Ekadashi: How to Fast Properly to Receive the Greatest Benefit

Vedic literature describes the day of Ekadashi as sacred and therefore especially favorable for spiritual activities, charity and austerities. How should one fast properly on Ekadashi, and why is it needed? The answers are in this Veda Centre article.

Ekadashi is also called Harivasara, which means “the Day of God.” Ekadashi is also called mahotsava, which means “the great festival.”

Ekadasha literally means “eleven” (the Sanskrit word eka means “one,” and dasha means “ten”). Thus Ekadashi is the eleventh day after the full moon and the eleventh day after the new moon. If one spends this day properly, one receives great benefit: one’s consciousness is purified, one’s devotion to God grows stronger, obstacles on one’s path in life are removed, and one receives many other blessings as well, such as health, money and so on.

What does the Ekadashi fast give? How to fast properly, and why

The Brahma-vaivarta Purana (quoted in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.109) says:

sarva-pāpa-praśamanaṁ puṇyam ātyantikaṁ tathā
govinda-smāraṇaṁ nṝṇām ekādaśyām upoṣaṇam

“By observing the fast on Ekadashi, a person destroys all sins, gains immense piety and also develops the ability to remember the Supreme Lord.”

How should one fast properly on Ekadashi? There are different levels of fasting, and a great many of them are described in authentic Vedic sources. One should choose the level one is capable of. One should not take on a level that is higher or lower than that. If it is hard to determine your level yourself, you can consult someone who understands this subject better. It should be remembered that in ancient times people were spiritually far stronger than people today. They could perform severe austerities and keep long fasts while carrying out their duties excellently.

If fasting drains a person’s strength and leaves him unable to function, then he should not fast. The great saint Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in his work called Jaiva Dharma: “Those who are unable to fast on Ekadashi are permitted to take certain foods.”

When studying the ancient literature on fasting, one should accept the rules recommended by contemporary teachers. There is no need to use fasting to display one’s pride and to perform feats beyond the strength of others, showing off one’s abilities. Fasting is meant to bring the level of pride down, not to raise it. This is important to know for those who want to fast properly on Ekadashi.

Three levels of the Ekadashi fast: how to fast properly

For Western followers of Vedic culture, Srila Prabhupada is the fundamental guru. It was he who revealed the Vedas to the Western world in their traditional form. Therefore the injunctions of the Vedas regarding Ekadashi should be accepted through the lens of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and in no other way.

Let us now look at the levels of the Ekadashi fast one by one.

The first level of the Ekadashi fast: vegetarianism and giving up grains and beans

The very first level of observing the Ekadashi fast is giving up meat products (this includes fish and eggs), sex, grains and beans.

The Kurma Purana says:

kāṁsyaṁ māṁsaṁ masūrañ ca caṇakaṁ koradūṣakān
śākaṁ madhu parānnañ ca tyajed upavasan striyam

“While fasting, one should not eat from copper vessels, nor eat meat, flax, peas, the kind of rice called kora, spinach or honey, nor eat other people’s food, nor enter into sexual relations.”

If a person wants to receive the minimum benefit on the day of Ekadashi, he should take upon himself the austerity of abstaining first of all from meat products, grains and beans, and also from sex. Any civilized person is able to give up these things for one day. Abstaining from sex includes looking at a woman with lust, touching her and frivolous talk.

A common piece of fake news is the idea that on Ekadashi some negative energy enters grains and beans. However, no such information has been found in trustworthy sources. For example, on Ekadashi the Deities in temples are offered food that includes grains and beans. Therefore grains and beans are not given up because some evil enters them. No. Simply by giving up these foods a person performs an austerity and practices self-control.

Some sources prescribe giving up new clothes, cosmetics, jewelry and the like on Ekadashi. However, Srila Prabhupada and other saints did not give such advice to modern Western people. Be that as it may, on this day one should try to refrain from all kinds of sinful activity and be more attentive to one’s actions and words. All this is accepted as austerity on Ekadashi and therefore brings benefit.

On this day one should not go to the cinema, cafés, entertainment events and so on. One should associate with saintly people, practice prayer and the worship of God, and study revealed scriptures such as the Bhagavad-gita. Idle talk, getting stuck in social media, watching pointless videos, close association with atheists, flirting with the opposite sex—all this should be excluded on Ekadashi. Surely one can do without it for one day? It is not difficult at all. The very next day a person will undoubtedly feel an enlightened state of consciousness, joy and enthusiasm.

