Mahaperiyavaa on Ekadasi Vratham (select excerpts)

(All italicized texts are quotes from sastras or from mahaperiyavaa or Bhagavatpaada)

In the food taken on Dwaadasi the special kind of greens and berry which have been prescribed have to be taken and instead of tamarind lemon and amla should be taken. It is also indicated here that according to dieticians this kind of food helps the secretion of digestive juices after the previous day’s fasting

“ekaadasyaam tu kartavyam sarveshaam bho jana dwayam

suddhopavaasaha pratamaha satkathaa sravanaam thathha”

“Oh people (bho jana) these two things (dwayam) that should be done on Ekaadasi day by all (ekaadasyaam tu kartavyam sarveshaam).

First pure fasting (suddhopavaasaha pratamaha) and thereafter listening to the glories of the Lord (satkathaa sravanaam thathha)”

Sasthras have prescribed vrathas and upavasas for this reason. ‘Even if you feel hungry, get habituated to fasting; even if there is pleasure in idle talk, observe silence; even if you are dragged by sleep keep awake throughout night and do something connected with Iswara. By doing all these, the thought that this body is T will go. Whatever the condition of the body, the mind will be with Paramaathma. If we do not get used to it now itself, when 'marana vedhanai' the great suffering comes at the time of death how can we turn our mind to Paramaathma

EkadaSi is not only accepted by the Vaishnavas and Saivas but Dharma Sasthras which have laid down the rules of life for all Hindus, irrespective of jathi and Ishta Deivam has also prescribed EkadaSi vratham

I shall tell you about the days of Upavasam mentioned in Dharma Sasthras. On EkadaSi day, which comes every fortnight, total fasting should be observed. On Sundays, Amavasya, Pournami days, food should be taken only during day and there should be fasting during night. During every fortnight on Ashtami and Chathurthi, no food should be taken in day time and should be taken only during night. Rama Navami, Gokulashtami and Sivarathrihave also been mentioned as complete fasting days. But in practice, it is only on Sivarathri days the rule is being followed to some extent. On the other two days, food is being taken after the puja.

It is also said 

na gayatriyah parAmanthrah na matuh parA deivatham

na kaSyah paramam thirtham na ekaadaSyah samam vratham

&

ashta varshaadhikah mardhyah apoornAseethi vathsarah

ekadaSyam upavasEth pakshaayOh ubhayOrapi

This is what Dharma Sasthras say. This means that all humans who are between eight and eighty years of age, have to observe Upavasam on Ekadasi which occurs in both the fortnights.

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[ The following passage is put forth with following intent, as gleaned from Deivathin Kural

Key Message: Moderation is important, but Sastras guide us in this respect and ekadashi is part of the food related moderation guidance

]

(Mahaperiyavaa quotes Sruti) 

tametaṃ vedānuvacanena brāhmaṇā vividiṣanti yajñena dānena tapasa anāśakenaitam eva viditvā munir bhavaty viditvā - Brih. 4.4.22

The Brahmanas seek to know It through the study of the Vedas, sacrifices, charity, and austerity consisting in indifference to eating (i.e. upavaasam). Knowing It alone, one becomes a sage.

Bhasyam - "By the word 'study of the Vedas·, 'yagya', 'daana' and 'tapas', all the daily rites (nitya karma) are denoted. Thus. all the daily rites, barring those intended to achieve personal ends (kaamya karma), become means of liberation, through the rise of Self-knowledge...........Thus, 'only by realizing It', i.e. the Self as described above, in the manner aforesaid, one becomes a sage; one becomes a Muni (sage) ...i.e. a Yogi. By realizing It alone, and none other, one becomes a sage"

Swami further says in his bhasyam : - To desist oneself from unchecked enjoyment is anasaka, but not abstaining totally from eating; keeping back totally from eating means nothing but dying; it does not lead to Self-knowledge"

Mahaaperiyavaa explaining this mantra and our achaarya's commentary on it w.r.t. "not eating"

Acharya has made a highly philosophical commentary on this - When it is said ‘remaining without food’, it does not mean giving up food. Merely food is given up, only life will pass out but atma jnana will not be attained. Therefore, asanam (food) that is mentioned here only refers to enjoyments. But, for this kind of desire to be got rid of, observing vratham by fasting helps.  If today we are observing Ekadasi vratham, the credit for it goes to him. True to the saying "Purananam Alayam", He who was the abode of all puranas would never have said that Ekadasi vratham was unnecessary - a vratham which puranas glorify. Fasting now and then for part of a day or for a whole day will be helpful. But ‘fasting unto death’ is going against Nature. It is because Acharya does not approve of methods by which one puts himself to much suffering, he has said like this. 

Sri Krishna Paramathma also does not approve of extremes.

(Mahaperiyavaa quotes Gita 6.17)

yuktāhāra vihāra sya yuktacēṣṭasya karmasu.

yuktasvapnāvabōdhasya yōgō bhavati duḥkhahā৷৷6.17৷৷

[ 

(meaning below)

yukta-āhāra-vihārasya ( of one whose eating and movements are regulated)  

yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu (of one whose effort (cesta) is moderate)

yukta-svapna-avabodhasya (of one whose sleep (svapna) and wakefulness (avabodha) are temperate (yukta), have regulated periods)

yogaḥ bhavati duḥkhahā (to such a moderted person (moderation guided by sastram), yoga becomes a destroyer of sorrows)

]

Mahaperiyavaa continues " Stopping food now and then is good for the body and the mind. That is why in the rules for taking food even while stipulating that it should be sathvik food, rules for vrathas and Upavasam to be observed on certain days have also been laid down"

Fasting should be combined with ‘being near’ (i.e. prayer to) God (Upavasam). For this, we should repeat Bhagawannama either as japam or bhajan as much as possible. We should do Bhagawad dhyanam as long as possible. On that day, sathkatha sravanam or paraayanam or both should be done. The life stories of great Bhagavathas or Bhagawan should fill our ears. By doing this, from good health, people should be the receipients of.bhakthi, jnana and vairagya

During Ekadasi if even water is not taken, it is very meritorious. It is very difficult. Alternatively, sathvik drinks can be taken. Next taking fruits with milk, then saththu flour (nutrition flour) or purlone time, and for the second time fruits and milk can be taken

If cooked food is taken on Ekadasi day, there is no prayaschitham for it, it is said. Sick and weak persons who cannot digest anything other than annam, can take a little cooked rice without draining the water from it, without salt or chilli, or sour, on Ekadasi day. This relaxation is only for those who are very weak and not for others. If someone eats on that day it has been said in a harsh manner that he will be eating sin equal to the dog’s excreta.

I have referred to Acharya saying that food is for satisfying hunger and not taste. There is a difference between other diseases and this. If you take medicine for headache, the pain goes. Then it may come some time later. It is so with fever also. But this disease of hunger, even if it is cured now, it again comes without fail. Iswara is watching the fun by prodding Nature like this. He is testing us. Only if we pass it, it is creditable for us. If we have faith in His compassion and we are firm in our determination, He will extend His hand of help, make us pass and give us good health, spiritual development etc. as a prize. What is important is our mental determination