Nine Things to Do on the Holy Days

Nine Things to Do on the Holy Days
By Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

(1) One should wake up in the Brahma Muhurta (96 minutes before the sunrise on that day), take bath, wear clean clothes, apply tilaka with achamana on the 12 places on the body, offer obeisances to Guru, Tulasi, Parampara, and the Lord, and perform Sankirtana or Chanting during these 96 minutes before sunrise.

(2) One should perform extra chanting of at least 25,000 or 50,000 Holy Names on Ekaadashi and other Holy Days during the year. The ideal is 100,000 Names. The essence of these Holy Days is always remembering the Lord during their duration in the day and night as much as possible.

(3) One should try to increase the reading of Bhakti Books, viewing of Bhakti Videos, hearing Bhakti Audios, associating with Devotees, worshiping Tulasi Plant and Deities etc. on these Holy Days. One should try to read or hear the glories of that specific Holy Day. And also try to visit the Holy Places on these Days.

(4) One should not shave or cut hair or nails on that day. And if possible try not to apply oils, lotions and the cosmetics on the body and skin so as not to break the fast and live as simply as possible.

(5) One should refrain from sleeping during the day and if possible not sleep during the night also while engaging in Naama Sankirtana, Japa or Shravana. If one has to sleep in the night, one should try not to sleep on comfortable cushioned beds and should refrain from any sensual pleasures during the day and night. A married man should ideally not sleep with his spouse on that night.

(6) One should accept only the recommended non-grain food which is offered to Lord Gaura Krishna on these Holy Days. One should try not to consume any food from outside and that which has been partaken by someone else, and that which has not been offered to the Lord or not been cooked by devotees. On these Holy Days, one should try to eat offered non-grain food (preferable uncooked food but cooked non-grain food is also allowed) only once in the evening after sunset. If that is not possible once in the afternoon and once in the evening. One should try to skip breakfast on these Holy Days to give some rest to one's digestive system and also to get the spiritual benefit of fasting on that Holy Day.

(7) One should try to minimize dwelling on and talking about mundane topics and subject matters and engaging in mundane activities on these Holy Days. One should refrain from the four kinds of sinful activity in the form of eating non-vegetarian food, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling on these Days.

(8) One should try to minimize association with mundane and materialistic people during these Holy Days. If one has to be with them, one should at least try to keep the mundane exchanges to minimum.

(9) And, at the end of the tithi, on the next day sunrise, one should perform (1) again and break the fast appropriately during the breakfast times (after sunrise). One should beg forgiveness from the Lord for any anamoly in observing His Holy Day and accept grain prasadam by remembering the devotees.

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