nirjala ekadhashi

[Guest guest]

Dear people,

 

It is almost nirjala ekadashi. By not eating and drinking on that day starting with sunrise till sunrise this vrata will be done. One can only drink water for achamana and for cleaning the mouth according to the padma padma puraana. This ekadhashi is as great as the sum of all the other ekadashis of the whole year. Are there people here who will do this nirjala ekadahsi vrata?

[Guest guest]

satyameva jayate

[Guest guest]

Nobody??

 

satyameva jayate

[Guest guest]

Somebody?

[raga]

Of course there are. It is prescribed in the scriptures, so of course all sadhakas whose health permits the vrata observe it.

[Guest guest]

Here is the story of Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi:

Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your story about Nirjala ekadahsi. I have read the same story in Hindi once.

 

Satyameva jayate

[Guest guest]

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

 

 

 

This year i will try to observe it.

 

[Guest guest]

Nirjala ekadashi this year is wednesday 11 june. Am I right?

 

satyameva jayate

[Guest guest]

This upcoming Ekadashi is the king of all Ekadashis. It is a

**compulsory** NIRJALA ekadashi. Total fasting --- NO FOOD INTAKE --- NOT EVEN WATER. Out of 365

days in an year we may have 100 excuses for not fasting on other ekadashis, but just this

one day of Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi ***has to be*** followed no matter what.

 

NO EXCUSES. We have to have to have to fast without any food intake (no liquids allowed

either) on this day. Also we have to try our best to stay out of all forms of "sin"

atleast just for this one day in the year. I know it is asking for too much, but what to

do, we have to follow this one rule on this one day of the year just so that we can live

(& leave) in peace.

 

Please pass on this message to every human you care for.

 

=== Ignorance of law is not an excuse ===

 

Nirjala fasting on this day is an irrevocable Vedic law. Break it at your own peril.

 

[The only concession is for: infants, severely sick, infirm or extreme old age. Well,

simple rule of thumb is: If you are not going to die by nirjala-fasting on this day,

then you should fast no matter how severe the difficulties.]

 

[stonehearted]

I guess it's compulsory. However, I don't know of any such instruction from our acharyas. Rather, I thought such a fast was a way for those who usually observe ekadashi, but misssed one due to circumstances.

 

My understanding is that all the austerities in spiritual life are things we undertake voluntarily. What's given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ain't some God-gonna-strike-you-nasty-sinners-down-if-you-don't-knuckle-under religion. Instead, He and the acharyas tell us what the goal is and give us a process for attaining that goal; we accept the process according to the strength of our desire to attain that goal.

[Guest guest]

Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 4, Chapter 28 Verses 35 & 36

By His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

SB 4.28.35-36 TRANSLATION

 

In the province of Kulacala, there were rivers named Candravasa, Tamraparni and

Vatodaka. King Malayadhvaja used to go to those pious rivers regularly and take his bath

there. Thus he purified himself externally and internally. He took his bath and ate bulbs,

seeds, leaves, flowers, roots, fruits and grasses and drank water. In this way he

underwent severe austerities. Eventually he became very skinny.

 

PURPORT

 

We can definitely see that to advance in Krishna consciousness one must control his

bodily weight. If one becomes too fat, it is to be assumed that he is not advancing

spiritually. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura severely criticized his fat disciples.

The idea is that one who intends to advance in Krishna consciousness must not eat very

much. Devotees used to go to forests, high hills or mountains on pilgrimages, but such

severe austerities are not possible in these days. One should instead eat only prasada

and no more than required. According to the Vaisnava calendar, there are many fasts,

such as Ekadasi and the appearance and disappearance days of God and His devotees. All of

these are meant to decrease the fat within the body so that one will not sleep more

than desired and will not become inactive and lazy. Overindulgence in food will cause a

man to sleep more than required. This human form of life is meant for austerity, and

austerity means controlling sex, food

intake, etc. In this way time can be saved for spiritual activity, and one can purify

himself both externally and internally. Thus both body and mind can be cleansed.

 

[Guest guest]

Will someone please post the exact date and observance times.

