Let Them Eat Cake or Ekadasi?
Vishnugada dasa: Within ISKCON, there has been confusion for decades about whether Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples and followers to break fast after moonrise on Gaura Purnima with ekadashi-like prasadam. In the Bhakti Ratnakara by Sri Narahari Chakravarti, the first Gaura Purnima festival ever held is described in detail. It was arranged in the village of Kheturi by Jahnava devi, consort of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, with the help of Narottama dasa Thakura and Srinivasa Acharya. The devotees chanted, danced, and heard Lord Caitanya’s pastimes throughout the day and night. They remained fasting and did not take any prasad until the next day. At Mayapura Chandrodaya Mandir and all Gaudiya Math temples in India the fare for devotees breaking the fast on Gaura Purnima is ekadashi prasdam. Available evidence also points clearly to the fact that Srila Prabhupada himself, as the Founder-Acharya for ISKCON and the world, always broke the fast on Gaura Purnima with ekadashi prasadam.
Detailed directives given by Srila Prabhupada in his letters are for the most part equally clear. It is thought that the first letter on the topic was sent to Brahmananda prabhu in NYC (A). It indicates that devotees should fast until moonrise on Gaura Purnima day, break the fast with Ekadashi prasadam, and have a feast the next day. A number of other letters reinforce the same plan (See footnotes B, C, D, and E below). One letter, however, a letter to Mahapurusa in 1968 cited directly below, has cast doubt on Srila Prabhupada’s firmness on the need for devotees to break fast on Gaura purnima with ekadashi prasadam. It is my contention that all the confusion has arisen due to a generally-accepted misunderstanding of this letter to Mahapurusa.
Letter to Mahapurusa Los Angeles 7 March, 1968: My Dear Mahapurusa,”Please accept my blessings. I thank you you very much for your letter dated March 6, 1968, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding the observance of Lord Caitanya’s Advent Day: No, there is no need for any other devotional songs or chants; simply chant Hare Krishna with Kirtana or beads, and sing the prayer “Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhara Sri Vasadi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda.” You can also chant the prayer you asked about. This was spoken by Lord Nityananda while He was preaching in the town. He was addressing the people: “My dear brothers, you simply worship Lord Caitanya, talk of Lord Caitanya, speak of Lord Caitanya’s name. Anyone who does so is my life and soul.” Thus spoke Lord Nityananda. So far the reading is concerned, you may read any one of the books you have mentioned – Introduction to Srimad Bhagavatam, Professor Sanyals’ book, Srila Bhaktivinode’s book, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Life and Precepts, or English translation of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. Best thing is to take any one of the above-mentioned books and finish it, from beginning to end. You can do that with Srila Bhaktivinode’s book, that would be very nice. At the meeting everyone should try to speak something on Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s life, teachings, and philosophy. You can take quotations from the above-mentioned books and have discussions.
Fasting should be continued up to evening, then you may have food like on Ekadasi, fruits, milk, etc. On the next day you may observe festival. Janardana consulted me and said he thinks Sunday feasting would be best, so you may do that if you like. Or you may do both days, as you feel best.
Purport often accompanying this letter by an unknown devotee we may call Imperfect dasa: Note this last paragraph. Srila Prabhupada gives some leeway on the feasting. Sunday feasting means observing the whole festival on one day, Sunday love feast day, and not over two days.
The above letter and comment has been misconstrued to suggest Srila Prabhupada gave devotees the option of having Sunday feast-like prasadam (i.e., prasadam with grains) on Gaura Purnima day. Who could resist? Why would anyone want to?
The first problem with this interpretation is that Gaura Purnima day in 1968 was on a Thursday. Hence, Imperfect dasa’s interpretive statement: “observing the whole festival on one day, Sunday love feast day” does not refer to the observance of Gaura Purnima on the actual Gaura Purnima day. In the same letter, Srila Prabhupada had already directed the devotees to fast until moonrise on Gaura Purnima, break fast with Ekadasi prasadam, and have a feast the next day. So when Srila Prabhupada suggests feasting on one day or two days he is giving the devotees the option to have the feast for Lord Caitanya on the day after Gaura Purnima, on the following Sunday, or both. He is not giving his followers the option of breaking the Gaura Purnima fast with a “Sunday feast”, i.e., grains.
If you accept, for a moment, this understanding of the Mahapurusa letter, then it immediately becomes consistent with all of his other letters and instructions. It also becomes clear why, two years later in 1970 (See “E” below), when Gaura Purnima was actually on a Sunday, he repeated his instructions to have “a small amount of Ekadasi preparations” on the Sunday of Gaura Purnima and a “small scale feast” the next day. He does not mention any option of taking grains to break fast on Gaura Purnima.