The Bhavishya Purana says that on Ekadashi it is especially auspicious to practice forgiveness, truthfulness, compassion, silence and other qualities. Try not telling a single lie for at least one day. And the next day, take stock of how you feel.

It is also said that on Ekadashi one should not drink water too often or sleep during the day.

All the sacred scriptures agree on one point. The most important thing on Ekadashi is to try to intensify one’s worship of God. This is the most important instruction of the Vedas regarding Ekadashi. Everyone, at his own level, can do something more for God than usual.

The second level: giving up food altogether (or food and water)

If a person is able to abstain from food or even water on Ekadashi, he should do so. At the very least, regular fasting is good for the health. A person can try and see what works for him and what level he can manage. Everyone who keeps a dry fast on Ekadashi agrees that at first, for the first few months, it is hard to go without water and food. Later, however, if one does it regularly, keeping the fast becomes much easier. Remember: if a person is ill, if he is weak even without fasting, less is asked of him. One should not torment oneself. On this point the Bhagavad-gita (17.19) says:

mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat
pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ
parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam

Penance performed out of foolishness, with self-torture or to destroy or injure others, is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

The third level: a full fast plus a night vigil

The Hari-bhakti-vilasa contains many different statements from Vedic literature glorifying the night vigil. There is a statement along these lines: “One who does not stay awake on the night of Ekadashi is like a corpse, though he breathes.” How should someone who is not capable of night vigils regard such statements? Interestingly, in the Orthodox Christian tradition monks diligently practiced night vigils, fasting and prayer.

Note that it was precisely monks who practiced regular night vigils. For many people, staying awake all night, completely absorbed in prayer, singing and other religious activities, would be an artificial imitation of a saint’s life. I have personally discussed the question of night vigils with saints of our day. They do not recommend it. If you have a strong desire, try it. Only do not forget to receive your mentor’s blessing for it. Otherwise one can fall victim to pride and, instead of making spiritual progress, degrade.

In connection with this topic, we should take into account the words of the great saint Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In his work Chaitanya-shikshamrita (2.5), Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote:

Srila Prabhupada stressed to his disciples that what matters in observing Ekadashi is not fasting as abstention from food, but chanting the holy name of God many times. Clearly, Srila Prabhupada did not attach special importance to abstaining from food and water, let alone to staying awake on Ekadashi. He considered the most important thing on this day to be chanting and singing the holy names of God. At the same time, Srila Prabhupada encouraged his followers to eat less on this day. Sometimes he said that it is good to spend Ekadashi on fruit. It is wonderful if a person can keep the fast in accordance with these recommendations of Srila Prabhupada.

So on Ekadashi a person may abstain only from meat, grains and beans and try to worship God more. If he is able, he may fast from food and water; if not, he need not fast. He may also fast, for example, until midday. Although the scriptures do not say this directly, some authorities do so: for example, they eat nothing until midday, and at 12:00 or later they eat food without grains and beans.

Beginning the fast and breaking it properly

One must come out of Ekadashi properly, within a certain window of time. In everyday speech this is called breaking the fast. Interestingly, the English word “breakfast” literally means “to break the fast.” If a person fasted without water, he comes out of the fast by taking water; if he abstained from grains and beans, then by eating such food. Note that Srila Prabhupada did not instruct his followers to break the fast at an exact time. That means he did not consider it important. Therefore we will not examine this question in detail in this article.

The vow can be begun with this mantra:

ekādaśyāṁ nirāhāraḥ sthitvāham apare ’hani
bhokṣyāmi puṇḍarīkākṣa śaraṇaṁ me bhavācyuta

“O infallible Lord, whose eyes are like lotus petals! On this Ekadashi I will abstain from food and keep the fast. May I take shelter of You completely and entirely.”

The vow can be concluded with this mantra:

ajñāna-timirāndhasya vratenānena keśava
prasīda sumukho nātha jñāna-dṛṣṭi-prado bhava

“Dear Lord! I am blinded by the darkness of ignorance and do not see things as they are. Please be pleased with my vow and grant me the ability to see the world through the lens of spiritual knowledge.”