 

Guess Guest

[Govindaram]

Hare Krishna

 

You can download the Vaisnava Calendar, at the site below, the calendar is very easy to use and has exact dates for different countries for observance of Ekadasi and Appearance Days etc

 

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Cyprus/3108/vcal401.zip

 

 

after unzipping click on vcal and create your own Vaisnava Calender!

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much Govindaram.

 

Guess Guest

[Guest guest]

The Vaisnava Calendar Program is now available as FREEWARE, courtesy of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

 

VCAL is a DOS-based program that calculates calendars according to Vedic astronomy.

 

For anywhere in the world it tells when each tithi, each naksatra, and each lunar month occurs, and when to observe various festivals. It also calculates birthdays.

 

Guess Guest

 

Will anybody just tell me the date?

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna

 

Bhima Ekadasi is on Wednesday in the UK but Tuesday in the USA.. hope that finally solves your problem!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna

 

Bhima Ekadasi is on Wednesday in the UK but Tuesday in the USA.. hope that finally solves your problem!

[Guest guest]

Yup, that's what I need! No excuses now.

 

Guess Guest

[Guest guest]

Dear brave devotees,

Hare Krishna!

Please accept my respectful pranam. All glories to Ekadashi. All glories to Lord

Krishna.

All glories to Lord Krishna's Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

 

As you know, tomorrow is Nirjala Ekadashi (10 or 11 June )

 

Why I referred to you as "brave" is because even after having followed Nirjala Ekadashi

for a decade, I am still scared about tomorrow. I am still thinking, "how am I going to

do itwill I be able to make it", "it is peak summer and so hot in Mumbai, how can I

stay without water". I am even thinking about different methods of cheating Lord

Krishna inspite of Him being in everybody's heart as "parmatma", the all knowing Supersoul.

 

I thought:

 

1. I will spend the whole day in my office's Air Conditioned cabin. That way the lesser

heat I feel, the lesser the need for quenching thirst will be!

 

2. or I will eat all kind of oily and junk food tonight so that tomorrow whole day my

stomach will be upset and thus there will be no hunger!

 

3. or I will wait till 11:30 pm tonight and then have a major big feast and drink 2

liters of cold water finishing just before midnight. That way the austerity for tomorrow

will be little lesser.

 

4. or tomorrow whole day I will just simply sleep. That way no hunger or thirst will

torment me!

 

5. I wish I had my own airplane which I would take in westward direction for a direct

round trip of our planet so that, I am always ahead on time and by the time I reach back

to my city, one day would have already passed in my city and thus I would never have

faced Nirjala Ekadashi!

 

Pure genius! Isn't it? :-(

 

I am trying to match my wits against that of Supreme Lord! Vah re vah bhaiya!

 

Instead of all these jugglery I wish I would meditate something like:

 

1. Oh, tomorrow is Nirjala Ekadashi. Wow! What a wonderful opportunity.

 

2. I had to wait 1 whole year to get this chance. If I miss this opportunity then the

next time I get the chance will be after another one whole year. Who knows where I will

be that time in what position and condition, how will be my health or job

stress/responsibilities that time. Who knows I will be able to do it that time or not. So let me

tighten my belt and take full advantage of tomorrow's God given opportunity. (literally!)

 

I WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND DO IT. I WILL NOT LOOK FOR ANY EXCUSES. I WILL NOT LET

ANYTHING ELSE BOG ME DOWN. I AM DOING IT FOR PLEASING GOD... IN THIS PROCESS I DON'T MIND A

LITTLE WHATEVER DISCOMFORT I MAY FACE. AFTERALL IT IS MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD,

EVERYTHING I DO WILL ONLY BE LESS.

 

3. First I must thank Lord Krishna that He so kindly has provided me this very special

opportunity to remember Him with gratitude. This special Ekadashi process helps me and

those whom I care-for the most. It is for our own spiritual purification and rapid

advancement.

 

4 Ahhhh.... finally here is *THE* day which I can use for totally dedicating my time in

staying (vaas) closer (upa) [upa+vaas="upavaas"] to Lord Krishna.

 

5. If I were to madly fall in love with a person of opposite gender and was immersed in

complete remembrance of him/her remembering that person, about how he/she looks, what

he/she does, what all dress he/she wears, how he/she talks, how he/she smiles, what nice

things he/she said, what wonderful and attractive things he/she did once in this place

and once in that place, how some people were praising him/her for his/her wonderful

qualities, what beautiful praises where those.

