glories of Janmastami fasting following the footsteps of the Vrijabasis

[Paramananda das]

Dandavat pranams 

all glories to the lotusfeet of my Gurudeva and Param Gurudeva 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada ,jaya Nitai Gaura ,Jaya GiriGovardana ,Jaya Sri Sri Gandarvika Giridhari 

 

 When reading  Ananda Vridavana carmpu so much bliss comes to ones heart and mind .In the second chapter we can read how the Vrijabasis fasted spontaneously on Janmastami ,They where throwing so many things on each other cheese balls ,butter balls , yogurt.In his Astadasa Chanda  by Srila Rupa Goswami has described there was so much yogurt thrown it was up to the knees of everyone in Gokula. In Ananda Vrindavana campu some more details are given the cheese balls thrown are compared to hailstorm,solidified moonlight or white mud from the floor of the Ocean of milk (Payonidhi) .They also showered each other with buttermilk, aromatic oils, and water mixed with turmeric .Alone with lots of chanting Krsnas glories along with instruments and the brahmanas chanting Vedic hymns .It is explained that the demigods did not fast but took the form of birds to drink and eat whatever thrown by the Vrijabasis ( that will in some other life qualify them for taking birth in Vraja)

All the cows and Vrijabasis all forgot to eat and so busy celebrating Janmastami .We can read in the tikas of Krsna das Babaji of Govardhana that the Vrijabasis every year celebrated Janmastami  at Govardhana ,decorating Manasi Ganga with lamps and taking rest at Govinda Kunda.

Radha Krsna and the Gopis doing rasa lila at Chadra Sarovara at Govardhana. Also no mention is there of anyone taking prasadam as everyone is festive celebrating Janmastami .So this is the Raga marg path our previous acaryas has followed . Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita and all Their associates in Jagannanth Puri would dress up as sakhas and whirl the cowherd boy sticks and all would fast till the next day .Remembering the pastimes of Krsna and Balarama.

 When Krsna and Balarama entered Mathura  and killed  Kamsa and other demons after these pastimes they met with Devaki and Vasudeva .They asked Krsna how to perform His Janmastami celebration so Krsna gave so many rules as mentioned in the 15th Vilasa of Haribhakti Vilasa .That one must fast fully and especially avoid  grain prasada .Thus no Gaudiya vaisnava in ISKCON or Gaudiya math should take grains or eat anything.If one is sick some little milk or fruit or something can be taken and tasting will mostly go up till midnight that was Prabhupadas standard.On the first Janmastami celebration Srila Prabhupada brought fruits prasada  only for the devotees after midnight .It is the duty of all preachers and leaders and Gurus etc to educate devotees in these matters ,guests also should not be served grain prasadam on Janmastami .The glories of Janmastami fasting should be explained to devotees and read aloud for everyone to hear and understand this is brahminical.Failure to do so is low class and less than Sudra mentality .Serving grains and taking grains on Janmastami leads to a body of a snake according to sastra , futher details are given also in Brahma Vaivarta Purana .And even once doing proper Janmastami celebration gives eternal spiritual benefit , what to speak of year after year properly observing Janmastami .So in Vraja bhakti and raganuga bhakti one observes these things spontaneously ,as Yoga Maya, Purnamasi devi will inspire the devotee to do so, and for the rest of us we have to follow the vaidhi rules given by Srila Sanatana Goswami so we can one day attain Vraja bhakti and raganuga Bhakti .

your humble servant

Paramananda das

[Paramananda das]

there is more to it than that actually because in Ananda Vrindavana Campu we can see that in Krsnas Pauganda lila (5 to 10) in chapter 8 that the Vrijabasis where taking prasadam on Janmastami .t is stated mother Yasoda invited the general public.Yasoda offered palatable foods to the wives of Nandagrama and whoever came from all over Vraja ,the married women and all young girls of Vraja.And gifts of pear necklaces where given by mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja also entertained the guests and especially his brothers Sananda and Upananda  and wives.Later Yasoda personally fed Radharani and the asta Sakhis and asta manjaris and everyone was served a feast cooked by Rohinidevi and She felt great bliss in doing so ,Nanda Maharaja offered his guest Padyam (washing their feet) and offered Arghya water for reception for washing hands and acamana for washing the mouth ,after that Nanda Maharaja gave all the Vrijabasis ,betel nuts.cardamon etc to chew and garlands .The elderly ,children and babies where fed first ,then all the men and last all the gopis headed by Srimati Radharani .After  the feast Mother Yasoda gave betel nuts,garlands ,ointments ,sindura and gold embroidered cloth to all the Gopis ,,,yes gold embroidered sarees etc.And then the feast was offered to the sinless residents of Nandagrama. SO the question may foolishly come can we also take prasadam on Janmastami ,the answer is no because we follow the rules and regulationes given by Krsna Himself to Devaki and Vasudeva and such rules are to be followed by everyone.After this feast Krsna and Balarama and the sakhas made balls of kunda flowers a kind of jasmine flowers .that looked like sesame seed laddhus  and started to bombard each other for hours at the end the sakhas fanned Krsna with leaves and massaged legs. Whoever read this that is a devotee of Krsna will feel great joy.

[Paramananda das]

an ekadasi feast is taken on midnight of Janmastami not before ,or even better fast untill next day