HH Jeeyar Swami's reply on Ekadasi from archives.

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Jai Sreemannarayana

 

With pranamams to the lotus feet of H.H Sree Swamijee,

 

Following is H.H Sree Swamijee's reply on Ekadasi from archives.

 

Adiyane Subrahmanyam Ramanuja DAsaha

Jai Sreemannarayana

 

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Q3. Ekadashi Fasting.

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We see many pios people observing Ekadashi Fasting and

Dwadashi Paranam. Could you please explain the logic and reasoning behind this

fasting.

 

A. We observe E:kadasi fasting and Dwa:dasi pa:ranam (ending

up fasting by eating prasa:dam early in the morning, after praying to The

Sun) because the ''smruthi scriptures'' say so. And we believe in them

also. E:kadasi is also named after "hari va:sara" means "a day takes us

nearer to Lord Vishnu".

 

According to Cha:ndo:gyo:panishad, the food we eat makes our

body and mind. It says, the food we eat will be devided into 3 parts. Gross

part form excreta and will be released out. Middle part forms as flush.

But the suttle part helps the manas, (and it may not be the mind). So manas

and body are the products of the food we eat. If we want body a satwic one and

the manas also should function sa:twic, then one must eat sa:twic food.

 

Man is supposed to eat vegitarian food only that is produced

from plants and trees. They are called O:shadhi:s. Thaithari:yo:panishad

says "O:shadhi:bhyo:nnam, anna:th purushaha, sa va: e:sha purusho:

anna rasamayaha". It means the food man eats should be made out of

vegitables, so man is called "anna rasamaya". All the O:shadhi:s are grown

and receive their energies from the moon. Hence, moon is called

"O:shadhi:pathi". Again here, as moon grows and decreses(waxing & waning moon)

his impact on the o:shadhies, as well as on our body, also will be changing.

 

The moon has 16 phases. There are 16 elements in our bodies too. Our manas

and buddhi are falling in 11th and 12th number. To decreas the impact of

the thamo:guna one needs to stop eating food on that day. But to

activate the Manas with sa:twic guna, one needs to chant divine name with

love and should keep himself amidst sa:twic people. Though, it is always

recommended to be practised, particularly on that day it helps a lot. When

one is spending his time with great people and chanting God's name, the love in

God, will automatically keep the food and sleep away from him. That is

called 'upava:sa' and 'ja:garana'. This must come automatically, not by force.

On the dw:dasi day, moon's impact will be there on buddhi. So to keep it active

with satwaguna always, we offer food to God, make it Prasa:da and have

darsan of the Sun, and then take that prasa:dam by breaking fasting, which

is called 'pa:rana'.

Thus we practice e:kadasi & dwa;dasi.

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=chinnajeeyar=