These mantras are only recommendations. You can ask God for blessings in whatever way you know how. Sincerity is what matters most.

Fasting on Pandava Ekadashi

There are stories from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana about the glory of Ekadashi. They have spread widely among modern followers of the Vedas who try to observe Ekadashi, and they became especially popular because they are included in smartphone apps.

We know about the glory of Pandava Ekadashi precisely from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana. According to this source, a person who has not observed Ekadashi during the year can keep a dry fast on this one day alone and so obtain the benefit of observing all the Ekadashis of the year. But is this source trustworthy? Let us look into it.

Keep in mind that the Brahma-vaivarta Purana is considered one of the maha-puranas. The Padma Purana places it among the rajasika-puranas. The Brahma-vaivarta Purana is a genuine source of transcendental knowledge. But did you know that there are different recensions of this Purana? Different recensions means that there are different books, with different content, but bearing the same title, Brahma-vaivarta Purana. Which recension is authentic and which is not? You cannot buy a book called Brahma-vaivarta Purana in a shop and be completely sure that it is not a forgery. How, then, can one tell that it is not a forgery? A forgery can be told apart from the original only by expert opinion.

The experts in Vedic literature are the great teachers of the past, the acharyas. None of the previous acharyas, beginning with Srila Prabhupada, quoted the stories about Ekadashi from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.

Should we trust modern information about Pandava Ekadashi?

The authenticity of the modern stories about Ekadashi from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana is highly doubtful. Their content is also very questionable: they are told in the spirit of blatant karma-kanda, that is, superficial, materialistic religion. The Srimad-Bhagavatam calls such religion kaitava-dharma—religion that pursues material goals. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra. “Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2).

My research into Pandava Ekadashi has led me to the following. Among Westerners, the custom of observing Pandava Ekadashi in a special way arose around the end of the 1970s, after Srila Prabhupada’s departure.

It is important to note that fasting and praying are very good. However, as Christians say, obedience is higher than fasting and prayer. This means that we must strictly follow the teachings of the parampara and accept only what has been certified by the acharyas of the past. If we do not, then over time everything will be distorted and destroyed. Our attitude toward Pandava Ekadashi should be formed through the lens of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. That is the correct, consistent and humble way. In his instructions, Srila Prabhupada explained how to fast properly on Ekadashi. There is no point in adding anything of our own.

Where else is the power of Pandava Ekadashi mentioned?

The Hari-bhakti-vilasa mentions Bhima Ekadashi (vilasa 14, texts 174–182). It cites a dialogue from the Matsya Purana between Brahma and Sri Maheshvara.

Brahma asks: “Is there some small austerity by which one can obtain health and wealth?” In reply it is said that the Lord gave Bhima this advice: “If you cannot keep the vows on ashtami, dvadashi and chaturdashi, then you can follow certain rules (the Sanskrit words vidhi and vrata are used).” What these rules are, we do not know, because in text 182 the authors of the Hari-bhakti-vilasa indicated: “Look for the details in the Matsya Purana.”

The 15th vilasa of the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (beginning with text 19) glorifies Nirjala Ekadashi, with a reference to the Padma Purana.

Bhima asks the sage Vyasa (text 19): “I cannot fast (upavase)? What am I to do? Which vow (vratam) can I follow to obtain many fruits (bahu-phalam)?”

In reply, Vyasa advised Bhima to fast without water on the Ekadashi of the waxing moon in the month of Jyeshtha and, importantly, gave specific instructions on how to observe this Ekadashi properly. For example, in addition to the dry fast on this Ekadashi, one must recite special mantras before the fast begins, worship a golden Deity throughout the day of Ekadashi, and stay awake all night, dancing before the Deity. The next day, on dvadashi, one must break the fast properly, which includes worshiping the Deity, giving water, gold and other gifts to brahmanas, feeding brahmanas, and only then drinking water and taking food. Then the vow is complete.

How should we understand the instructions on Ekadashi from the Hari-bhakti-vilasa?

The description of Bhima Ekadashi (Pandava Ekadashi) given in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa is authoritative and fully trustworthy. This same Ekadashi is called Nirjala Ekadashi, which can be translated as “Ekadashi without water.” If a person is able to keep a dry fast and stay awake all night on this Ekadashi, it can bring him the material and spiritual benefits of observing all the Ekadashis of the year.

