a devotee. Only Radha-Krsna, Jagannatha can be offered grains. Otherwise, Guru-Gauranga, no. And the prasadam should not be taken by anyone. It should be kept for the next day. [Srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Tokyo, April 22, 1972]

If there is only one plate for all Deities and the main Deity is Krsna or Jagannatha, grains should be offered as on normal days. If the main Deities are Gaura-Nitai, offer only non-grain preparations.* It is best to replace the normally offered grain preparations with non-grain preparations so that there are the same number of preparations as on normal days. If, however, grain preparations are being cooked for Krsna or Jagannatha, it may be difficult to cook additional non-grain preparations for the spiritual master and Gaura-Nitai. In that case serve larger quantities of the non-grain preparations to the spiritual master and Gaura-Nitai, and prepare the offering plate for Krsna or Jagannatha as on normal days.

* If you are cooking for a restaurant where grains will be served on Ekadasi, you may offer the grains to Gaura-Nitai with the understanding that They will offer the bhoga to Krsna.

What Constitutes "Grains" on Ekadasi?

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 asafatoeda (hing), since it (generally) contains grains. Sesame seeds are also to be avoided, except on Satila Ekadasi, when they may be offered and eaten.
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 chapati flour.

There is absolutely NO doubt about what is NOT permissable to eat on Ekadasi.
ANNA. However it is how you translate this word that makes the difference. I
once again submit what Pradyumna Prabhu told me Srila Prabhupada told him many
years ago. When asked by Pradyumna what we could eat Srila Prabhupada said
"Fruits, Roots, Nuts, Milk". If you stick to these  types of foods you should
be fine. Of course the sure way is to fast completely. Water of course can be
taken. Except if you wish to do Nirjala. (Gaura Keshava dasa. 3rd Oct 1998. [Text 1740554 from COM])
 

* Someone who is very strictly observing Ekadasi should avoid all spices except pepper, rock salt and cumin. He should also eschew certain vegetables, such as tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, and leafy vegetables. Temple kitchens need not follow these strictures, since Srila Prabhupada did not establish them. Individual devotees may observe these rules if they choose, either making their own arrangements for cooking on Ekadasi, eating uncooked foods such as fruit, or observing full fasting. These arrangements should not interfere with the temple cooking schedule.

Mahaprasadam on Ekadasi:

On Ekadasi, strict followers of Vaishnava regulations avoid eating any mahaprasada from an offering that includes grains.. The shastra explains that the papa-purusha (sin personified) takes shelter in grains on Ekadasi, and therefore we avoid grains at all cost on that day, not even risking taking non-grain preparations of mahaprasada from an offering plate containing grains. Ekadasi mahaprasada  should be stored until the next day; if that is not possible it can be distributed to persons not strictly following Vaishnava regulations or to animals. In fact, mahaprasada maintains its purity on Ekadasi despite the presence of the papa-purusha, and therefore it will purify anyone who eats it. Nevertheless, the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, being strict followers of Vaishnava regulations, avoid mahaprasada on that day because their strict sadhana will be hampered by the presence of the papa-purusha.

Srila Prabhupad took peanuts and raisins, and mustard seeds, and sesame seeds on Ekadasi. The recipes he used for some preps are to be found in Yamuna's cookbook. Jagdish prabhu was personally shown how to make peanuts and raisins prep' for Prabhupad on Ekadasi by Prabhupad (Jagdish maharaj then, told me, JTCd that in Auckland 1992.)

Srila Prabhupada speaking about Ekadasi - many quotes

Sadachara Vinodha book by Sri Vyasanakare Prabhanjanacharya

aruNodayakAle tu dashamI yadi dR^ishyate
na tatraikadashI kAryAh dharmakAmArthanAshinI

(padmapurANam.h (brahma khanda a 15 shloka 32)

Even if there is a trace of Dashami at the time of arunodaya, that ekadashi is considered as viddha ekadashi . The destruction of dharma & all purushArthas is incurred by a fast on such a day.

kshaye vA.apyathavA vR^iddhau sampRapte vA dinakshaye
upoShyA dvAdashI puNyA pUrvaviddhAM parityajeth

(KrishnAmruthamaharnava Sloka 121)

When there is thithi kshaya, thithi vriddhi & dinakshaya (when Dasami, Ekadashi & Dwadashi fall on the same day) in all these three situations, a fast should not be undertaken on Ekadashi which is Dashami viddha. A fast should be observed on Dwadashi.

Characteristics of Arunodaya (Daybreak)

chatartro gaTikAH prAtararuNodaya uchyate
yatInAM snAnakAlo.ayaM gaMgAMbhaH sadR^ishaH smR^itiH

(KrishnAmruthamaharnava sloka 131)

Four ghatikas before sunrise is considered as arunodaya. The shastras say that this time is as holy as the waters of the Ganga for ascetics to have their bath. (It means that a bath during arundodaya gives as merit as a bath in the Ganga).

