If we wish to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, we have to give up the shackles of māyā. Or, if we remain with māyā, we should live in such a way that we will not be subject to illusion, as did the many householders among Lord Caitanya's closest devotees. With His followers in the renounced order, however, Lord Caitanya was very strict. He even banished Junior Haridāsa, an important kīrtana leader, for glancing lustfully at a woman. The Lord told him, "You are living with Me in the renounced order, and yet you are looking at a woman with lust." Other devotees of the Lord had appealed to Him to forgive Haridāsa, but He replied, "All of you can forgive him and live with him. I shall live alone." On the other hand, when the Lord learned that the wife of one of His householder devotees was pregnant, He asked that the baby be given a certain auspicious name. So while the Lord approved of householders having regulated sex, He was like a thunderbolt with those in the renounced order who tried to cheat by the method known as "drinking water under water while bathing on a fast day." In other words, He tolerated no hypocrisy among His followers.
Fast (from food) (CC)
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Preface and Introduction
CC Adi-lila
In their two houses Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu begged food on the Ekādaśī day and personally ate it.
The injunction to fast on Ekādaśī is especially meant for devotees; on Ekādaśī there are no restrictions regarding food that may be offered to the Lord. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took the food of Lord Viṣṇu in His ecstasy as viṣṇu-tattva.
By the request of Jagannātha Miśra the brāhmaṇa cooked for a third time, but for a third time the Lord came before him and began to eat the food, although the child had been locked within a room and everyone was sleeping because it was late at night. Thus, thinking that on that day Lord Viṣṇu was not willing to accept his food and that he was therefore ordained to fast, the brāhmaṇa became greatly agitated and cried aloud, hāya hāya: "What has been done! What has been done!" When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the brāhmaṇa in that agitated state, He told him, "Formerly I was the son of mother Yaśodā. At that time also you became a guest in the house of Nanda Mahārāja, and I disturbed you in this way. I am very much pleased by your devotion. Therefore I am eating the food you have prepared."
From the very beginning of His childhood life Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the system of observing a fast on the Ekādaśī day. In the Bhakti-sandarbha, by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, there is a quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa admonishing that a person who eats grains on Ekādaśī becomes a murderer of his mother, father, brother and spiritual master, and even if he is elevated to a Vaikuṇṭha planet, he falls down. On Ekādaśī, everything is cooked for Viṣṇu, including regular grains and dhal, but it is enjoined that a Vaiṣṇava should not even take viṣṇu-prasādam on Ekādaśī. It is said that a Vaiṣṇava does not accept anything eatable that is not offered to Lord Viṣṇu, but on Ekādaśī a Vaiṣṇava should not touch even mahā-prasādam offered to Viṣṇu, although such prasādam may be kept for being eaten the next day. It is strictly forbidden for one to accept any kind of grain on Ekādaśī, even if it is offered to Lord Viṣṇu.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu expected the so-called brāhmaṇas to offer respect to such Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs. Nevertheless, it does not matter whether they offer respect, nor whether they accept these sannyāsīs as bona fide, for the śāstra describes punishment for such disobedient so-called brāhmaṇas. The śāstric injunction declares:
- devatā-pratimāṁ dṛṣṭvā yatiṁ caiva tridaṇḍinam
- namaskāraṁ na kuryād yaḥ prāyaścittīyate naraḥ
"One who does not offer respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to His Deity in the temple or to a tridaṇḍī sannyāsī must undergo prāyaścitta (atonement)." If one does not offer obeisances to such a sannyāsī, the prescribed prāyaścitta is to fast for one day.
CC Madhya-lila
Nityānanda Prabhu said, "I have undergone fasting for three days continuously. Today I had hoped to break My fast."
Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was thinking that the quantity of food was enormous, Nityānanda Prabhu, on the contrary, thought it not even a morsel. He had been fasting for three days and had greatly hoped to break fast on that day. Indeed, He said, "Although I am invited to eat by Advaita Ācārya, today also is a fast. So small a quantity of food will not fill even half My belly."
The boy replied, "Sir, I am a cowherd boy, and I reside in this village. In My village, no one fasts."
Mādhavendra Purī avoided begging. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material things. If, without his begging, someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he would fast.
All the devotees remained there and fasted, and the next day they all unhappily returned to Jagannātha Purī.
In the book known as Adhyātma-rāmāyaṇa, there are statements in Chapters Twelve to Fifteen about worshiping the Deities of Śrī Rāmacandra and Sītā. There it is stated that during Lord Rāmacandra's time there was a brāhmaṇa who took a vow to fast until he saw Lord Rāmacandra. Sometimes, due to business, Lord Rāmacandra was absent from His capital for a full week and could not be seen by the citizens during that time. Because of his vow, the brāhmaṇa could not take even a drop of water during that week. Later, after eight or nine days, when the brāhmaṇa could see Lord Rāmacandra personally, he would break his fast. Upon observing the brāhmaṇa's rigid vow, Lord Śrī Rāmacandra ordered His younger brother Lakṣmaṇa to deliver a pair of Sītā-Rāma Deities to the brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa received the Deities from Śrī Lakṣmaṇajī and worshiped Them faithfully as long as he lived.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His lunch at about three o’clock, but the brāhmaṇa, being very sorrowful, fasted.