 

Why not?, he/she is indeed worthy of appreciation and praise. Oh I love him/her so

much... thoughts and meditation like this may come. If I were to only immerse myself in

similar meditation about Lord Krishna then I am sure automatically I will not feel

hunger or thirst. Being immersed in mediation of His sweet pastimes I will automatically

not be tormented by any bodily "needs" including sleep!

 

6. Let me meditate on the Supreme Absolute Being. The master, creator, controller,

owner, maintainer of all that exists. Let me behold the wondrous beauty of the Supreme Lord

Sri Krishna who dazzles even the cupid. (kandarpa koti kamaniya vishesha sobham [spoken

by Lord Brahma in Sri Brahma Samhita] --> "if even millions of cupids were to be put

together, they would swoon in ecstasy and faint beholding the molten beauty of Lord

Krishna"

 

7. Let me meditate on the activities of Sri Hari the Supreme Personality of Godhead

which are constantly praised with uttamaslokas (choicest poetry) by the perfected sages

and great devotees like mother Kunti, sage Narada, Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, Lord Indra,

Brihaspati, the seven sages and the four Kumaras.

 

8. Let me meditate on Him who is the only shelter of all who are tormented by the

repeated cycle of birth, oldage, disease and death. The Supreme Lord who is the Lord of all

Lords as confirmed by all the 33 Crores demigods in their personal samhitas, puranas,

upa-puranas and agamas. May that Lord Hari who is to be compulsorily first offered the

bhoga to in His form as SHALIGRAM SHILA before the prasad (mercy food) is offered to any

demigod, be he Lord Shiva or his son or wife Lord Ganesha or mother Durga or any

another demigod or demigoddess.

 

9. May I always meditate on that Supreme being Sri Vishnu whose shelter and protection

is sought by one and all, be it the king of demigods Lord Indra, the creator of

demigods Lord Brahma, the spiritual master of demigods Sriman Brihaspati or even be the master

of the demigods and the asuras and the annihilator of the universe the great Lord

Maheshvara himself. The puranas are replete with tens of thousands of such stories where

*EVERYTIME* anyone in this creation is in deep trouble, their final shelter is only the

one and only SRI VISHNU, the Jagatraya, Jagannivasa, Jagannatha, Janardana who is but a

plenary expansion of Lord Krishna as confirmed in Padma Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam and

almost every other purana. "ete cha amsa kala pumsa, krishnas to bhagavan svayam",

"ishwara parama krishna sacidananda vigraha", and confirmed by Himself in Srimad

Bhagavad-gita, "aham sarvasya prabhavo, matah sarvam pravartate". "aham beej prada pita" etc.

 

10. May that infallible Supreme Being Sri Achyuta, the master of the senses Hrsikesha,

the object of the senses Govinda, the master of the cows Gopala, the Lord of Vrindavan

that Gopinatha, the ultimate shelter of His devotees Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu be my

constant meditation. ***===>> May I always think about Him, meditate on Him, chant His holy

names, hear about Him, read about Him, sing about Him, pray to Him and speak about Him.

May I read out about Him to my friends, May I talk about Him to my friends, colleagues,

relatives and to all known and unknown people, May I give out [sell/gift] a book of

Srila Prabhupada (all of which purely describe Sri Krishna's undisputed authority and

dominion over the entire creation) to one and all without discrimination.<<===***

 

NOTE: Round the year, the daily observation of the 7 regulative principals of 4 don'ts

and the 3 dos (http://www.acbspn.com/ekadashis/ekadashi-story.htm) will help me follow

this and other Ekadashis very nicely.

 

May I be thus engaged fully in this Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi and have no time left to

think about food, water, rest, sleep or personal sense gratification. May I be fully

KRISHNA CONSCIOUS atleast for this one day of the entire year.

 

Let me COMPLETELY dedicate myself this Nirjala Ekadashi for Lord Krishna. I will have

no other master to whom I will serve tomorrow. NO ONE ELSE -- not even my boss, my

friends or even my mind.

