MEANING
OF SACRED EKADASHI FAST
Ekadashi
is very important for all Hindus, as the observance of rituals connected
with
this occasion is said to take away any sin that the person may have
accumulated during the fortnight.
· To
be able to get rid, of the sins or any wrong deeds every fortnight is very
helpful to the five senses. This is similar to the Christians going to their
priest for “confession”
. Ekadashi
has social function as well, just like Sankranti. Even if one does not keep
the fast, it is a day for doing charitable deeds.
· If
Ekadashi is observed as a vrat, it can be “nitya” (compulsory) or
“kamya” (motivated by desires). In the first case only Shukla Paksha need
to be observed. As a kamya- vrat, it can be observed on the both Ekadashi.
THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF EKADASHI by SRI SWAMI KRISHNANDA
· Ekadashi
is a Sanskrit word, which means 'the eleventh'. It refers to the eleventh day
of a fortnight belonging to a lunar month. There are two fortnights in a lunar
month-the bright and the dark. So, Ekadashi occurs twice in a month.
· The
special feature of Ekadashi, as most people know it, is a fast. This is how it
is usually understood. 'We do not eat on Ekadashi', is what people understand.
In fact, the fast is only a practical expression and a symbol of something
else that we are expected to do, which is of special significance to our
personality.
· Those
who know astronomy as something which tells about the inter-relation of the
planetary system, the stellar world, would be aware that we form a part of
this planetary or solar system.
· By
a system we mean an organism or organization which is methodically arranged.
When we know that we belong to the system of planetary motions, which has an
organic link.
· We
belong to the solar system-a huge family of which the sun is the head and the
planets are the members.
Astronomy
studies the movements of planets and stars, and ASTROLOGY the effects they
produce on the contents of the system.
· The
Ekadashi observance is an astrological phenomenon and it is observed due to
this relation we have with some of the planets in the system.
The movement of these planets influences the entire personality of ours.
The gravitational pull of planets has an influence on us.
· The
sun is said to influence the center of our personality; hence the sun is
called Atmakaraka.
· He
is. the soul-influences of the human body. In the Rig-veda, the sun is
identified with the soul of the universe as well as the soul of the
individual. The different limbs of our body and different parts of our system
are supposed to be influenced by different planets. The sun is capable of
influencing the entire being. He is, thus, the Atmakaraka.
· Karaka
is doer, manipulator, and director. If there is no sun, we know what
difference it makes for us; our digestion becomes sluggish on days when there
is no sun. So important is the sun.
· The
subtle essence of the food, not only directly taken through the mouth but
through all senses, contributes to the make up of the mind.
The
mind's presiding deity is moon. Ekadashi is
particularly relevant to this
relation of moon and mind.
· You
will find that, when you go deep into the study of astronomy, you have nothing
in your body except some planetary influences! We are made up of planetary
forces and there is nothing independent to call our own.
· One
part belongs to one planet and another part to another planet. If each planet
claims its part, you will disintegrate. The moon influences the mind in its
orbital relative movement with reference to other planets and us.
· How,
is Ekadashi related to the movement of moon and mind? We have certain centers
called Chakras in the body. The
Chakras are nothing but energy-centers which whirl in some direction as water
whirls in a river.
· Chakra
is a wheel or circular motion. They move in a spiral shape. They are not
physical; but psychophysical and psychological. These Chakras are neither in
the mind nor in the body; they are in the astral body. The moon's influence
physically on the body has an influence on the Chakras, which tells upon the
mind ultimately.
· The
passage of the mind is through these Chakras, up and down. When this operation
takes place consciously, it is called Yoga; when done unconsciously by the
mind, it is just influence. When the moon waxes or wanes, the mind is mentally
influenced.
· So
people who are not normal in their minds become very bad on the full moon and
new-moon days. You cannot see the moon's influence on the earth because it is
solid, but it can be seen on the ocean, which is liquid.
The moon influences the whole earth, but its influence is visible on the large
body of waters in the sea.
· This
happens due to the two-fold pressure of the relation of the earth and moon.
The sun influences the moon and the moon influences the earth. When the
influence occurs automatically, we are instruments in the hands of Mother
Nature.
·
When
it is done consciously, we are said to practice Yoga. We can be involuntarily
dragged from place to place, or we can walk voluntarily. The difference is
obvious. The moon's movement tells upon the movement of the mind through the
Chakras.
· Another
important aspect is the seat of the mind which is also twofold. You may
be living in many houses, of which one or two are your own. Svasthana means 'One's own place.' The mind has several abodes or
centers of energy called Chakras, of which two are its own.
· The
seats of the mind in this personality of ours are:
· 1.
The subtle spot in the astral body corresponding to the center of the two
eye-brows, in waking, and
· 2.
The heart, in the state of deep sleep. If it is in the brain, it is active and
you, then, do not get sleep, because it refuses to go down.
· If
the mind is midway between the center of the eyebrows and the heart, it is
Dream State. So, there is a twofold center of the mind,-the Ajna-Chakra,
or the center between the eyebrows, and the Anahata
Chakra, or the heart.
In both these centers, the mind feels at home and is at ease, because it is nearer
to itself. In other centers it is extrovert.
·
In
the Ajna and the Anahata Chakras it finds itself at home. In the two
fortnights, in its movement, it finds itself at the Ajna Chakra and the
Anahata Chakra on the eleventh day.
Since these two Chakras are its own abode, the mind is at home here, i.e., it
gets concentrated and collected easily.
·
This
has been the experience given out by our ancients, and this has to be taken
advantage of by Sadhakas.
You are capable of concentration when the mind is naturally in its home.
The mind cannot be concentrated when it is out of tune.
· So,
the Ekadashi day in both fortnights is the occasion when the mind finds itself
in its place-in the bright fortnight in the Ajna Chakra, and in dark fortnight
in the Anahata Chakra.
· Seekers
and Yogis take advantage of these two days and try to practice deep
meditation.
Vaishnavas treat Ekadashi as a very holy day and also observe a fast on that
day.
Fast
and meditation! What is the connection?
· There
is really no intrinsic connection between fast and meditation, but there is
some advantage in keeping the body light and the stomach free from excessive
metabolic function.
· When
the stomach is given the duty of digestion, doctors will tell you, the blood
circulation is accelerated towards the digestive organs, on account of which
blood circulation to the head gets decreased after food is taken and so you
feel sleepy and the thinking faculty practically ceases to function.
· Hence,
there is no advantage in giving the physical system work on days you want to
do yogic practice.
· Thus,
Ekadashi has also a spiritual significance. The energy of the whole system
gets distributed equally if a particular limb is not given any inordinate
work.
If
any part is given heavy work, there is a dislocation of the working of the
body.
·
So,
in fasting the energy is equally distributed, as the digestive function is not
there. But, there should be no overdoing in fast. Fast is supposed to cause
buoyancy of feeling and not fatigue.
·
So
people who are sick and cannot observe a total fast take milk and fruits, etc.
People, who are perfectly healthy and are confident, observe a complete fast.
This helps in control of mind and will.
·
Apart
from all these, there is a necessity to give the physiological system some
rest once a while. It may be over-worked due to a little over-eating.
These
irregularities unconsciously done during the fourteen days get rectified in
one day.
·
Thus
the observance of Ekadashi has many advantages-physical, astral, spiritual-and
because this day has connection with the relation of the mind with its abode
together with the moon, you feel mysteriously helped in your meditation and
contemplation, mysteriously because you cannot know this consciously.
But
you can feel this for yourself by observing it. In India everything is
interpreted spiritually.
