Ekādaśī and the Harivamsis

This is part 2 of a trilogy of refutations of Hita harivaṁśa, Haridāsi etc followers

Let followers of Harivaṁśa or Haridās Swāmi not take offence. This is a purely philosophical blog. Sādhu Bābā was non-sectarean. He sang songs of Haridās Swāmi and Harivaṁśa and called himself Haridāsi too.

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

Some reasons why Radhavallabhis and Haridasis don't consider Ekadasi as very important in their bhajan marga -

(1) Our nistha in mahaprasad is such that we don't accept that mahaprasad is constituted of grains or any padartha [material ingredient] under any circumstances. When bhoga is offered with love to Shyama Shyam, the bhoga becomes one in nature with them. It becomes Krsnamayi – Radhamayi.

So for us, to accept and promote the idea that mahaprasad is made up of grains or any other material element is not possible. Just as it is not correct [and is offensive] to think that a Thakurji-svarupa is made of metal, clay, wood and so on, similarly we never accept prasad to be anything other than prasad, mercy. So where the Puranas say “do not eat grains on Ekadasi” we aren't actually eating grains, because prasad and grains are never the same and there is just a superficial similarity, like the comparison between a biological eye and the eye on a peacock's feather.

(2) We ask the question, are we focused on following Ekadasi or we are interested in the result/phala of following Ekadasi? Various sastras say that Ekadasi's phala is one of the 4 purusharthas and in some places it says that Krishna-charanarvind-rati is the fruit. Radhavallabhis and Haridasis are instead interested in something we consider even higher than this. Becoming a completely committed sevika/maidservant of Swaminiju Radha. It is not said anywhere that Ekadasi will give us seva of Sri Radha and that's all we really care about. Our conception of Shyamsundar is like this:

japata hari bibasa tava nama pratipada bimala manasi tava dhyana te nimisa nahi taribo

“Helplessly Hari constantly recites your perfect name [Sri Radha's name], his mind straying from contemplation of you not for a second;” - Hit Chaurasi

dekhau māī abalā ke bala rāsi ati gaja matta niraṁkusa moṁhana, 

nirakhi baṁdhe laṭa pāsi

“Oh look Sakhi, at the heaps of power this “powerless” girl [abala] possesses! Mohan Krishna is a drunken elephant that no one can control, but she ties him down with one braid of her hair.” - Hit Chaurasi

So for this reason, we just have full faith in performing ashtayam/astakaliya seva to Shyama Shyam every day and have no special regard or purpose with Ekadasi as it is not particularly helpful for our goal, 'Radha-charan-pradhanya', prominence of love for Sri Radha's lotus feet.

Many of our mahatmas have attained the prayojan, Radha dasyam/sahachari bhava without following Ekadasi. Sri Harivansh himself is famed for not following it [see Nabhadas' bhaktmaal etc] and so we follow his bhajan-path in regards to Ekadasi. The followers of Swami Haridas are the same, they do not give much importance to Ekadasi vrata either.

(3) Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur in Raga-vartma-candrika says how Ekadasi is partially related with one's desired bhava, because it can help in one's Hari smarana. “tatraivaikadasi  vratasyanvaye 'govinda smaranam nrnam yad ekadasyuposanam' iti smrter upadana karana smaranasya labhada amsena bhava sambhanditvam”.

If by our bhajan practises, we are already engaged in smarana [which is a direct cause of attaining one's desired bhava as opposed to Ekadasi which is a partially/indirect cause] of Sri Priya Priyatam and that too focusing on our cherished bhava, then we also see no need to keep Ekadasi as we are already doing what it's fruit is, smaranam. If someone in our sampradaya finds it helpful to keep Ekadasi, then my Gurudev Hit Premananda and other Acharyas/Gurus explain the vidhi to such persons and cater for them in this way. The Haridasis also do the same.

