Bhima Nirjala Ekadasi

[mark]

Haribol!

 

Can someone confirm that tomorrows Bhima Ekadasi is not only a total fast, with obviously no food, but NO water either ?

 

I will try and do it, if it will please Lord Krishna, and doing so will also get rid of a sizable chunk of karma (I have been reliably informed), but I'm not too sure if I will get through it without water..

 

Hare Krishna!

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the heads up, I almost forgot about tomorrow's Ekadasi. Known as Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi it has a very nice story accompanying it which should answer your questions and inspire you for tomorrow:

 

 

 

Nirjala Ekadasi

 

Once Bhimasena, the younger brother of Maharaja Yudhisthira, asked the great sage Srila Vyasadeva, the I, grandfather of the Pandavas, if it is possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed all the rules and regulations of the Ekadasi fasts.

 

Bhimasena said, "0 greatly intelligent grandfather, my brother Yudhisthira, my dear mother Kunti, and my beloved wife Draupadi, as well as Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, fast completely on Ekadasi and strictly follow all the rules and regulations of that sacred day. Being very religious, they always tell me that I should also fast on that day. But, O grandfather, I tell them that I cannot live without eating, because hunger is unbearable to me. I give widely in charity and worship Sri Ke§ava properly, but I cannot fast on Ekadasi Please tell me how I can obtain the same result without fasting."

 

Hearing these words, Srila Vyasadeva replied, "If you want to go to the heavenly planets and avoid the hellish planets, you should indeed observe a fast on both the light and dark Ekadasis."

 

Bhima said, "O greatly intelligent grandfather, please listen to my plea. 0 greatest of munis, since I cannot live if I eat only once in a day, how can I possibly live if I fast completely? Within my stomach burns a special fire named vrka, the fire of digestion.' Only when I eat to my full satisfaction does the fire in my stomach become satisfied. 0 great sage, I might possibly be able to fast only once, so I beg you to tell me of an Ekadasi that includes all other Ekadasis. I shall faithfully observe that fast and hopefully still become eligible for liberation."

 

Srila Vyasadeva replied, "O king, you have heard from me about the various kinds of occupational duties, such as elaborate Vedic ceremonies. In the Kali-yuga, however, no one will be able to observe all these occupational duties properly. I shall therefore tell you how, at practically no expense, one can endure some small austerity and achieve the greatest benefit and resultant happiness. The essence of what is written in the Vedic literatures known as the Puranas is that one should not eat on either the dark- or light-fortnight Ekadasis. One who fasts on Ekadasi is saved from going to the hellish planets."

 

Hearing Vyasadeva's words, Bhimasena, the strongest of all warriors, became frightened and began to shake like a leaf on a banyan tree in a strong wind. The frightened Bhimasena said, "0 grandfather, what should I do? I am completely unable to fast twice a month throughout the year! Please tell me of the one fasting day that will bestow the greatest benefit upon me!"

 

Vyasadeva replied, "Without drinking even water, you should fast on the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyestha [May-June], when the sun travels in the sign of Gemini and Taurus. According to learned personalities, on this day one may bathe and perform acamana for purification. But while performing acamana one may drink only that amount of water equal to a drop of gold, or that amount which a single mustard seed can be immersed in. Only this amount of water should be placed in the palm, which one should form to resemble a cow's ear. If one drinks more water than this, he might as well have drunk wine.

 

"One must certainly not eat anything, for if he does so he breaks his fast. This rigid fast is in effect from sunrise on Ekadasi to sunrise on Dvadasi. If a person endeavors to observe this great fast very strictly, he easily achieves the results of observing all twenty-four Ekadasi fasts throughout the entire year.

 

"On Dvadasi. the devotee should bathe early in the morning. Then, according to the prescribed rules and regulations, and depending on his ability, he should give some gold and water to worthy brdhmanas. Finally, he should cheerfully honor prasadam with a brahmana.