What is Gatika?
From HarikathAmruthasaara,

paramasUkShmavukShaNavayidhu thRuti karesuvadhu aivaththu
thruti lava veradu lavavu nimiSha nimiShagaLemtu mAthrayuga
gurudhashaprANArupaLa hanneradu bhANavu ghaLige
thrimshathi iruluhagaLaruvaththughatigaLahOrAthrigaLu || 23-56 ||

The smallest time unit is a moment;
5 kshana = Truti; 50 Truti = 1 lava; 2 lava = 1 minute; 8 minutes = a matra;
2 matra = a guru; 10 guru = prana; 6 prana = 1 pala; 60 pala = 1 Ghaika;
30 Gathikas = 1 day or night; 60 Ghathikas = a full day.

When Ekadashi is Dashami Viddha, a fast should be undertaken in Dwadashi.

putrarAjyavivR^id.hdhyarthaM dvAdasyAmupavAsanaM
tatra kratushataM puNyaM trayodashyAm tu pAraNam.h

(krishnAmruthamaharnava, Shloka 134)

When Ekadashi is Dashami viddha, a fast should be observed in Dwadashi & the fast broken parana on Thrayodashi. This brings prosperity for the country & progeny. One gets merit equal to the merit of performing hundreds of yajnas.

jn~AtvA viprA (prai) stithiM samyag.h daivajn~yaiH samudIritAM
kartavya upavAsastu anyathA narakaM vrajet.h

(KrishnAmruthamaharnava, sloka 120)

People should fast only on the day decided by persons well versed in Astrology (Suddha ekadasi). Otherwise the fast will lead to hell.

bahvAgamavirodhe tu brAhmaNeShu vivAdiShu
upoShyA dvAdashI puNyA pakshayorubhayorapi

(KrishnAmruthamaharnava Sloka 138)

If there are conflicting statements in the shastras regarding veda, when scholars express different opinions, it is meritorious to observe a fast on Dwadashi no matter which Ekadashi it is (either sukla or krishna paksha).

HARIVAASARA DURING DASHAMI & DWADASHI

ekAdashyAH prAMtabhAgo dvAdasyAH pUrva eva cha
harivAsaranAmA.asau sarvakAlottamaH smR^itaH

brahmAhatvA surApAnaM steyaM gurvaganAgamaH
tasminstu bhunjataH pApAnyekasthAni bhavaMtyutaH

(vishnuthIrtha sanyAptapaddati)

The last part of (dasami viddha) Ekadashi & the first part of Dwadashi thithi is also known as Harivasara (Haridina). This period is also auspicious & merits for fasting. If any food is taken during this period, it amounts to killing of brahmin (brahma hathya) & others such sins (so if there is HArivasara on Dashami, food should be taken before Harivaasara begins & if there is Harivaasara on Dwadashi, the fast should be broken only after Harivasara is over.

This is similarly explained in Navadwip panjika of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad.

Breaking an Ekadasi Fast (parana - breaking fast time)
Pramanik logic from Ayurved & Sripad MadhwaAcharya say in conjunction with Puranik stories, that we should fast during Ekadashi because the moon is the presiding deity for "Anna" (food). As the lustre of the moon is dim due to the reasons given on the 2 days of Ekadashi the food that is eaten becomes harmful. The food that is eaten on Ekadashi remains undigested & turns toxic, giving rise to various diseases.
    If you have observed a complete fast (without even water), you do not need to break it with grains. You can break it with charanamrita (Tirtha water) or fruit. Those devotees who fasted all day and took nothing other than air, it is advised to drink a mixture of 50 - 50 hot milk and water, sweatened with rock candy sugar after the sun has risen at the appropriate time. The effects of this loosen the mala (stools) in the intestine where all the toxins from the fast have been absorbed, and expell it all within about half an hour. Then take a light lunch, eating only once on the dwadasi.
    If you have observed Ekadasi by eating fruit and vegetables etc., then it should be broken the following day by taking grains at the time specified in the Vaisnava Calendar.
    Either way, this is also a good reason to expell the toxic waste malas (stools) collected in the intestine, this is done on the dwadasi morning with the aide of the sweet nectar mixture of hot milk and water of a ratio 50/50 and very sweet with rock candy (yellow lump - available Chinese stores) after sun-rise. If one has fasted completely there's no point in trying to pass when one first rises, as we normally do as there will be no issue due to no intake of food or water on the previous day. However, half an hour after taking the drink the mallas will be expelled from the body

Moon's position in the earth is the same for everyone at every given moment & we look into sunrise for determining & to follow Ekadashi vrata or Dwadashi thithi which is different from place to place. Mahadvadasi is observed like Ekadasi.

bhAgavata roDagUdi upavAsa jAgara ondhina mAdalillA rAgadhi shukamuni peLdha harikathe samyoga vembidulla, nIguvantha bhavabhayava bhakuti vairagya vembodilla, yogivandyea gopAla vittala tele bAgi ninnane bedikombe, hyAnge mAdalayya krishna poguthide Ayushya

For the Actual Parana time check with the VCAL program for your local area:

"The King said: "To transgress the laws of respectful behavior toward the brahmanas is certainly a great offense. On the other hand, if one does not observe the breaking of the fast within the time of Dvadasi, there is a flaw in one's observance of the vow. Therefore, O brahmanas, if you think that it will be auspicious and not irreligious, I shall break the fast by drinking water." In this way, after consulting with the brahmanas, the King reached this decision, for according to brahminical opinion, drinking water may be accepted as eating and also as not eating." Srimad Bhagavatam 9:4:39-40

.......by not breaking the fast in time it creates a blemish on the fast; a blemish so serious that Maharaja Ambarish was put into a dilemma as to how to solve it. If it were something minor then why this whole drama which resulted in Durvasa wanting to kill him and so on? So it would seem that the blemish incurred was serious enough that Ambarisha asked his ministers what to do and risked the curse of Durvasa in order to break the fast on time.

Just eating even one grain of rice is a blemish sufficient to ruin the whole Ekadasi vrata. Similarly not breaking the fast within the appointed time is a serious enough blemish that Ambarish risked death (brahma-sapa) in order to do so. Hence, it would be incumbent on us all to take this into consideration and breakfast at the appropriate time.

For any Ekadasis that have not been properly followed there is Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi which we should all observed rigidly to make up for any errors. (Shyamasundara dasa ACBSP. Wed, 4 Jun 2003. X-Com-Textno: PAMHO6883044 http://www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com )

Ekadasi Recipies (Now Available) 

Go to our Ekadasi Recipes and Recipe links page HERE:
Many, many more recipes are to be found in the link off the above page HERE:
and some recipes from Narottam prabhu in RSA HERE

Here are some ideas - in due course we'll activate all the following:
Mixed Vegetables (Sabjis) - Cauliflower and Potato
(Sabjis) - Pumkin and Potato
(Sabjis) - Eggplant Balaram (Srila Prabhupada's recipe)
(Sabjis) - Eggplant Murari (Srila Prabhupada's recipe)
(Sabjis) - Mixed Vegetable Curry (curries)
(Sabjis) - Mixed Vegetable Caserole (with potato and or cheese topping)

Sabhudana - (Tapioca) kitri (khichadi)
- Popas (Papadams) (can be purchased from some Indian stores)
- Payasam - Sweet

Potato recipies - Gauranga Potato - Great Vegetarian Delights - Kurma dasa
- French Fries (chips)
- Mashed Potato
- Baked Potato
- Potato in Jackets with Jerra and Cheese
- Potato Soup
- Potato Salad

Pumkin recipies - Pumkin and Potato Avilyal
- Baked Pumpkin
- Pumkin Soup
- Pumpkin Pakoras

Eggplant - Puki
- Eggplant, Potato, Tomato Orderves
- Stuffed Eggplant

Buckwheat - Pancakes
- Cakes
- Pooris / Rotis
- Buckwehat "Rice"

Curd (Paneer):
Curd - Scrambled Curd
- Curd Stakes - - in tomato sauce - Marinated Curd Stakes with tamarind marinate sauce
- Deep Fried Curd
- Kebabs
- Pakoras
- Meat Eaters Delight

Salads:
Avacado - Mixed Salad
- Dip

Cucumber - Mixed Salad
- Spicy Sticks

Potato Salad(s)

Dried Fruits:
Dried Bananas
Dried Figs
Dried Pitted Dates
Peanuts and Raisins - Srila Prabhupada's recipe

Sweets:
Simply Wonderfuls
Ekadasi Cookies
Ekadasi slice
Coconut and Caramel balls

Ekadasi Halva -
- Coconut Halva
- Carrot Halva
- Potato Flour Halva

Milk Sweets - Barfi / Burfi
- Sandesh
- Rasamalai
- Rasagula
- Rasa-kadam

Condiments:
Ginger
Green Chilis
Red Jalapeno Chilis
White Jalapeno Chilis
Lemons
Limes

Pickles -

Preserves -

Olives - Black
- Green Stuffed

Ekadasi humour:
Some go right over the top, no japa on the beach because of the Grains of sand, no swimming 'coz the sea has grains of salt in it, and sand too, and even cannibals don't eat beans on ekadasi, only humanbeans.

That new bhakta is so thick, it turns out that when he was preparing to take birth and Lord Brahma was going through his check-list Lord Brahma said "Brains" but our new bhakta thought he said "grains" and seeing it was ekadasi, he said ".....no thanks I'm fasting".
 

KrishnaDays.com, the web site of the GBC Vaisnava Calendar Committee of
the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
http://www.krishnadays.com/eng/
Authorized Vaishnava Calendars for your location.

Also now available
Vaishnava Calendar Reminder Software Download

It can be downloaded for free from http://calender.iskcondesiretree.info/vaishnavareminder.htm

once you download it and installed it then when it says run say yes and go to Options screen,
then in the middle of that grey page you'll see PLACE SEARCH, click that, and find your place:

Any problems in downloading please get back to me and request I send the calendar of your town and country

To Astrology Page

Panchanga - Almanac Page

 

Download a FREE Eggless Cake (not Ekadasi) Cookbook HERE:

Vegetarianism and Beyond