The other comments of Sri VCT about having to keep Ekadasi at all costs are not accepted by us as we feel they don't apply to our one-pointed way of worship. Nor do we accept comments by other saints when they say that there are no atonements mentioned in sastra for the sin of eating grains on Ekadasi and therefore the sin of not following Ekadasi is indestructable. All aparadhas let alone sins/papas are obliterated for those who take to Sri Radha's naam. If the glories of Sri Hari's name should never be considered an exaggeration, then what to speak of the name of She who he runs after?

“O Radha, when a person once tastes the nectar of Your holy name, Lord Krishna becomes filled with love for him, makes no record of his offenses, and considers giving him the greatest gift. Who, then, can touch the pinnacle of the glory possessed by persons whose only thought is to serve You?” - Radha Sudha Nidhi

“Chant the holy name of Radha every day. Reject millions of other great spiritual practices. Millions of the best goals of life perform arati to the nectar at Radha's lotus feet. Millions of noble mandara trees are glorious in the land where Radha's lotus feet enjoy pastimes. Millions of wonderful spiritual perfections roll at the feet of Shri Radha's maidservants.” - Radha Sudha Nidhi

So such bhajan destroys all aparadhas, and using the kaimutya nyaya principle, the “what to speak of principle” (a fortiori principle), if it can destroy the aparadhas, it can surely destroy the less serious papas/sins.

But for who may insist, Gita 18.66 gives the fitting reply regarding papas - sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah. 

(4) Lastly, Sri Rupa himself says how even a slight contact with the 5 primary angas of bhakti gives perfection:

sadhu-sanga nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana

mathura-vasa sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

“The quintessential practices of devotion are association with sadhus, chanting the Holy Names, hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam, residing in Mathura-dhama, and faithfully worshiping the Deity.”

In Caitanya Caritamrta, Srila Kaviraja Goswami also says: sakala-sadhana-srestha ei panca anga krsna-prema janmaya ei pancera alpa sanga - “These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna.” Therefore sincere performance of any one of these limbs can give prema.

Gauḍīya vaiṣṇava - But doesn't Mahaprabhu insist on following Ekādaśī in the Caitanya Caritāmṛta?

Advaitadās - look in the Haribhakti Vilāsa – there are whole chapters full of Ekādaśī. Rāga vartma candrikā condemns anyone who thinks rāgānugīs don’t have to follow Ekādaśī. That was to prevent such rascaldom, which had been promulgated by Rūpa Kavirāja from Suramya kunja, to spread. Visvanatha Cakravartipada comments on Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu [1.2.295] –

etena vraja-loka-padena vraja-stha-śrī-rādhā-candrāvaly-ādyā eva grāhyāḥ | tāsām anusāreṇaiva sādhaka-dehena kāyiky-ādi-sevāpi kartavyā | evaṁ sati tābhir guru-pādāśrayaṇaikādaśī-vrata-śālagrāma-tulasī-sevādayo na kṛtāḥ | tad-anugatair asmābhir api na kartavyā ity ādhunika-sauramya-matam api nirastam | ata eva śrī-jīva-gosvāmi-caraṇair apy asya granthasya ṭīkāyāṁ durgama-saṅgamanī-nāmnyāṁ tathaivoktam | tad yathā—vraja-lokās tv atra kṛṣṇa-preṣṭha-janās tad-anugatāś ca tad-anusārataḥ ||295||

"By the word vraja-lokā, one should understand persons situated in Vraja — Rādhā, Candrāvalī and others. Following after them, one should perform service using one’s physical body also. Some modern persons following the sauramya-sampradāya think that since persons such as Rādhā did not perform services such as surrendering to guru, following Ekādaśī vows, and serving śālagrāma and tulasī, we also need not do those activities. That idea is defeated here. Jīva Gosvāmī in his commentary has explained this with the words vraja-lokās tv atra kṛṣna-preṣṭha-janās tad-anugatāś ca tad-anusārataḥ: vraja-lokā means those dear to Kṛṣṇa (like Śrī Rādhā etc.) and persons following after them (like Śrī Rūpa etc.); one should follow in their footsteps."