 

On Dwadashi at the appropriate break-fast time (as applicable to my city, calendar

available at: http://www.iskcon.org/calendar/vcal401.zip) I will break my previous day's

fast with charnamrita (the water <with tulasi leaves> used for bathing the photo or deity

of Lord Krishna> and take some other simple fruit juice or butter milk prasadam.

 

Charged up by the constant meditation of my dear Lord the previous day, I will then

prepare my best feast for Lord Krishna and offer it to Him as maha-bhog decorated with

Tulasi leaf (if Tulasi is not physically available, then do it mentally) with the minimum

of the following mantras:

 

Srila Prabhupada's pranaami mantra <guru mantra>:

 

nama om vishnu paadaaya krishna preshthaaya bhu tale

shrimate bhaktivedaanta swaamin iti naamine

 

namaste saarasvate deve gaura vaani prachaarine

nirvisheshya sunya vaadi paaschatya desha taarine

 

 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's pranaami mantra <gaura mantra>:

 

shri krishna chaitanya prabhu nityaananda

shri advaita gadaadhar srivaas-aadi gaura bhakta vrinda

 

 

The Hare Krishna Mahamantra <Sri Sri radha-krishna mantra>:

 

hare krishna hare krishna

krishna krishna hare hare

hare raama hare raama

raama raama hare hare

 

<mahamantra chanted minimum 3 times, but appropriately for 108 times>

---------

 

Ofcourse my cooked feast will be strictly vegetarian and it will be also free of Onion

and Garlic <Lord Krishna doesn't eat tamasic items>

 

I will offer this feast to the Lord in His own plate, exactly like in my home I have my

own exclusive plate. I will not contaminate the Lord's plate and utensils by using my

utensil cleaning parphernalia for Him. Everything of His is exclusive for Him alone! :-)

 

After offering Him the boga for a decent period of time (that may take for a person to

finish his meals), I will then remove the bhoga items, transfer it to my utensils and

then stowing away the Lord's paraphernalia, I and my loved ones will immerse myself with

tears in our eyes in relishing the Supreme Lord's Maha-Prasadam feast!

 

Such is the causeless mercy of Lord Krishna.

 

All glories to Lord Krishna!

 

All glories to Sri Ekadashi Mahotsav.

 

All glories to Pandava/Bhima Nirjala Ekadashi.

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his children at the ACBSPN.COM mailing list.

 

I am a very foolish and arrogant person, I know inspite of all this talk, I am still

nervous for tomorrows Ekadashi. Let me approach this "Day of Lord Hari" (Ekadashi) with

reverence, gratitude and humility and not bungle it up as I do for everything in my

life.

 

Seeking your support and good wishes,

 

yours in service of Srila Prabhupada

Avadhut das

Webmaster ACBSPN.COM

Hare Krishna!

 

You may write your questions/comments to avadhut@acbspn.com

 

-- Please chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra whenever you are free --

[gHari]

Those hunger pains will each remind you of Krsna. All day, Krsna. I want some water: Krsna. Some nice cake: Krsna. Everywhere, Krsna.

 

It will be a wonderful day.

 

gHari

[gHari]

I have a question. In this Vaisnava calendar it says that for the Houston Texas June 10th Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi "Break fast next day 06:20 - 11:01"

 

Does that mean we stop eating/drinking at sunrise Tuesday, and don't beak fast until Wednesday between 6:20AM and 11:01AM?

[Guest guest]

Hey can anyone please tell me where to find a hindu calendar which gives all the dates for purnima's, amavasyas, and ekadashis ?

 

I could not find any ?

 

pls help !!

[vanamali]

FASTING POEM

 

How beautiful plays the empty flute

You must be empty like Her

All the worlds forget themselves in trance

When Lord Krishna kisses Her lips

 

Food, food, food. This is the body's desire

Day after day, more food to fuel the process

For one day, will you not stop your lips from tasting

And give yourself to the beatitude of His lips?

 

How beautiful the sound of the empty flute

As He gives Her voice, she sings with ecstasy

She abandons all memory of being a tree

Empty, she is filled with His song.

 

~Vanamali

[Govindaram]

 

30 May 2004 Sunday

Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi.

 

I shall have to do a Full Fast!

http://www.iskcon.org/calendar/vcal401.zip