Story of Ekadashi

[Guest guest]

ust like ekadasi. That is also item of the tapasya. Actually on the ekadasi

days we shall not take any food, even drink water. But in our society we are

not doing so much strictly. We say, "Ekadasi, you don't take food grains.

Take little fruit, milk." This is tapasya. So we cannot execute this

tapasya? So if we are not prepared to undertake even this very, very easily

executable tapasya, then how we can expect go back to home, back to Godhead?

 

============ REF. Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975

 

 

 

 

 

This is called tapasya. Just like Ekadasi day-there is no eating

sumptuously. Simply you take little fruits and flowers. Try to avoid that

also. You don't take even water. That is really ekadasi. But because we

cannot do it-in the Kali-yuga the time is different-therefore we are allowed

to take little fruit and milk, which is called anukalpa. These are different

methods of tapasya. And yajna. This yajna, sankirtanaih prayair yajnaih,

yajanti hi su-medhasah. In this age you cannot perform that big asvamedha

yajna, gomedha yajna, rajasuya yajna, so many other yajnas. It is not

possible. First of all, you have no means to perform such yajnas, hundreds

and hundreds of tons ghee required for putting into the sacrificial fire.

You have not even a drop of your ghee. So forget all those yajnas. In this

age, yajnaih sankirtanaih prayaih. That is recommended in the sastra:

 

 

============ REF. Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971

 

 

 

 

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Ekadasi is meant for fasting, either Bhima or Arjuna. But

we cannot fast, therefore we have to take little fruits and.... Otherwise,

ekadasi means fasting.

Tamala Krsna: If it is possible, should we go without eating at all?

Prabhupada: Yes. But don't lie down and sleep.

 

============ REF. Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles

 

 

The details of the Hari-bhakti-vilasa-grantha are given by Sri Kaviraja

Gosvami in the Madhya-lila (24.329-345). The descriptions given in those

verses by Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami are actually a description of those

portions compiled by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. According to Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the regulative principles of devotional

service compiled by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami do not strictly follow our

Vaisnava principles. Actually, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami collected only a

summary of the elaborate descriptions of Vaisnava regulative principles from

the Hari-bhakti-vilasa. It is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami's

opinion, however, that to follow the Hari-bhakti-vilasa strictly is to

actually follow the Vaisnava rituals in perfect order. He claims that the

smarta-samaja, which is strictly followed by caste brahmanas, has influenced

portions that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami collected from the original

Hari-bhakti-vilasa. It is therefore very difficult to find out Vaisnava

directions from the book of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. It is better to consult

the commentary made by Sanatana Gosvami himself for the Hari-bhakti-vilasa

under the name of Dig-darsini-tika. Some say that the same commentary was

compiled by Gopinatha-puja Adhikari, who was engaged in the service of Sri

Radha-ramanaji and who happened to be one of the disciples of Gopala Bhatta

Gosvami.

 

============ REF. Madhya 1.35