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

So for us, to accept and promote the idea that mahaprasad is made up of grains or any other material element is not possible.

Advaitadās –

Mahāprabhu did mention the ingredients of the mahā-prasāda in Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Antya 16 108-110 -

prabhu kahe,----"ei sab hoy ’prākṛta’ dravya

aikṣava, karpūra, marica, elāica, lavaṅga, gavya

rasavāsa, guṇatvaka-ādi yata sab

’prākṛta’ vastura svāda sabāra anubhav

sei dravye eta āsvāda, gandha lokātīta

āsvāda koriyā dekho,----sobāra pratīta

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "These ingredients, such as sugar, camphor, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, butter, spices and licorice, are all material. Everyone has tasted these material substances before. But in these ingredients there are extraordinary tastes and uncommon fragrances. Just taste them and see the difference in the experience.”

Mādhurya Kādambini condemns deliberate sevā-aparādha (which the breaking of Ekādaśī is) as the nāmāparadha of sinning on strength of the name:

kintu tat tad upaśama sambhava balena tatra sāvadhānatā śaithilye sevāparādhā api nāmāparādhā eva syuḥ. tathā hyuktam - nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa buddhir iti. tatra nāma ityupalakṣaṇaṁ bhakti mātrasyaivopaśamakasya. dharma śāstre'pi prāyaścitta balena pāpācareṇa na tasya pāpasya kṣayaḥ pratyuta gāḍhataiva.

If one is, however, careless about sevā-aparādhas, knowing that by chanting and reciting prayers sevā-aparādhas can be nullified, then all the sevā-aparādhas turn into nāma-aparādha. śāstras thus say, “Committing sins on the strength of nāma is one of the nāma-aparādhas.” In this verse, nāma also refers to other devotional practices. Even dharma-śāstras related to the codes of karma-yoga also say that if one commits sins on the strength of atonement, thinking that it can destroy the evil effects of sins, then those sins become more intense rather than being destroyed.

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

"sadhu-sanga nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana

mathura-vasa sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

“The quintessential practices of devotion are association with sadhus, chanting the Holy Names, hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam, residing in Mathura-dhama, and faithfully worshiping the Deity.”

In Caitanya Caritamrta, Srila Kaviraja Goswami also says: sakala-sadhana-srestha ei panca anga krsna-prema janmaya ei pancera alpa sanga - “"These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna.” Therefore sincere performance of any one of these limbs can give prema."

Advaitadās - Caitanya Caritamrta (Ādi 15, 8-9) also says that Nimāi told mother Śacī to follow Ekādaśī –

eka dina mātāra pade kariyā praṇāma

prabhu kahe,----mātā, more deha eka dāna

mātā bole,-- tāi dibo, yā tumi māgibe

prabhu kahe,- ekādaśīte anna nā khāibe

“One day Nimāi offered praṇām to His mother's feet and said 'mother, give me one gift'. Mother said ‘I give you anything you ask.” Prabhu said “don't eat grains on Ekādaśī”.

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

"We aren't actually eating grains, because prasad and grains are never the same and there is just a superficial similarity, like the comparison between a biological eye and the eye on a peacock's feather."

Advaitadās - Where do the 6 Gosvāmīs say that? It's a total speculation

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

"Radhavallabhis and Haridasis are instead interested in something we consider even higher than this. Becoming a completely committed sevika/maidservant of Swaminiju Radha. It is not said anywhere that Ekadasi will give us seva of Sri Radha and that's all we really care about."

Advaitadās – “You risk attracting all the lazy, cheap, insincere and bodily attached devotees from us in this way.”

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

"Many of our mahatmas have attained the prayojan, Radha dasyam/sahachari bhava without following Ekadasi. Sri Harivansh himself is famed for not following it"

Advaitadās – That is why his guru Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī rejected him.

