ajnana timirandhasya vratenanena kesava
prasida sumukho natha jnana drsti bhava
"Oh Kesava, be pleased with this vrata performed
by one fallen in the modes of darkness. Oh Lord,
bestow your glance of knowledge upon me."
After saying this, the wise devotee should offer some flowers and water at the Lord’s lotus feet and invite the Lord to eat by chanting the eight-syllable mantra oḿ namo nārāyaṇāya thrice, he should then drink water taken form the sanctified vessel in which he offered water at the Lord’s lotus feet.
‘On Dvadasi one must avoid
- sleeping during the day,
- eating in another’s home,
- eating more than once,
- having sex,
- eating honey,
- eating from a bell-metal plate,
- eating urad-dal, and
- rubbing oil on one’s body.
The devotee must give up these eight things on Dvadasi. If he wants to speak to a non devotee on that day, he must purify himself by eating a Tulasi leaf or an amalaki fruit. One should engage himself in taking baths, worshipping the Lord, and executing devotional activities, including the giving of charity and the performance of fire sacrifices. If one finds himself in difficult circumstances and cannot break the Ekadasi fast properly on Dvadasi, one can break it by drinking water, and then one is not at fault if he eats again after that.
No comments:
Post a Comment