question about Caturmasya and Sraddha and my answer.

[Paramananda das]

Dear Prabhuji
Pamho & Agtsp
Hare Krsna. How are you? Prabhuji I have moved from dubqai to India- mumbai for good & settling down there.

Prabhuji I have a very serious question/doubt to ask, pls provide valid evidence. Some devottes told me that Srila Prabhupada never saud anything about Chaturmasya vrata to be folllowed, like milk, curd, green leaqfy veg & udad dal not to be taken during Chaturmasya. Can you pls clarify my this doubt, some quotes from Srila Prabhupada ONLY.

One more doubt, how to do Shrada for ones father & forefather in as per ISKCON's rules.

awaiting your reply


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Please always keep me engaged in the service of Sri Sri Radha & Krsna & their Dear Devotees.
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Your Humble Servant
(name withheld)

dear .................
Please accept my humble obaisences
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
You did not ask your Guru>?Srila Prabhupada follows the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
I wrote this recently.
dear Devotees
Please accept my humble obaisences
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Lord Caitanya and the 6 Goswamis certainly followed Caturmasya very strictly and many acaryas has done so also.In ISKCON we mainly follow the most basic things:
These are some quotes from Hari Bhakti Vilasa
After properly praying to the Supreme Lord near Him, one should properly take a vow to follow the proper rules and regulations and process of Caturmasya to increase one’s devotion to Lord Sri Krsna.
In the month of Asadha, either on the Ekadasi when the Lord sleeps or in Cancer Sankranti day or a full moon day, it is the duty of a fasting person to take a vow to fast in Caturmasya with devotion, in front of the Lord.
Any person in this material world who performs Caturmasya without following any rules and regulations, or fasts, or without chanting any japa, such a foolish person is considered to be dead, even though alive.
SRAVANE VARJAYET SAKAM DADHI BHADRA PADE TATHA
DUGDHAM ASVAYUJE MASI KARTIKE CA AMISAM TYAJET
(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/117 from SKANDA PURANA, NAGARA KHANDA)
While following Caturmasya) one should give up eating leafy veget ables in the month of Sravana (July-August). In the month of Bhadrapada (August-September), one should give up yogurt. In the month of Asvina (September-October) one should give up milk and in the month of Karttika (October-November), one should give up eating dahl.
your servant
 Paramananda  das

http://www.hknet.org.nz/Chaturmasya-HBV.html
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/caturmasya.htm
Vishnu Rahasya- Lord Brahma to Narada Muni.
If one accepts all these Vaisnava austerities and observances with devotion, one attains the supreme destination O Narada. One who desires within himself to execute all these Vaisnava austerities and vows, his sins obtained within one hundred births is destroyed. If one is exclusively devoted, peaceful, takes daily bath, is fixed in vow and worships the Lord during these four months, he goes to the abode of the Lord. He who accepts the austerity of sleeping on the ground this time when the Vishnu Deity is sleeping in yoga nidra underwater, he goes to the abode of Laxmi.
 
 
Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya 4.169
grisma-kala-ante punah nilacale gela
nilacale caturmasya anande rahila
TRANSLATION
At the end of summer Madhavendra Puri returned to Jagannatha Puri, where he remained with great pleasure during the whole period of Caturmasya.
PURPORT
The Caturmasya period begins in the month of Asadha (June-July) from the day of Ekadasi called Sayana-ekadasi in the fortnight of the waxing moon. The period ends in the month of Kartika (October-November) on the Ekadasi day known as Utthana-ekadasi in the fortnight of the waxing moon. This four-month period is known as Caturmasya. Some Vaisnavas also observe it from the full-moon day of Asadha until the full-moon day of Kartika. That is also a period of four months. This period, caiculated by the lunar months, is called Caturmasya, but others also observe Caturmasya according to the solar month from Sravana to Kartika. The whole period, either lunar or solar, takes place during the rainy season. Caturmasya should be observed by all sections of the population. it does not matter whether one is a grhastha or a sannyasi. The observance is obligatory for all asramas. The real purpose behind the vow taken during these four months is to minimize the quantity of sense gratification. This is not very difficult. In the month of Sravana, one should not eat spinach. In the month of Bhadra, one should not eat yogurt, and in the month of Asvina, one should not drink milk. One should not eat fish or other nonvegetarian food during t he month of Kartika. A nonvegetarian diet means fish and meat. Similarly, masura dahl and urad dahl are also considered nonvegetar an. These two dahls contain a great amount of protein, and food rich in protein is considered nonvegetarian. On the whole, during the four-month period of Caturmasya, one should practice giving up all food intended for sense enjoyment.
It is very clear from Srila Prabhupadas instructions, real vaisanvas follow Caturmasya ,pseudo devotees do not.

your second question:
One more doubt, how to do Shrada for ones father & forefather in as per ISKCON's rules.

some managers will tell you give us your money and we will have a feast of opulent prasadam.
This is how some do Sraddha in ISKCON.I will advise that you go to Gaya.And have some one do sraddha, look for a bonafide vaisnava if not there try to find a good brahmin and then give daksina (NOT TO MUCH NOW).I did sradhha for my mother and grandfather in Gaya.The Gayasura got a benediction that whoever touched his body and did yajna would be elevated to Vakuntha.Later Visnu killed the Gayasura demon and the footprint of Lord Visnu is there.Lord Caitanya also went there to show us the example.I suggest you go ,by touching the holy land of Gaya you liberate many anscestors, the same is also true for observing strict Nirjala ekadasis.I suggest you do both at least for some time ,and give some of the benefit of your fasting to your father or anyone you like.By doing Nirjala on Janmastami and other such days you also benefit your forfathers.There is the vers:
devarsi bhutatma nrnam pitrnamna kinkaro nayam rni ca rajansarvatmana yah saranam saranyamgato mukundam pari hrtya kartam
If one is a pure devotee and chanting 64 to 120 rounds a day you do not have to go to Gaya.But I suggest you go.If you want to properly do Nirjala ekadasis also chant 64 to 120 rounds on those days, observing strict celibacy.
 

[Paramananda das]

this said you can also have a function at an ISKCON temple, but I humbly suggest it be in addition to what I have suggested
( I added this)