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

"(3) Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur in Raga-vartma-candrika says how Ekadasi is partially related with one's desired bhava, because it can help in one's Hari smarana. “tatraivaikadasi  vratasyanvaye 'govinda smaranam nrnam yad ekadasyuposanam' iti smrter upadana karana smaranasya labhada amsena bhava sambhanditvam”.

If by our bhajan practises, we are already engaged in smarana [which is a direct cause of attaining one's desired bhava as opposed to Ekadasi which is a partially/indirect cause] of Sri Priya Priyatam and that too focusing on our cherished bhava, then we also see no need to keep Ekadasi as we are already doing what it's fruit is, smaranam"

Advaitadās  - They should not quote Gauḍīya ācāryas on the one hand and reject them on the other hand. Ek pathe cholo – follow one path. This is the full text of Raga-vartma-candrika, to understand the whole context –

tapāṁsi śraddhayā kṛtvā premāḍhyā jajñire vraje ity ujjvala nīlamaṇyukter anugamyamānānāṁ śrutīnāṁ premāṇaṁ prati tapasāṁ kāraṇatvāvagamāt kalāvasmin tapo ‘ntarasya vigītatvāt mad arthaṁ yad vrataṁ tapaḥ iti bhagavad ukter ekādaśī janmāṣṭamyādi vratāni tapo rūpāṇi iti nimitta kāraṇāni naimittika kṛtyāni akaraṇe pratyavāya śravaṇān nityāni. tatraivaikādaśī vratasyānvaye govinda smaraṇaṁ nṛṇaṁ yad ekādaśyupoṣaṇam iti smṛter upādāna kāraṇa smaraṇasya lābhād aṁśena bhāva sambandhitvam api vyatireke tu mātṛhā pitṛhā caiva bhrātṛhā guruhā tathā ityādi skāndādi vacanebhyo guruhantṛtvādi śravaṇān nāmāparādha lābhaḥ brahmaghnasya surāpasya steyino gurutalpinaḥ iti viṣṇu-dharmottarokter anapāyi pāpa viśeṣa lābhaś ca iti nindāśravaṇād atyāvaśyaka kṛtyatvam. kiṁ bahunā paramāpadam āpanne harṣe vā samupasthite. naikādaśīṁ tyajed yas tu tasya dīkṣāsti vaiṣṇavī. viṣṇvarpitākhilācārāḥ sa hi vaiṣṇava ucyate. iti skānda vākyābhyām ekādaśī vratasya vaiṣṇava lakṣaṇatvam eva nirdiṣṭam. kiṁ ca vaiṣṇavānāṁ bhagavad anivedita bhojana niṣedhāḥ vaiṣṇavo yadi bhuñjita ekādaśyāṁ pramādataḥ ityatra bhagavan niveditānnasyaiva bhojana niṣedho’vagamyate.

“Having performed austerities with full faith, they attained full prema and took birth in Vraja.” From this evidence of the book Śri Ujjvala Nīlamani it is known that austerity was the cause of the Śrutis’ attaining prema. But in the present Kali-age, the performance of ulterior penance is denounced and the Lord Himself says: “Vows taken for My sake are actually penance.” Hence penances such as fasting on Ekādaśī, Janmāṣṭamī and so forth are indirect causes for attaining bhāva. Neglecting such occasional duties is known to be a cause of regression, therefore they are to be perpetually engaged in.  In the smṛti-śāstra, the effect of observing Ekādaśi-fast is told: “Fasting on Ekādaśī causes the remembrance of Govinda”. From this statement it is understood that it is a cause for attaining one’s desired mood, being a direct cause for the limb of smaraṇa, and therefore Śri Ekādaśī-vrata is said to be partially related with one’s desired mood. On the other hand, it is said about not observing it, “One who does not observe the Ekādaśī-vrata attains the sins of killing his mother, father, brother and guru.” In this way the Skanda Purāṇa says that one who does not fast on Ekādaśī becomes a killer of his guru and commits an offence against the holy name. Again, “Killer of a brāhmaṇa, drunkard, thief, one who has sex in his guru’s bed”, and so forth, thus Viṣṇu-dharmottara describes the specific imperishable sins which the one who eats grains on Ekādaśī acquires. All these denouncing statements prove that vows like Ekādaśī should always be kept. “Anyone who does not give up the vow of Ekādaśī has made his Vaiṣṇava-initiation a success.” “Anyone who offers all his activities unto Lord Viṣṇu, is a successful Vaiṣṇava.” These two statements from the Skanda Purāṇa give a definition of the Vaiṣṇava as one observing the vow of Ekādaśī. It is forbidden for a Vaiṣṇava to eat food which is not offered to the Lord. “If the Vaiṣṇava becomes so bewildered that he eats on the day of Ekādaśī...” These words show that eating of mahā-prasāda-grains is forbidden on the day of Ekādaśī.