The King discussed the devotees with Gopīnātha Ācārya, and he mentioned that the devotees were accepting prasādam without observing the regulative principles governing pilgrimages. They accepted prasādam without having shaved, and they neglected to fast in a holy place. After Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya had explained to the King why the devotees had apparently violated the scriptural injunctions for visiting a place of pilgrimage, the King arranged residential quarters for all the devotees and saw to their prasādam.
The Lord knew that if He did not eat the food offered by Jagadānanda, Jagadānanda would certainly fast. Being afraid of this, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate some of the prasādam he offered.
"The next steps are as follows: (6) One should be prepared to give up everything for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, and one should also accept everything for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. (7) One must live in a place where Kṛṣṇa is present—a city like Vṛndāvana or Mathurā or a Kṛṣṇa temple. (8) One should acquire a livelihood that is just sufficient to keep body and soul together. (9) One must fast on the Ekādaśī day."
The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.302) also gives the following further examples of uddīpana:
- smitāṅga-saurabhe vaṁśa-śṛṅga-nūpura-kambavaḥ
- padāṅka-kṣetra-tulasī-bhakta-tad-vāsarādayaḥ
"Kṛṣṇa's smile, the fragrance of His transcendental body, His flute, bugle, ankle bells and conchshell, the marks on His feet, His place of residence, His favorite plant (tulasī), His devotees, and the observance of fasts and vows connected to His devotion all awaken the symptoms of ecstatic love."
"You should describe the ritualistic duties to be performed every day, and you should also describe the fortnightly duties—especially how to observe the fortnightly Ekādaśī fast. You should also describe the duties to be observed every month, and you should especially describe the observance of ceremonies like Janmāṣṭamī, Rāma-navamī and Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī."
CC Antya-lila
When the men returned without success, Śivānanda Sena became very unhappy and fasted for the night.
Śivānanda Sena's attachment to the dog was a great boon for that animal. The dog appears to have been a street dog. Since it naturally began to follow Śivānanda Sena while he was going to Jagannātha Purī with his party, he accepted it into his party and maintained it the same way he was maintaining the other devotees. It appears that although on one occasion the dog was not allowed aboard a boat, Śivānanda did not leave the dog behind but paid more money just to induce the boatman to take the dog across the river. Then when the servant forgot to feed the dog and the dog disappeared, Śivānanda, being very anxious, sent ten men to find it. When they could not find it, Śivānanda observed a fast. Thus it appears that somehow or other Śivānanda had become attached to the dog.
"I think that Nṛsiṁhadeva could not eat anything today, and therefore He is fasting. If the master fasts, how can the servant live?"
Haridāsa fasted continuously for three days. Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and other confidential devotees approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to inquire from Him.
She worshiped the tulasī plant, following in the footsteps of her spiritual master. Instead of eating regularly, she chewed whatever food she received as alms, and if nothing was supplied she would fast. Thus by eating frugally and fasting she conquered her senses, and as soon as her senses were controlled, symptoms of love of Godhead appeared in her person.
Sanātana Gosvāmī walked alone on the path through the Jhārikhaṇḍa forest in central India. Sometimes he fasted, and sometimes he would eat.
Seeing Raghunātha dāsa skinny and dirty because of having traveled for twelve days and fasted, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His heart melting due to causeless mercy, spoke to Svarūpa Dāmodara.
"On the way, Raghunātha dāsa has fasted and undergone hardships for many days. Therefore, take good care of him for some days so that he may eat to his satisfaction."
"He eats if someone gives him something to eat. Sometimes he fasts, and sometimes he chews fried grains."
"(Lord Kṛṣṇa said:) 'My dear Arjuna, one cannot perform mystic yoga if he eats more than necessary or needlessly fasts, sleeps and dreams too much or does not sleep enough. One should eat and enjoy his senses as much as necessary, one should properly endeavor to execute his duties, and one should regulate his sleep and wakefulness. Thus one can become freed from material pains by executing mystic yoga.'"
The year before, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita had been sent to Śacīmātā with prasādam and cloth. This year he returned to Purī with a big pot of floral-scented sandalwood oil to massage the Lord's head. The Lord, however, would not accept the oil, and because of His refusal, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita broke the pot in front of Him and began to fast. The Lord tried to pacify him and asked Jagadānanda Paṇḍita to cook for Him. Jagadānanda Paṇḍita became so pleased when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted his cooking that he broke his fast.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu dared not forbid him to feed Him more. He just continued eating, fearful that Jagadānanda would fast if He stopped.
| Page Title: | Fast (from food) (CC) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 06 of Feb, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=29, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 29 |