 

"0 Bhimasena, one who can fast on this special Ekadasi in this way reaps the benefit of having fasted on every Ekadasi during the year. There is no doubt of this. O Bhima, now hear the specific merit one gets by fasting on this Ekadasi. The Supreme Lord Kesava, who holds a conch, disc, club, and lotus, personally told me, 'Everyone should take shelter of Me and follow My instructions.' Then He told me that one who fasts on this Ekadasi. without drinking water or eating, becomes free of all sinful reactions, and that one who observes the difficult nirjala fast on Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi. truly reaps the benefit of all other Ekadasi fasts.

 

"0 Bhimasena, in the Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, when all the principles of the Vedas will have been destroyed or greatly minimized, and when there will be no proper charity or observance of the ancient Vedic principles and ceremonies, how will there be any means of purifying the self? But there is the opportunity to fast on Ekadasi and become free of all one's past sins.

 

"0 son of Vayu, what more can I say to you? You should not eat during the dark and light Ekadasis, and you should even give up drinking water on the particularly auspicious day of Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi. 0 Vrkodara, whoever fasts on this Ekadasi receives the merits of bathing in all the places of pilgrimage, giving all kinds of charities, and fasting on all the dark and light Ekadasis, Of this there is no doubt. 0 tiger among men, whoever fasts on this Ekadasi. truly becomes a great person and achieves all wealth, grains, strength, and health. And at the fearful moment of death, the terrible Yamadutas, whose complexions are yellow and black and who brandish huge clubs and twirl mystic pass ropes in the air, will refuse to approach him. Rather, such a faithful soul will at once be taken to the supreme abode of Lord Visnu by the Visnudutas, whose transcendentally beautiful forms are clothed in gorgeous yellowish garments and who each hold a disk, club, conch, and lotus in their four hands. It is to gain all these benefits that one should certainly fast on this very important Ekadasi, even from water."

 

When the other Pandavas heard about the benefits to be gained by following Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi. they resolved to observe it exactly as Srila Vyasadeva had explained it to their brother, Bhimasena. All the Pandavas observed it by refraining from eating or drinking anything, and thus this day is known as Pandavanirjala Dvadagi.

 

Srila Vyasadeva continued, "0 Bhima, therefore you should observe this important fast to remove all your past sinful reactions. You should pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, in this way: '0 Lord of all the demigods, 0 Supreme Personality of Godhead, today I shall observe Ekadasi without taking any water. 0 unlimited Ananta, I shall break fast on the next day, Dvadasi.' Thereafter, to remove all his sins, the devotee should honor this Ekadasi fast with full faith in the Lord and with full control of his senses. Whether his sins are equal in volume to Mount Sumeru or to Mandaracala Hill, if he or she observes this Ekadasi, the sins all become nullified and are burned to ashes. Such is the great power of this Ekadasi.

 

"0 best of human beings, although a person should also give water and cows in charity during this Ekadasi if for some reason or other he cannot, then he should give a qualified brBJzmana some cloth or a pot filled with water. Indeed, the merit achieved by giving water alone equals that gained by giving gold ten million times a day.

 

"0 Bhima, Lord Sri Krsna has said that whoever observes this Ekadasi should take a holy bath, give charity to a worthy person, chant the Lord's holy names on a japa-mala, and perform some kind of recommended sacrifice, for by doing these things on this day one receives imperishable benefits. There is no need to perform any other kind of religious duty. Observance of this Ekadasi fast alone promotes one to the supreme abode of Sri Visnu. 0 best of the Kurus, if one donates gold, cloth, or anything else on this day, the merit one obtains is imperishable.

 

"Remember, whoever eats any grains on Ekadasi becomes contaminated by sin and verily eats only sin. In effect, he has already become a dogeater, and after death he suffers a hellish existence. But he who observes this sacred Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi and gives something in charity certainly achieves liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death and attains to the supreme abode. Observing this Ekadasi, which is merged with Dvadasi, frees one from the horrible sin of killing a brahmana, drinking liquor and wine, becoming envious of one's spiritual master and ignoring his instructions, and continually telling lies.

 

"Furthermore, O best of beings, any man or woman who observes this fast properly and worships the Supreme Lord Jalasayi [He who sleeps on the water], and who on the next day satisfies a qualified brahmana with nice sweets and a donation of cows and money-such a person certainly pleases the Supreme Lord Vasudeva, so much so that one hundred previous generations in his family undoubtedly go to the Supreme Lord's abode, even though they might have been very sinful, of bad character, and guilty of suicide. Indeed, one who observes this Ekadasi rides on a glorious celestial airplane [vimana] to that abode.

