seeing through the eyes of scriptures
Balarama Jayanti
seem to be based on any particular sastric injunction. So devotees can
interpret it as they see fit.
Perhaps the origin of this tradition is that based on some instructions of
Srila Prabhupada, the temples would not serve breakfast that day, would hold
special worship programs for Lord Balaram at mid-day, and then would serve a
feast. This became known as "fasting till noon" to designate that out of
respect for the special worship program at mid-day, devotees would not eat
in the morning.
The old VCal fasting instruction wordings have been discontinued in the
latest version of GCal, although there is an option on the "Calendar
Settings" page to restore them. The reason that they have been discontinued
is that there are varieties of traditional practices found in ISKCON today.
Some worship Balaram at noon, some at dusk, some serve grains after the
abhishek, some serve only anukalpa (ekadasi) prasadam. Similarly with Lord
Ramachandra's appearance day. The calendar committee did not want the
program wordings to be the source of quarrelling among the devotees. Let
everyone observe these festivals peacefully according to the instructions of
their spiritual authorities or temple leaders or their personal realization.
Bhanu Maharaja may want to say more in this regard.
Your servant, Bhaktarupa Das
710407LE.BOM Lectures
So this process should be adopted, how to become sukrtina. Sukrti means yajna-dana-tapa-kriya. One must perform sacrifices as prescribed in the sastras, and they must give in charity their hard-earned money for Krsna's cause. That is called dana. Yajna, dana, and tapasya. Tapasya. Just like tomorrow is SriRama-navami. The tapasya will be that all the devotees will observe fasting from morning till evening. This is called tapasya. Just like Ekadasi day--there is no eating sumptuously. Simply you take little fruits and flowers. Try to avoid that also. You don't take even water. That is really ekadasi. But because we cannot do it--in the Kali-yuga the time is different--therefore we are allowed to take little fruit and milk, which is called anukalpa. These are different methods of tapasya. And yajna. This yajna, sankirtanaih prayair yajnaih, yajanti hi su-medhasah. In this age you cannot perform that big asvamedha yajna, gomedha yajna, rajasuyayajna, so many other yajnas. It is not possible. First of all, you have no means to perform such yajnas, hundreds and hundreds of tons ghee required for putting into the sacrificial fire. You have not even a drop of your ghee. So forget all those yajnas. In this age, yajnaih sankirtanaih prayaih.8-03-26.Letter: Mukunda
Please accept my blessings. I am sorry I am delayed to reply your letter dated March 14, 1968, which I received over a week ago. I am very glad that you are repentant even for some action which is not sanctioned by me. This attitude is very nice and improves one in progressing on the path of devotional service. The Rakhi Bandhan ceremony observed by you under instruction of Prasad isn't approved by our Vaisnava rituals. Of course, such ceremony is observed among the Hindu community as a socio-religious convention. But in our Vaisnava community there is no such observance. Now, forget the incidence, and in future don't be misled by some unauthorized person. Our next ceremony is Lord Ramacandra's Birthday, on the 7th of April. It should be observed in the same way as Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day, namely, fasting up to evening and then accept Prasadam, and all our ceremonies should be performed with continuousKirtana, of Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. That will make all our functions successful.68-03-28.Letter: Mahapurusa
So far the Advent Day of Lord Rama Candra, it should be celebrated as Lord Caitanya's Birthday was done. Fasting up to evening, and then take prasadam, and chant Hare Krishna whole day, and be engaged in reading and chanting off and on, chant for some time, then read for some time, then again have Kirtanaand so on, throughout the day. If you have not got a Ramayana, then you can read Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, that is all right.770326r2.bom Conversations
Prabhupada: Rama-navami is upavasa up till the... Go to observe fasting up to the evening.
Tamala Krsna: So moon.
Prabhupada: Sunsenset
But the vaisnava calendar committee does not respect Srila Prabhupadas instruction and have introduced a mayavadi system that everything goes.
Actually Haribhakti Vilasa is very specific about fasting on Ramanavami, it is recommended to do Nirjala .The same for Lord Narasimha ,Janmastami etc.
Now when it comes to Balarama Purnima there is no mention in Haribhakti Vilasa and we have to remember Haribhakti Vilasa are quotes from sastra
about these days of fasting ,and was compiled on the direct order of Lord Caitanya to Srila Sanatana Goswami.Still many refuse to see Haribhakti Vilasa as
any authority, which is a big mistake.Now Sanatana Goswami has not mentioned,Gaura Purnima,Advaita Acaryas Apperance day,Nityananda Trayodasi
and Radhastami.I have been told by Gaudiya math devotees in Mayapure that in Bagh Bazar temple in Calcutta all these days are still observed as 24 hoursfastingsince the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta which was his standard.Lord Balarama is the souce of all other incarnations and expansions of Krsna.
vaibhava-prakasa krsnera-sri-balarama
varna-matra-bheda, saba-krsnera samana
Balarama. Balarama is considered to be the elder brother of Krsna. When Krsna was present, Balarama became His elder brother. When Rama was there, thisBalarama represented Himself as His younger brother, Laksmana. So Balarama is the first manifestation of His personal expansion.see Srila Prabhupadas lecture:http://www.prabhupadavani.org/main/Caitanya_Caritamrta/CC052.html
Lord Balarama is the vaibhava prakash the first expansion of Lord Krsna, and from Lord Balarama is manifested , Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
Even Vasudeva Krsna is thus inferior to Lord Balarama.
