Some Confusion in ISKCON Regarding Fasting

by Bhanu Swami
In ISKCON, there is some ambiguity in the term "fasting". This ambiguity is reflected in the VCal
computer program, and it is often perpetrated in many printed calendars produced by ISKCON
centers. Sometimes "fasting" means fasting from grains all day, as on Ekadasi. Sometimes it
means not eating anything, even non-grain prasad, until a certain time, as in the phrases "fasting
till noon on Ekadasi" (which is mentioned for the Ekadasis that occur before Vamana and Varaha
Dwadasis) or "fasting till moonrise" (which is mentioned for Gaura Purnima). And sometimes the
term's meaning is unclear, as in "fasting till noon" on the appearance day of an acarya. Can one
take non-grains before noon on those days? After one "fasts till noon", what does the "break-fast"
consist of? On the Ekadasi before Vamana Dwadasi, it must be non-grains, but on the appearance
day of an acarya, it is grains. On Gaura Purnima, many centers "break fast" with non-grains,
others serve grains.
It would be better to use the term "fasting" to exclusively refer to not taking grains all day. The term
"anukalpa prasad" may be used to mean taking non-grain meals during Ekadasi or appearance
days of avataras. We do not break a fast by taking anukalpa.
For the appearance days of acaryas, the Gaudiya custom is to celebrate the appearance by
commemoration speeches, and the offering of a feast to the acarya. For convenience in maths,
this is usually done at noon. But as far as I know there is no injunction concerning that time. It
could be observed in the morning, since most ISKCON temples have the main meal at that time.
Srila Prabhupada seems to bear this out in the following conversation, where even half-day fasting
for Bhaktivinodas appearance becomes optional:
Devotee: Fourteenth is the advent of or the demise of Haridsa hkura?
Prabhupda: Yes
Devotee: The death, I mean the disappearance
Prabhupda: Yes, but not for demise of Haridsa hkura, but because that is Ananta
Caturda Vrata, the, generally the fasting is observed till evening, up to 5 oclock. The
next day, Vivarpa Mahotsava, feasting.
Devotee: On the 13th of September, rla Bhaktivinodas Appearance is there any
special observance?
Prabhupda: No, special observance means to discuss about the life and works of
Bhaktivinoda hkura, thats all. Then 26th September, Ekda.
-- Room conversation, Vrndavana, March 11, 1972
Tamla Ka: [break] ...on your appearance day and Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvats and
Bhaktivinoda hkura and Gaura Kioras we should observe half-day fast. I have a
question that on all the other auspicious days, just like Narottama dsa hkura and
others, should we also observe half-day fast?
Prabhupda: It is... But if you cannot, that is another...
Tamla Ka: Sometimes because of the sakrtana...
Prabhupda: No, no. If you cannot, you can take.
Tamla Ka: And just sing some songs and praise.
Prabhupda: Yes. Yes. Krtana is main thing.
-- Morning walk, February 11, 1976, Mayapur
It is interesting to note that Srila Prabhupada here mentioned fasting until sunset on Ananta
Caturdasi, which no one at present seems to be following.
In the case of Vamana and Varaha Dwadasis, since the Ekadasi must be broken on the Dwadasi
morning, fasting (according to our suggested usage of the term) for the avatara appearances
cannot be done on those two Dwadasis. Thus, the fasting for the avataras is subsumed by the
fasting on Ekadasi. There is no rule, however, that there should be no prasad honored until noon
on the Ekadasi. Anukalpa can be taken at any time during the Ekadasi. Worship of the avataras
would take place the next morning, before breaking the fast for Ekadasi. Feasting could follow at
any time.

For the appearances of other avatars, in ISKCON we generally fast only on two days -- the
appearances of Gauranga and Krishna -- taking anukalpa after celebrating the appearance at
moonrise and midnight respectively. (We understand that in some ISKCON centers, the practice
may be to serve grains instead of anukalpa on these two days, but here we assume that serving
anukalpa is the general rule.) For other avataras, most ISKCON centers follow a program of not
serving any prasadam until the appearance time of the avatara, then celebrating with abhiseka
and kirtan, followed by a grain feast. Rama appeared at noon according to the scriptures, and this
is followed by the Navadwip Panjika. However, Srila Prabhupada on one occasion said that we
fast until sunset on that day:
So far the Advent Day of Lord Rama Candra, it should be celebrated as Lord Caitanya's
Birthday was done. Fasting up to evening, and then take prasadam, and chant Hare
Krishna whole day, and be engaged in reading and chanting off and on, chant for some
time, then read for some time, then again have kirtana and so on, throughout the day.
-- Room conversation, March 26, 1977, Bombay
Thus, we perform abhiseka in the evening, followed by feasting, and VCal says, "fasting till
sunset". To follow scripture, however, we should perform the abhiseka at noon, and follow that with
feasting. Balarama's, Nityananda's and Advaita's appearance times are not known. Thus, they
could be celebrated at any time, followed by feasting.
Even the instruction for fasting until evening for Lord Ramas appearance seems a little unclear.
Do we take grains or non-grains that evening? Most temples take grains, though some insist that
you should take only anukalpa.
We are not proposing some grand scheme to overhaul ISKCON's culture and usage of
terminology. Others can say what might be appropriate in this regard. However, since we have
been asked to consult on the VCal computer program, we have suggested that the program be
modified so as not to perpetrate misunderstandings and confusion. For this reason, we have
suggested that the VCal printout be modified to remove all references to fasting procedures.
Instead, a supplementary document can be published that will help the reader to observe the
various celebrations appropriately.