The Hari-bhakti-vilasa (15.22) says that a person who observes this Ekadashi obtains the benefit of performing twelve vows on dvadashi. In verse 25 of the 15th vilasa the Padma Purana is quoted:

saṁvatsarasya yā madhye ekādaśyo bhavanti hi
tāsāṁ phalam avāpnoti putra me nātra saṁśayaḥ
iti māṁ keśavaḥ prāha śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dharaḥ

“Dear son, the fruit of observing the Ekadashis throughout the year can be obtained by observing Nirjala Ekadashi. There is no doubt about this, for I learned it from the Supreme Lord.”

In the English and Russian editions of the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, mistakes were made in translating these texts. The correct translation is given here. Those who do not know at least the basics of Sanskrit are not advised to study the Hari-bhakti-vilasa on their own, because its translations contain a great many errors.

We should also take into account the words about the Hari-bhakti-vilasa that Srila Prabhupada wrote in his purport to Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya 1.35): “According to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, the regulative principles of devotional service compiled by Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī do not strictly follow our Vaiṣṇava principles. Actually, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī collected only a summary of the elaborate descriptions of Vaiṣṇava regulative principles from the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. It is Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī’s opinion, however, that to follow the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa strictly is to actually follow the Vaiṣṇava rituals in perfect order. He claims that the smārta-samāja, which is strictly followed by caste brāhmaṇas, has influenced portions that Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī collected from the original Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. It is therefore very difficult to find out Vaiṣṇava directions from the book of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī.”

Thus the instructions of the Hari-bhakti-vilasa should be understood through the lens of the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Bhaktivinoda Thakura and the other great saints in the chain of disciplic succession. This is very important. They did not single out Pandava Ekadashi as something special and did not encourage their followers to keep a dry fast on this Ekadashi. They said that if a person can fast, let him fast; if he cannot, then there is no need to fast. Therefore all who are able to follow Ekadashi should keep a dry fast on this day. Those who cannot should at least give up grains and beans.

Conclusions on observing the Ekadashi fast

1. Observing Ekadashi is always good, whether it is Pandava Ekadashi or any other Ekadashi.
2. The most important thing on Ekadashi is to try to increase one’s worship of God. If one is able to do this by giving up food and water, one should do so; if not, one need not. This applies to Pandava Ekadashi as well.
3. An Ekadashi is considered complete not simply because a person abstained from water and food. A fast is considered complete if a person entered it properly, that is, properly observed dashami (the day before Ekadashi), kept a dry fast on Ekadashi, dedicated the full 24 hours to God and stayed awake all night. Besides this, he must properly come out of Ekadashi on dvadashi (the day after Ekadashi), which includes not sleeping during the day on dvadashi and going to sleep only in the evening, at the end of dvadashi. This is roughly what a complete Ekadashi fast looks like. And these are by no means all the rules; there are many more injunctions. Simply keeping a dry fast is a partial, incomplete observance of Ekadashi. This is important to remember, including on Pandava Ekadashi.
4. There is no complete certainty that the Brahma-vaivarta Purana has come down to us undistorted. Therefore the stories from this Purana may be questioned. Descriptions of various Ekadashis are also found in modern versions of the Padma Purana. Whether these stories are genuine or not is hard to say, because there is no complete certainty that the modern versions of the Padma Purana are undistorted. For example, the Damodarashtaka, which we learned of from Sanatana Gosvami and which should be found in the Padma Purana, is absent from the modern versions of this Purana. This means that the recension of the Padma Purana used by Sanatana Gosvami and the modern recension differ from each other.

Pandava Ekadashi: a special day of the year? Or not after all?

So, on the one hand, there is nothing wrong with people singling out Pandava Ekadashi as something special, a kind of spiritual campaign. At least once a year people are inspired to do something more than usual. That’s wonderful! At the same time, to preserve the Vedic tradition (parampara) undistorted, it is very important for us to do what the great teachers of the past did. Only in this way can perfection be attained. In this connection I will quote a well-known verse from the Mahabharata (Vana-parva 313.117), the words spoken by Maharaja Yudhishthira:

tarko ’pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā
nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ
mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ

Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.