(Bhima) Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi ( May 30th 2004)

[Guest guest]

Dear Tusti Mohan Krsna prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you so much for your continual posting of the Ekadasi's and the

wonderful Mayapur Festival pictures throughout the year and so much other

nectar. I also wanted to thank you for your enthusiasm.

Nevertheless, it is my duty to mention that Srila Prabhupada

explained that Nirjala Ekadasi was not an urgent necessity for the devotees,

but a concession for Bhima who could not follow Ekadasi during the year.

The way he asked us to follow Ekadasi was to fast from grains and beans.

Full fasting was never encouraged by His Divine Grace. He established the

diet to be observed for Ekasasi, which was more like feasts.

Rather than emphasize various dry austerities, he put greater

emphasis on service (which is sometimes hampered by fasting, and generally

further hampered for many days by staying up all night. Therefore Srila

Prabhupada only insisted on 4 full fast days a year (found in Madhya Lila

CC) for certain Appearance Days and eating very simply on Ekadasi's. He did

not even insist on following the special diet of Caturmasya; neither did he

observe it, his personal cooks tell me. Anakulyena...not by jnana, tyaga,

or all the rest of the popular processes.

It is therefore misleading, and not necessary to put our entire

society into a regimen which is followed by others who simply do not engage

in the kind of full service we do in Srila Prabhupada's line. This full

fasting (for every Ekadasi) is an entirely optional vrata, and not a

required vrata.

I have also noted that many of the few devotees who do this full

fasting advertise the thing in a very wide way as part of their program to

bolster their enthusiasm and often put others into the misconception that

"if they do not do it, they are not following sincerely". This is what

Prabhupada called artificial sense control. However, those who do follow

these extra optional vows quietly and religiously without such advertising,

command the deepest respect from our Vaishnava community. And, I humbly

publically offer my respect on this forum to all of those who do (whether

they advertize or not). These devotees are great souls, and gradually, as

other devotees advance in their spiritual ways, they may (or may not) also

acquire this taste. I also offer my most humble respects to those devotees

who follow each Ekadasi the way Prabhupada presented, as well as the other

simple rules and regulations of spiritual life, namely following the 4

regulative principles and chanting 16 good rounds. (This is the main thing.

The rest, he said, is just salt and pepper.)

I myself only hope that I can get the blessings of all the

Vaishnavas to at least acquire the taste for chanting the holy names,

regardless of whether or not I grit my teeth, take a deep breath, tighten my

belt and perform so many yagnas and vratas according to my propensity.

Respectfully, your servant,

Parvati devi dasi