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Re: Ekadashi and "Unbiased opinions"

From the Bhakti List Archives

Jaganath.Bharadwaj • March 7, 1996 


I read Anand's postings with interest and thought that a couple of
comments were in order.

(1) During the reign of King Muchukunda in the Satya Yuga, Ekadashi
fasting was enforced on all human subjects as well as domesticated
animals.
(2) Ekadashi like Vishnu Sahasranama parayanam or anything else for
that matter delivers both material and spiritual benefits.  One of
the benefits of observing Ekadashi is destruction of sins.  I believe
Kesava Prasad was referring to both Prapannas as well as jivatmas not
surrendered to Sriman Narayana, while Anand is referring exclusively
to the Prapanna.  Even for the Prapanna, violation of Sriman
Narayana's instructions occur because of the fruition of past sins.
It is for this reason there is the intervening period between
Prapatti and Moksha.  Observences of Ekadashi, dwadashi parayanam,
doing Sudarshana Homam etc helps in destruction of past sins.  This
reduces the possibility of offences due to past sins.

(3) Sri Vedanta Desikar points out in the Rahasya Traya Sara, that
there are 32 obstacles on the path of attaining Moksha (which is
uninterrupted service).  The chief obstale among these is Narayana's
will to punish for wrong doing, which keeps a person eternally in
illusion i.e. eternally until the jivatma does prapatti and asks for
Moksha.  It is only after that, that Sriman Narayana openly displays
His daya, sneha and other qualities.  Until then there is always the
difference between Sriman Narayana's behaviour with Prahalada and
Hiranyakasipu.

(4)  In an unrelated issue, Kesava Prasad while justifying use of
Ramakrishna Mutt publications, mentioned as one of the advantages,
getting an unbiased view.  I am not sure what he meant.  But in my
reading of RTS today, Sri Vedanta Desikar makes it very clear that
there are only two categories of people - those who realize that they
exist for serving Sriman Narayana only and those who do not.  As such
there can be only friends or enemies of Narayana.  A neutral category
does not exist, since that is not in the nature of a jivatma.

Jaganath.