Note here that Viśvanātha Cakravarti does mention and consider the different ingredients of mahā-prasāda – niveditānnasyaiva. The topic of Rāga vartma candrikā is rāga mārga, not vidhi mārga. And in any case, Rūpa Gosvāmī says in Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu [1.2.296]

śravaṇotkīrtanādīni vaidha-bhakty-uditāni tu

yāny aṅgāni ca tāny atra vijñeyāni manīṣibhiḥ 

“All the items of devotion that were discussed for vaidhi-bhakti are also practised and depended upon in rāgānugä-bhakti. The wise devotees practise the items that are proper for their own mood, but they do not act contrary to their own mood.”

Among the exceptions to this rule for rāga bhakti, Viśvanātha does not include Ekādaśī-vrata. Only mudra, nyāsa, mahiṣī pūjā and dvārakā dhyāna.

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

"All aparadhas let alone sins/papas are obliterated for those who take to Sri Radha's naam."

Advaitadās - nāmāparādha nr.6 is nāmno balāt yasya hi pāpa-buddhir na vidyate tasya yamair hi śuddhi - “No rules [yamaiḥ, atonement] can purify one who commits sins on strength of the holy name.”

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

(4) Lastly, Sri Rupa himself says how even a slight contact with the 5 primary angas of bhakti gives perfection:

sadhu-sanga nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana

mathura-vasa sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

“The quintessential practices of devotion are association with sadhus, chanting the Holy Names, hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam, residing in Mathura-dhama, and faithfully worshiping the Deity.”

Advaitadās - Here again he selectively quotes Gauḍīya acaryas and elsewhere he rejects them. While that same Rupa Goswami wrote in Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu [1.2.76] that Ekadasi fasting is one of 64 bhakti angas -

vyāvahāreṣu sarveṣu yāvad-arthānuvartitā

hari-vāsara-sammāno dhātry-aśvatthādi-gauravam

Translation: Accepting only what is necessary in dealing with the body; observing the Ekādaśī vrata; giving respect to the āmalakī, aśvattha and other items.

Hita harivaṁśa follower –

In Caitanya Caritamrta, Srila Kaviraja Goswami also says: sakala-sadhana-srestha ei panca anga krsna-prema janmaya ei pancera alpa sanga - “"These five limbs of devotional service are the best of all. Even a slight performance of these five awakens love for Krsna.” Therefore sincere performance of any one of these limbs can give prema.

Advaitadās – It does not mean we should not follow Ekādaśī. You accept this from Rūpa Goswami and not his edict that Ekādaśī is one of the 64 bhakti-items. I call it ‘Picking and choosing what pleases your senses.’

Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava - If we offer rice and subji on Ekādaśī to Thakurji, how can then be still any “sins” in the rice grains?

Advaitadas - There are no sins in prasād ever. It is a great aparādha to think so but we are not Thakurji - he can eat grains on Ekādaśī, we not. Look at the story of the sādhus who got a wet dream from eating Rādhā-Govinda's mahā-prasad. The money was given by a prostitute. Rādhā-Govinda told them: “I can digest that but you cannot. There is a papa-puruṣa (sinful energy) active on Ekādaśī.”