2. The Day Of Lord Visnu

3. Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 15.8 eka dina mātāra pade kariyā praṇāma prabhu kahe, — mātā, more deha eka dāna One day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell down at the feet of His mother and requested her to give Him one thing in charity.

4. mātā bale, — tāi diba, yā tumi māgibe prabhu kahe, — ekādaśīte anna nā khāibe 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 Ekādaśī day."

5. PURPORT From the very beginning of His childhood life Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the system of observing a fast on the Ekādaśī day. In the Bhakti-sandarbha, by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, there is a quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa admonishing that a person who eats grains on Ekādaśī becomes a murderer of his mother, father, brother and spiritual master, and even if he is elevated to a Vaikuṇṭha planet, he falls down.

6. On Ekādaśī, everything is cooked for Viṣṇu, including regular grains and dhal, but it is enjoined that a Vaiṣṇava should not even take viṣṇu-prasādam on Ekādaśī. It is said that a Vaiṣṇava does not accept anything eatable that is not offered to Lord Viṣṇu, but on Ekādaśī a Vaiṣṇava should not touch even mahā-prasādam offered to Viṣṇu, although such prasādam may be kept for being eaten the next day.

7. It is strictly forbidden for one to accept any kind of grain on Ekādaśī, even if it is offered to Lord Viṣṇu.

8. ASA - Tava-pache pache  HpSwami did nirjala ekadasi (not even water) for one year except two days when it was two hot and too cold.  In general is comment from Srila Prabhupada that fasting is very good but service comes first.  Also, these fasts can be very dangerous. If you do Nirjala then you should slow down the day before and take a day to speed up afterwards.  A Vraja-vasi brahmana told us to break Nirjala with two cups of cold milk mixed with two cups of cold water and sufficient sugar. You can feel it going directly into your tissues.

9. ASA - Tava-pache pache Many ways to do Ekadasi: Nirjala and living only on milk on Dvadasi. Take only water. For ISKCON, like 16-rounds, we understand that Srila Prabhupada suggested fasting completely until noon then light Prasadam. Fruits and no carbohydrates nor protein. The real purpose is to minimize the necessities of the body and increase hearing and chanting.

10. o Chant more rounds. o Go to all the aratis. o Do it with others. o Do more Bhajan. o Go on Sankirtan. o Sleep less.

11. Thank You AGTSP Paoho Please send us more Ekadasi ideas for this show. Anjana Suta Academy www.JayaRama.us (rev. 2012 Sep 23)