The Rules of Upavasa

General Principles of Upavasa

1. Core Purpose:
• The essence of upavasa is to do good and avoid what is bad.
• Dedicate the upavasa fully to the intended deity.
• Spend the day in worship by chanting, meditating, performing pooja, and singing the glories of the deity.
2. Attitude and Behavior:
• Practice tolerance.
• Show kindness towards animals.
• Maintain cleanliness in body and mind.
• Avoid physical exertion.
• Avoid gossip, stinginess, and cruelty in words, thoughts, and actions.
• Engage in kind deeds and selfless acts.

Prohibitions During Upavasa

1. Sensory and Physical Restrictions:
• Avoid food.
• Avoid unwanted desires.
• Do not sleep during the day.
• Avoid enjoyment and self-gratification on the day of upavasa.
• Refrain from smelling delicious foods, wearing perfumes, or using scented products.
• Avoid drinking water frequently; limited water intake is allowed to avoid dehydration.
• Do not chew betel leaves or sleep during the day.
• Refrain from foods that represent meat, such as urad (black gram) or ash gourd.
2. Food-Related Restrictions:
• Avoid thinking about, seeing, smelling, or describing food.
• Avoid reading recipes or watching food-related programs.
3. Social Restrictions:
• Avoid talking to people of bad character or non-believers.

Spiritual and Mental Discipline

1. Purity and Concentration:
• Keep the mind focused on the deity.
• Observe celibacy.
• Keep sensory organs away from distractions.
• Minimize talking and maintain silence where possible.
2. Cleansing and Purification:
• Bathe before starting upavasa.
• Perform achamana (purification ritual) after activities that make you impure, such as touching impure body parts, seeing impure body parts, passing gas, scolding or shouting at someone, telling lies, touching pets (e.g., dogs and cats), swearing or using harsh language, hitting someone or something, touching impure objects or surfaces, getting angry or feeling intense negative emotions.
• In case of accidental exposure to impurity, bathe and look at Surya Bhagwan for purification.

Practical Adjustments

1. Allowed for Non-Intense Upavasa (if unable to fast strictly):
• Water, fruits, tubers like potato, milk, fulfilling any specific instruction of Guru, serving noble people, and taking medicine.
2. Alternate Observers for Upavasa:
• Upavasa can be observed on behalf of another person by a spouse, children, or a representative,  if necessary.
3. If a woman is observing upavasa across multiple days(eg: 12 Mondays) and menstruation occurs on one of these days, she should adjust her practice to maintain ritual purity:

• Avoid Chanting Mantras and Pooja:
  She should refrain from mantra chanting and pooja directly during this time.
• Engage in Nama Sankirtana:
  She may still chant the divine names, which keeps her spiritual connection without affecting purity.
• Delegate Pooja:
  Another person, such as a family member or priest, should perform pooja on her behalf, ensuring the continuity and sanctity of her upavasa.

This applies during impurity due to birth and death also. 

Completion and Breaking of Upavasa (Parana)

1. Conduct for Parana:
• Until the time of breaking the fast, all rules should be observed strictly.
• Even after parana, avoid prohibited items like meat or foods representing meat.
2. Food for Parana:
• Breaking the fast is ideally done with yava (barley) or rice.
• Avoid food containing Urad (black gram) such Idli and Dosha for Parana.

Knowledge Bank

Why Kubera was cursed by sage Agastya?

Kubera was going to Kushavati through the sky with his attendant, Maniman, for a chanting of mantras organized by the Devas. On the way, Maniman spat on Agastya’s head while he was meditating by the Kalindi River. Angry, Agastya cursed them. He said that Maniman and Kubera’s army would be killed by a man. Kubera would grieve over their deaths but would be freed from the curse after seeing the man who killed them. Later, Bhimasena went to Mount Gandhamadana to find the Saugandhika flower. There, he killed Maniman and the soldiers. After this, Bhima met Kubera, and Kubera was freed from the curse.

Why is it important to listen to Sri Krishna leelas?

You can understand his greatness only after listening to his leelas. The stories of his leelas have got great power to spiritually uplift you.