The perils of not observing Nrsimha Caturdasi

[Guest guest]

In the Nrsimha Purana Lord Nrsimhadeva explains that there will be only

inauspiciousness for a person who neglects to observe His appearance day.

He states that anyone who eats even maha prasada on that day eats only

stool.

 

Here's a story from my personal life of how Lord Nrsimha expressed his

displeasure at my non-observance of Nrsimha Caturdasi. This is a story from

1979, when I had been in Bangladesh for less than two months.

 

Those were early pioneering days. We were cautiously feeling our way in an

atmosphere that, at the time, was quite hostile, due to its being a Muslim

country. We were just three or four devotees, and had to go around in karmi

clothes and long hair. We had to make many adjustments for the sake of

surviving in that atmosphere, so that we could stay and preach. However,

being used to constantly making adjustments, we sometimes lost our

discrimination, and made compromises even when they were not necessary.

 

On Nrsimha Caturdasi in 1979, I first visited Pundarika Dhama, the

birthplace of Lord Caitanya's associate Pundarik Vidyanidhi, in a village in

Bangladesh. I accompanied the then leader of our preaching mission in

Bangladesh, who was visiting Pundarika Dhama for the second time. A local

committee member invited us to take midday prasada. I was reluctant,

because we were fasting for Nrsimha Caturdasi. But the other devotee

reasoned that this was such a great opportunity, and that we didn't know

when again we might get the chance to take prasada at Pundarika Dhama, so we

had better take it. (We didn't know at the time that a few years later, the

management of Pundarika Dhama would be turned over to ISKCON devotees.)

 

Having accepted lunch and prematurely broken our Caturdasi fast, we set off

again in our Volkswagen Beetle. As dusk was setting in, the time of Lord

Nrsimha's appearance, when we should have been stopped somewhere engaging in

glorification of His transcendental names, qualities, forms, and pastimes,

we were instead driving on remote country roads.

 

We saw ahead of us a tiny narrow bridge without any railing or wall at the

side, straddling a deep fall into a river below. We wondered whether or not

the bridge was wide enough for our Beetle to negotiate, and decided to give

it a try. When we got to the middle of the bridge (which wasn't much

longer than the car), one of the wheels slipped over the edge, pulling the

car over to the side so that we were left with the front left and back right

wheels of the car on the bridge, and the other two wheels suspended in

space. The slightest move by either of us from within the car made it

wobble dangerously. It could have fallen at any moment into the river, with

us inside. Night was quickly settling in.

 

We didn't know what to do, except intensely remember Lord Nrsimhadeva--which

is what we should have been doing anyway at that time. The Lord was so

merciful to us that He was forcing us to observe His appearance, and not

take His mercy for granted. In that situation, we knew that we were totally

at the mercy of Lord Nrsimha, and that we had offended Him by neglecting to

worship Him properly.

 

With my mind concentrated on Lord Nrsimha, I eventually took the risk of

moving to the other side of the car, opening the door, and getting out,

which involved putting my feet on the sloping, crumbling edge of the bridge.

There was hardly enough space to put my feet down, and the only thing I

could hold on to was the car, which was in danger of falling off. Somehow I

came out from the side of the car to the back, and with the help of some

villagers, who thankfully turned up in that remote place at that time, we

went through the dangerous operation of lifting the car so that it came back

to the middle of the bridge. It could just as easily have fallen into the

river. I'm sure the other devotee, who was at the steering wheel, must have

had most profound realization of Lord Nrsimha at that time.

 

Even after getting the car back firmly on the bridge, the danger wasn't

over, because we could just as easily have slipped again. I held my breath

as the other devotee restarted the car and slowly drove off the bridge. The

danger was over, and I resolved never to be slack again in observing Nrsimha

Caturdasi.

 

(by Bhakti Vikasa Swami)

[Guest guest]

Maharaja

PAMHO AGTSP

 

I would like to use this opportunity to thenk you for wrighting such

wonderful books that helped me so much.

I have just read your posting in Achintya about The perils of not observing

Nrsimha Caturdasi. I have a quastion which I cannot send so the group due to

a technical eror. I hope you don't mind me sending it to your e mail.

The thing is like so:

I fast in ekadeshi and only drink watter and in holydays such as Nrsimha

Chaturdasi I observe a complete fast in which I don't even drink watter.

This year, here in Israel, we have a verry big heat wave. Heat can reach to

40 c sometimes. During the day of Nrsimha Caturdasi this year I would be out

and working as usual. Is it possible for me to drink watter at this day?

 

Hope this finds you in the best of health,

Your servant,

Bhakta Omer

omer

[Guest guest]

prabhu

 

of course you can drink!!

 

this is an "extra" vow that you have adopted not recommended by acharias,

srila prabhupada and, as i presume, by your spiritual master

 

so it is not sure that this "extra" austerity will do any good to you

 

observe the usual fasting (except water) until crepuscule (i am not sure

that this is the exact english work..... dusk.....mmh!!) and keep your mind

free to do your job and travelling without risks and chant happily

harekrishna in the free moments

 

i recommend expecially to avoid any penance that could be an obstacle to

chant attentively hare krishna mantra

 

haribol.....

 

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[Guest guest]

Haribol

Im not sure if i am thinking on the correct lines but

I believe narashingadeva appeared in India so should

we fast until India's dusk (until he's appearance).

 

Also I heard we should break fast with ekadashi food,

is this the correct way?

 

Hare Krishna and Thanks

 

Vijay

[Guest guest]

the normal behaviour is to observe appearances at local hours.... in the

same way we'd have to do mangala arati at the 4.30 of mathura-vrindaban (or

mayapour??)

 

Srila Prabhupada and other acharyas (BhaktivaibhavaPuriMaharaja i.e. etc.)

do it in the "local" way

 

i never heard in nrsmha jayanti of breaking fast with ekadasi food....

janmastami and gaurapurnima yes, but not in other holidays

 

harekrishna

 

yasodanandana dasa italy

 

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