Vat to Do ?

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We should fast on appearance days of avataras, as we do on janmastami.

We should fast on ekadasi, but anukalpa, ie. fruits etc allowed.

We should break ekadasi at the proper time on the dvadasi.

If an avatara appearance day occurs on a dvadasi, we would be forced to

continue fasting for two days, without breaking the ekadasi on the dvadasi.

therefore fasting on the ekadasi covers the two fasts, and we break the

ekadasi as usually on the dvadasi, not observing the dvadasi fast for the

appearance as we have observed the vrata the day before. the worship of the

avatara should be done at the time of his appearance if known, otherwise

when you prefer. but it is convenient to do the worship early in the

morning, break fast of the ekadasi , and feast sometime during the day to

celebrate the appearance of the avatara.

 

The half day vrata as mentioned in the calendar is a compromise between full

fasting and anukalpa.

 

If the trayodasi vrata followls the next day after dvadasi there is no

problem, since you could fast that day and break on the caturdasi. But in

ISKCOn we usually dont observe full fast on nityananda trayodasi, taking

grains in the evening after the abhiseka.

 

In the case that the dvadasi and trayodasi fall on the same day, one

should break the ekadasi fast with some piece of grain, on the dvadasi,

then observe the vrata for Nityananda till evening. To be really correct you

could fast completely on ekadasi and break the faast on dvadasi with water

only, then continue fasting for the appearance of Nityananda.