Recipes for Bhishma

Panchaka Fasting

For 2nd Level Fasting

By
HG Prema Padmini Devi Dasi
 Dedicated
to
His Divine Grace Bhakthi Vedanta Swami Srila
Prabhupada
Why Perform Bhisma Pancaka?
The last 5 days of the month of Karttika are traditionally known as the Bhishma Panchaka or the Vishnu Panchaka.
Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life.
In the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, it is said that if one is capable, one should observe fasting from certain foodstuffs on the
Bhishma-panchaka for the pleasure of the Lord.

"The fast should begin by remembering Bhismadeva on the Ekadasi day and should end on Purnima [the full moon].
The Padma Purana say that one pleases the Lord and makes spiritual advancement by such austerities. It is
recommended to do full fast on Ekadasi and then the following four days fruits and roots fasting or five-day fruits
and roots fasting.

This five day fast is difficult for those people who are not serious in Bhakti. If someone observes this fast, he is considered
to have observed all other fasts, because it is greatly meritorious and frees one from great sins. Therefore, everyone
should make a great endeavor to fast on these last five days of Bhismadeva.
3 Levels of Fasting
Type-1
One can eat products of the cow for each day:
First day: Cow dung (Gomaya)
Second day: Cow urine (Go-mutra)
Third day: Cow milk (Kshiira)
Fourth day: Cow yoghurt (Dahi)
Fifth day: All products of the cow mixed (Pancha-
gavya)
Type 3
If one can't follow level 2, one can take "Havishya“.
Type -2
If one can't follow type, then please take fruits and
roots. Fruits with lots of seeds to be avoided like
guava, pomegranate, cucumber etc. Boiled potatoes,
raw banana and sweet potato can be taken. We can
use sea salt for taste. Cashew nuts(PLAIN), raisins,
dates can be taken. Milk products to be avoided.
HG Premapadmini Devi Dasi
This cookbook has been compiled by HG Prema Padmini DD. She conceptualized this
booklet to ensure that we all can perform this austerity with ease.

Being a senior disciple of HH Jayapataka Swami, she along with her husband Vijay
Venugopal Das have been preaching in the Middle East, USA, Europe and Australiasia for
decades.

Her mission has been to develop the loving Vaishnava community on the basis of the
Bhakti Vriksha program. Having trained thousands, all through her journey in Iskcon, she is
adept at leadership training and marriage counselling seminars. Not to forget, Mata is also
the member of Devotee Care Committee attached to the GBC ISKCON.

Her grace has authored the Bhakti Vriksha modules and written many books including the
Bhakti Vriksha Leader, The Sector Leader, Free to Preach and The Third Partner to mention
a few. Her contribution is endless to our movement.

Currently serving as the Centre Head for Iskcon, Koramanagala, Bengaluru, India
https://www.iskconkoramangala.org
Table of contents

01. Soups & Salads 03. Sabji

02. Patties 04. Juices & Smoothies
05. Desserts 06. Snacks
Soups & Salads
 Beetroot soup Carrot soup
Chop beetroots and a small Carrot & Beetroot Salad
piece of ginger Chop carrots and a small
piece of ginger A) Grate carrot and beetroot. Add salt
Boil them in water with salt. Boil them in water and squeeze lemon. Add some
Then run it through a with salt. Then run it roasted peanuts with it. Or
mixer. Add lemon juice for through a mixer. Add
taste.
alternatively add some chopped
lemon juice for taste.
cashews, almonds and raisins.
B) Cube boiled potatoes/ sweet
potatoes. Mix it with grated carrots,
Fruit Salad lemon juice and sprinkle some
peanut powder with it.
Cut and mix fruits like apple, banana, grapes, plums,
C) Mix grated Radishes, carrots, ginger.
pears, chikoos etc. Add some cashew nuts, grapes
Add a few raisins also. Mix with salt
and chopped dates. You can add some Badam milk
to taste and squeeze some lemon
just to give a slightly wet consistency.
into it.
Patties
 Potato/ Sweet potato/ beetroot or Potato/sweet potato
(mixed), Patties & Date Chutney stew
Boil potato / Sweet potato. Mash it and add Cube the potatoes, boil with
salt, a tbsp of grated ginger, roasted and water, ginger and salt. Add
powdered peanut powder (2 tbsps for ½ kg coconut milk towards the
of potatoes). Divide them into tomato sized end.
balls and flatten them on the tava. Roast
them till they darken in shade and look a Peanut Coconut Chutney
little hard from the outside. Serve with Date
chutney Roast peanuts and grind it with
coconut, ginger, salt, a date to
Dates chutney taste, and lemon juice
Grind dates, lemon and salt ground together)
Potato Finger chips
Boil potatoes, peel them and slice them
in the shape of finger chips. Add salt and
either bake them or air fry them in an air-
fryer till it hardens a bit and changes
colour.
Raw banana finger chips
Slice raw bananas like finger
chip, mix with salt and haldi
and bake it till it gets
cooked.

Yummy baked Sweet potato, potato or tapioca

Bake these vegetables whole and unpeeled in the oven till the skin looks
wrinkled and the vegetable looks cooked. Peel them and cut them into big
chunks and add salt. Can also sprinkle roasted peanut powder.
Sabji
Raw Banana sabji
Halve the raw banana lengthwise. Then
chop them with a quarter inch thickness.
Mix with salt and steam it in the cooker.
Do not pressure cook it.
Squeeze a little lemon. Add a lot of
coconut and mix it all together
Mixed roots sabji
A) Boil some potato, sweet potato, carrot
and beetroot, cut them all into same bite
sizes. Mix with some boiled peanuts, salt,
lemon& coconut shavings.
B) Mixed roots, boiled and simmered in a
gravy of ground paste of cashew nuts,
ginger and salt.
C) Mixed roots saagu: Boil the mixed roots
(Include radishes). Simmer in a gravy of
coconut shavings, few cashews, ginger
and salt.
 Juices
&
Smoothies
 Badam milk
Blanch the almonds
Add some dates & water and blend it in a
mixer for refreshing milk!
ABC Juice
Run through a Mixer 1 peeled apple,1/2 a
beetroot, I medium carrot, 1 cup water
and dates. Ginger is optional
Other Juices
1) Orange, lemon and Mosambi juices
2) Tender coconut water
Mixed fruit smootie
Smoothies- easy to make, but greatly
energizing and refreshing!
1. Blend bananas, apple, chikoo/dates
together and run it through a mixer till it is
pureed.
2. Pine-apple smoothie – Same process as
above
3. Grape smoothie - Same process as above
Desserts
Nendhrangai Sweet Gajar Halwa
Halve the Nendhrangai bananas. Slice Grate carrots and half cook it in a little
them length wise and ¼ inch thick. Put water. Then add Badam milk or coconut
them on a tava and cook it till it darkens a milk and cook it down to a thick
bit. You can garnish with coarse powder consistency. Add chopped cashews and
of cashew or Badam raisins.
Serve it with the date chutney mentioned
in slide 10.
Sweet balls
Blend dates and broken nuts and make
them into lemon sized balls. Carry them
with you for quick energy that lasts for
some time.
Snacks
Peanuts Snacks
Roast some peanuts and add salt to them

Cashew/Almond Snacks
More recipes
Roast some cashew nuts or almonds and
salt them
to follow…
Hare Krishna
 Happy fasting

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!!!

From Iskcon Koramangala Digital Team Office