(14/16) Ekadasi Vrata (2)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Temple inauguration programme, Hooghly
26 January 2020, noon, part 14
Translated from Bengali

In the previous age, ekadasi was for widowed girls because they were young and had energy (teja). To control their energy, they were forced to follow ekadasi, and they did not follow it for one day only—they fasted on the day before, on ekadasi, and on the day after ekadasi. They had to observe complete fast, without even drinking water, during three days. When people stay without food, they become weaker. This was the rule, but it is not written in any scriptures. Scriptures say that everyone must follow ekadasi from eight to eighty-eight years old. Women (mostly, mothers-in-law) think that if a girl fasts, her husband will die or face some ill fate. How can that be? If the Lord is pleased, can any ill fate befall on a boy or a girl? This is a wrong idea! It is a misconception. Can you show me in which scripture it is said so?

People always want to eat well, and they think that they cannot live without eating one day or without eating rice one day. If you are admitted to hospital, you will be given only saline for a month, then what? You will be 'doing' ekadasi for one month! So what? You will be admitted to one of Mamata Banerjee's 'super-speciality' hospitals, and even if you cry that they are starving you and that you are dying, nobody will give you food (if that is prohibited for treatment).

One time, I met some man on the train, and he told me, "Oh, you have become a sannyasi, but if nobody gets married, the human population will decrease!" Do you think that we create humans? Scientists say that they can do this, they can do that, they can throw atom bombs, but can they create one grain of wheat or mustard? They cannot. The Lord is the owner of everything, and he gives life to everything and everyone. Do you think you can create a human being bypassing God? Yes, you call it a robot! [Laughter] It is all wrong ideas.

Remember these things. The main thing is that we must follow ekadasi. Mahaprabhu Himself told His mother:

"Mother, I want to ask you for something. Will you give it to Me? Say three times."

"All right. I will give, I will give, I will give. What shall I give You?"

"Do not eat rice on ekadasi," Mahaprabhu said.

"Very good, I will not have to cook then!"

However, those who worship Deities must cook rice. It is necessary to cook and offer everything, including rice. On the other hand, Mahaprabhu Himself also cried one day on ekadasi. He was hungry and cried so much, and only when they brought Him to the house of Jagadish Pandit, who had just offered rice and other things to the Deities, and He took that offering, did He stop crying. From this, we understand that the Lord must be offered full bhoga. There is no fasting on ekadasi for the Lord.

What do we do? It is the rule at the temple that nobody is given rice on ekadasi—on this day, we give rice to cows, and at home, you can give rice to children who do not understand anything and cry because they are hungry. Give it to those who do not understand what ekadasi is. Those who have some good intelligence must fast on ekadasi from eight to eighty-eight years old (for as long as it is possible). If you fall sick, you have no way out—you must take medicine. You can take medicine on ekadasi. Also, if Gurudev gives you some grains on ekadasi, you can take it, but Gurudev is not a fool—why will he tell you to eat rice on ekadasi?

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Opening Temple—Opening Your Eyes
2) Live As a Member of Krishna's Family
3) Meaning of Surrender (1)
4) Meaning of Surrender (2)
5) How to Pray to Vaishnav Thakur
6) Orphaned and Blind
7) Satisfying Lord and Your Soul
8) Trade Secret of Krishna Consciousness
9) Taste for Hari-Katha
10) Eternal Nourishment
11) Align Your Life
12) Two Keys to Success
13) Ekadasi Vrata (1)
14) Ekadasi Vrata (2)
15) Practise Day and Night
16) If You Want, You Can