Balarama Jayanti Appearance Day of Lord Balaram something I responded to in 2011 and now edited my response for clarification

[Paramananda das]

  

 

Appearance Day of Lord Balaram

Dear   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 Visnu Tattvas, mainlyJanmasthami, 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 

 

(he is serving in ISKCON Boston since long time disciple of Prabhupadas disciple Sridhara Swami )

 

dear Laxmi Narayana Prabhu

Please accept my humble obaisences

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Balarama Purnima is fasting from all grains like ekadasi , and best is to take anukalpa prasadam in the evening or do nirjala until next day, In ISKCON the fast is set to noon.

When I joined in 1979 fasting for Lord Balarama was at moon rise,  this was Srila Prabhupadas instruction 

Srila Prabhupada told Harikesa das in 1975 in Vrindavana only Ekadasi prasadam to be served in the evening after moon rise :

(this instruction of Srila Prabhupada was followed in former Harikesas zone that included Scandinavia, Germany Austria and all East European countries including Ukraine and Russia,, they all followed this also Kazakstan, and all former USSR territory)

If Devamrta Swami and others are honest they can testifie to this standard of Srila Prabhupada sadly it seems these days refuse to remember the original standards given by Srila Prabhupada  ,it is more easy to follow your sense gratification 

 

I found this quote by Bhakta Rupa das  that I   strongly disagree with:

 

This fasting instruction, introduced into the old VCal program, does not
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

He writes:" So devotees can interpret it as they see fit. "????? 

Such nonsense! When it comes to Ramanavami, but  Srila Prabhupada left no room for speculation.

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.

 

Srila Prabhupada disciples mostly disobey Srila Prabhupada this is my experience after 46 years in ISKCON 

 

I went to Dubai a few times to preach on Invitation but I had a fallout with Sri Vallabha das because he teach devotees to take grains on Nityananda Tryodasi 

 

 

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 

The same should be done for Balarama Purnima  best if to fast till next day, Srila Prabhupada allowed us Ekadasi after moonrise 

Your servsant 

Paramananda das 

 

PS Mother Govind also confirmed Srila Prabhupadas standard for fasting on all Visnutattvadays as only taking Ekadasi Prasadam ,,She was Srila Prabhupadas secretary in the early days of ISKCON 1967 to 1968 ,,69 ,Also I hear from former Rohini Kumara Swami that was a cook for Srila Prabhupada at 26 and Second Avenue and later also at Henry Street ,Srila Prabhupada instructed fasting for Balarama Purnima till moon rise ,evening time ,,it leaves no room for speculation 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Sent: Wed, Aug 10, 2011 6:18 pm
Subject: Balaram Jayanti

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 Visnu Tattvas, mainlyJanmasthami, 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