I know those who have been persistent on this topic have angered a great many devotees who prefer that a wonderful grain feast be prepared with rice, dahl, puris, and cake offered to Lord Krishna and distributed to the devotees and the public. I am not arguing that prasadam with grains not be prepared or distributed to the public. I am pointing out, using appropriate references, that Srila Prabhupada consistently instructed his followers to break fast on Gaura Purnima with Ekadasi prasadam.
Even if you are still unconvinced, if there is any doubt about what Srila Prabhupada wanted us, his disciples and followers to do. which is why there might be interest in the topic in the first place, wouldn’t it be better to err on the side of caution?
One last point is that ISKCON is setting the standard for how to practice devotional service which includes how to observe Lord Caitanya’s appearance day. Observing it according to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions will be most pleasing to Lord Caitanya and also set an appropriate example for all of Lord Caitanya’s bhaktas now and in the generations to follow.
A. Letter to Brahmananda March 14, 1967: You shall observe Lord Caitanya’s birthday as follows.
1. The picture of Lord Caitanya with His party should be nicely decorated with flowers and garlands and Sankirtana should be performed regularly from morning to evening. Just after seeing the Full Moon in the sky the day’s fast should be broken. I mean the devotees should observe fasting the whole day. In the evening the devotees should take food as on the Ekadasi days.
2. The next day you can celebrate feasting on account of Lord Caitanya’s appearance and read about His life as given shortly in my Srimad-Bhagavatam and you can read also from the Teachings of Lord Caitanya part of which is going to be published in the present issue of Back to Godhead.
B. Letter to Balai dasi in San Francisco 12th March 1968: “So far the Advent Day of Lord Caitanya is concerned, I have written a full suggestion to Montreal, in which the main points are that we should all observe strict fasting up till moonrise, and at that time, an offering is made to Lord Caitanya of Ekadasi foods, fruits, peanuts, milk, and so forth. Then, on the next day, Friday the 15th, a full-scale feast is held to celebrate His Advent Day. On the 14th, chanting, reading of Srila Bhaktivinode’s book, Life and Precepts and Caitanya Caritamrta, Introduction to Bhagavatam, may be held all the day in the Temple.”
C. Postscript to letter to Rayarama dasa September (No year given) Ref: 91-05-14: “P.S. No feasting in the evening of Caitanya’s birthday. Fasting all day till evening moon rise. Then take Prasadam like Ekadasi. Next day you can have full swing feasting. On the birthday if can take a procession of Kirtana on the street it is very nice.”
D. Letter to: Janardana, Los Angeles 21 January, 1968: Lord Caitanya’s Birthdate is on the Phalguna Purnima between 15 of Feb. and 15th of March. The full moon day is Lord Caitanya’s Birthday. I think you can send for Rayarama’s calendar which he has published. The exact day is 14th March, Thursday, 1968. The procedure is that you should fast from morning to evening (about 7:00) after that there should be offering to Lord Caitanya and prasadam should be accepted just like on Ekadasi day, and next day, Friday, full love feasting may be provided to as many devotees as you can.
E. Letter to Krishna dasa. 18th February 1970. Los Angeles : Lord Caitanya’s Appearance day falls on March 22 (1970), that is on a Sunday. The devotees should fast until evening, when there is a ceremony and offering of a small amount of Ekadasi preparations. The next day, the devotees should celebrate amongst themselves with a small scale feast. You may hold the celebration open to the public on the following Sunday. The preparation to be offered specially on this occasion is bhuni kichri: Fry equal parts dal and rice in ghee and massala. Add two times water as dal and rice, and add vegetables (if you use more ghee, use less water). Cook it until it is dried and the rice is soft.
Evidence that Srila Prabhupada took Ekadasi prasadam on Gaura Purnima: “We performed Lord Caitanya’s Birthday ceremony, not very gorgeously, but amongst ourselves, and Govinda dasi cooked very nice Ekadasi foodstuffs. The next day I expected some big ceremony but it couldn’t be performed. (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Letter to Purusottam. 6th March 1969. Hawaii)
In A Transcendental Diary Vol 1 Mar.16 1976 by Hari Sauri Prabhu: pg.461. GAURA PURNIMA. The Appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Everyone fasted until moonrise and then took an Ekadasi feast, although Prabhupada said this was not compulsory – meaning it was not compulsory to break the fast at all and one could continue fasting until the next day.
Evidence that Srila Prabhupada appreciated distribution of prasadam with grains to the public on Gaura Purnima day. Transcendental Diary Vol 1 Pg.466: “Many Devotees sold copies of the Gitar-gana, and mass distribution of Halava prasadam went on throughout the day.” Pg.469 “At one point Prabhupada sent me out to see how many visitors had come , and he was very happy to hear of the large crowds. Typically, he wanted assurance that prasadam was being distributed to all.”