 

"One who on this day gives a brahmana a waterpot, an umbrella, or shoes surely goes to heaven. Indeed, he who simply hears these glories also attains to the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord, Sri Visnu. Whoever performs the sraddha ceremony to the forefathers on the darkmoon day called amavasya, particularly if it occurs at the time of a solar eclipse, undoubtedly achieves great merit. But this same merit is achieved by him who simply hears this sacred narration-so powerful and so dear to the Lord is this Ekadasi.

 

"One should clean his teeth properly and, without eating or drinking, observe this Ekadasi to please the Supreme Lord, Kesava. On the day after Ekadasi one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form as Trivikrama by offering Him water, flowers, incense, and a brightly burning lamp. Then the devotee should pray from the heart: '0 God of gods, 0 deliverer of everyone, 0 Hrsikesa, master of the senses, kindly bestow upon me the gift of liberation, though I can offer you nothing greater than this humble pot filled with water.' Then the devotee should donate the waterpot to a brahmana.

 

"0 Bhimasena, after observing this Ekadasi fast and donating the recommended items according to his ability, the devotee should feed brahmanas and thereafter honor prasadam silently."

 

Srila Vyasadeva concluded, "I strongly urge you to fast on this auspicious, purifying, sin-devouring Dvadasi in just the way I have outlined. Thus you will be completely freed of all sins and reach the supreme abode."

 

Good luck for tomorrow!

 

Hare Krishna

[Guest guest]

to drink water or not?

[Guest guest]

Ideally one should abstain from drinking water and eating food on this day for the whole 24 hours, but if you have observed all the other ekadasi you can opt to just observe this one as a regular ekadasi. If you can fast for 24 hours though, all the more benefit to you. Obviously when the ekadasi is over you can drink again and eat, however don't eat foods restricted on ekadasi until you break fast the next day in the morning.

 

Cheers.

[mark]

Haribol,

 

Many thanks for the story, it was a great help.

 

This was the first time in my life I have done a complete fast.

 

I hope it does not sound boastful but in some ways it was easier to fast completely than to eat just small quantites of permitted foods on normal Ekadasi's, as everytime I eat a little food on an Ekadasi, I want to eat a whole lot more, which rather go's against the spirit of Ekadasi.

 

I suppose this is the problem with sense gratification - you have a little and you want more, have none and you find you are less tempted by it.

 

I prayed for a little help from Lord Krishna and felt a mood of calm and determination settle upon me, so many thanks to his Lordship for his mercy - I couldnt have done it without him.

I managed to do the fast without food or water, and lasted through to breakfast on the Sunday morning, although I started to feel desperate for water Saturday night/Sunday morning till it was time to break the fast, as it was an unusually hot night (for England anyway).

It must be a far greater sacrifice for those in hot climates, such as India.

 

Hare Krishna!

[Guest guest]

Haribol Mark,

 

You have nicely worded the similar feelings I had. This was my first ekadasi of any sort. But I realized that its easier to be not taking anything than few titbits.

 

Hare Krishna.

Radhey Radhey

[Guest guest]

i messed mine up. me a bit of a neophyte in terms of KC. SO i thought it was OK to break fast after 12 midnight so indulged in some fruit and srikhand later to find out from 1 of my devotee buddies that it wasnt time to break fast yet? dats y u wait until breakfast -

man im so silly.

 

hope every1 elses fast went better than mine?!

 

HK!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada! I offer my humble obeisances unto him!

 

Seeing all you guys, I think i did not fast. I ate fruits, milk and some buckwheat flour (which is not grain) on Ekadasi and broke my fast the next day(sunday) at 6.30am.

 

I guess the only thing i did was i did not watch Tv the whole day and was reading the Gita and listening to lectures for most part of the day.

 

I hope i can follow, one day, strictly, Ekadasi rules.

 

All glories to the devotees!

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[Guest guest]

In India, it is too hot. Not easy to survive a whole day without water and food.