Srila Prabhupada writes in the Krishna book ch.46,
“When Krishna was starting for Mathura on the chariot driven by Akrura and the gopis were blocking the way, Krishna assured them that He was coming back just after finishing His business in Mathura. He told them not to be overwhelmed and in this way pacified them. But when He failed to come back with Nanda Maharaja, it appeared that He either cheated them or could not keep His promise. Expert devotees, however, have decided that Krishna was neither a cheater nor a breaker of promises. Krishna, in His original identity, returned with Nanda Maharaja and stayed with the gopis and mother Yashoda in His bhava expansion. Krishna and Balarama remained in Mathura not in Their original forms but in Their expansions as Vasudeva and Sankarsana. The real Krishna and Balarama were in Vrindavan in Their bhava manifestation, whereas in Mathura They appeared in the prabhava and vaibhava expansions. This is the expert opinion of advanced devotees of Krishna. Externally, however, They were absent from Vrindavan.”
What this means is that when Krsna Balarama goes to Mathura and Dvaraka that is their expanded form, Vasudeva and Sankarsana.
In the CC Adi lila chapter 5 we read:
CC Ādi 5.4: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord Balarāma is His second body.
CC Ādi 5.5: These two are one and the same identity. They differ only in form. Lord Balarāma is the first bodily expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and He assists in LordKṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes.
CC Ādi 5.6: That original Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in Navadvīpa as Lord Caitanya, and Balarāma appeared with Him as Lord Nityānanda.
Now we fast till sunset for Lord Ramachandra if we follow Srila Prabhupadas strict instruction and only take anukalpaprasadam,so how can we do anything less when Lord Ramachasra is a manifestation of the second expansion of Vasudeva
,Sankarsana ,Pradyumna and Aniruddha , so for Lord Ramachandra and Lord Narasimha full Nirjala fasting is recommended
or ordered if you like in sastra (and recorded in Hari Bhakti Vilasa).So how can Lord Balarama's fasting be any less than that?
Personally I observe fasting until moonrise as this is what I grew up with in ISKCON, however on this Balarama Purnima here in 2011 I am planning to go on bookdistribution after 2PM and after haven taken anukalpa prasadam .Normally I do no go on Sankirtana on Balarama Purnima.Anyhow this is my plan for this time.So I am no good example this time but last 2 years previously I did nirjala for Lord Balarama and also for Radhastami.
I am no big devotee, or preacher or sannyasi,TP manager or anything, but still I "dare" present these things as it is the correct standard: And those who take grains on Balarama Purnima are most unfortunate and misguided.
Adi Purana states:
"He who is Krsna is He who is Balarama, and he who is Balarama is He who is Krsna.Anyone that sees Them as being different will never leave the world of birth and death."
Hari Vamsa states:
That jiva who makes a distinction between the Balarama and Krsna verily lives in hell.This is spoken by the great sages.
So the vasinava calendar committe has avoided these issues as they could not come up with the proper Siddhanta.
I have written an article about Lord Nityananda Prabhu also,
http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/profiles/blogs/shri-nityaananda-ash...
Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya has clearly stated that Lord Nityananda Prabhus apperance should be celebrated as a fast.
He has done so in his confidential names of Lord Nityananda Prabhu's 108 holy names at the very end:
maaghe maasi site pakshe
trayo-dashyaam tithau sadaa
uposhanam pujanam ca
shri-nityaananda-vaasare
yad yat sah kurute kaamam
tat tad eva labhen narah
Paatha Mahaatmya:-
The most fortunate soul, who recites this Stotra, fasts and offers worship to the Supreme Lord Shri Nityananda Prabhu on the most auspicious thirteenth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Maagha{Jan-Feb} [ Shri Nityananda Trayodashi Tithi ], will certainly have all of ones desires quickly fulfilled.Lord Balarama and Lord Nityananda Prabhu are the same Supreme Lords,Srila Narottama das Thakura has sung:
balarama hoilo nitai
This is the correct siddhanta about Balarama Purnima and I hope it inspires you to fast from grains.In Haribhakti Vilasa many quotes are there that grains is never allowed on Janmastami so the same is certainly true for Balarama Purnima.
your humble servant
Payonidhi das
Appearance Day of Lord Balaram
Dear Payonidhi Prabhu,Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to our dear Srila Prabhupada !!!In the past, I had seen you had circulated several e-mails concerning Srila Pabhpada's instructions about fasting from grains and beans on Appearance days of VisnuTattvas, mainly Janmasthami, Ram Navami, Gaura Purnima, Nrasimha Caturdashi etc.Now; Lord Balaram is the first expansion of the Lord Sri Krishna and as such He is the original Visnu Tattva !. Did Srila Prabhupada gave any instructions concerning avoiding grains on His Appearance Day ? Half day fasting is mentioned in all calendars!If you could find anything; please let me know. I would appreciate it. Hare Krishna !!!!Lord Sri Balaram Ji Ki Jaya !!!Nitai Gaura Hari Hari....Bol !!!Your servant,Lakshmi Narayana dasa
From: gbangera@aol.com
To: Narasimha44@aol.com
Sent: Wed, Aug 10, 2011 6:18 pm
Subject: Balaram Jayanti
Views: 3028
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