Today is the festival of Karva Chauth. Many women observe fasts for the well-being of their husbands, worshipping Shiva and Parvati. Some do it to increase their husband's lifespan. But what should you do?
What will you gain from increasing the lifespan of a worldly husband? Food to eat? Everyone gets that according to their destiny. ajagara kare nā cākarī paṃchī kare nā kāma। dāsa malūkā kaha gae saba ke dātā rāma॥, meaning The python doesn't serve any master, nor does the bird search for work. God is the provider for all.
gopīnāṃ tatpatīnāṃ ca sarveṣāmeva dehināṃ, yo'ntaścarati so'dhyakṣaḥ। (Bhagavatam)
tamīśvarāṇāṃ paramaṃ maheśvaramtaṃ devatānāṃ paramaṃ ca daivatam । 'patiṃ patīnāṃ' paramaṃ parastāt vidāma devaṃ bhuvaneśamīḍyam। (Veda)
Shri Krishna is the husband of all husbands, and He is your husband too. He is the husband of the soul. 'Pati' means 'one who protects'. How can a worldly husband protect you when he cannot even protect himself? He himself falls ill, bound by the three material modes, three karmas, three doshas, five afflictions, and so on.
It is our divine husband who can destroy our material bondage. He can and does protect us. If we pray to Him, He will protect us even better. You should observe fasts for that Husband of yours.
'Vrat' means fasting. People fast for their worldly husbands, and they worship Shankar Ji and Mother Parvati. Similarly, we should fast and worship Shankar Ji for the sake of our Supreme Husband. vaiṣṇavāṇāṃ yathā śaṃbhu: Shankar Ji is the greatest devotee of Shri Krishna. We should pray to Him that our Supreme Husband, Shri Krishna, remains happy, that His lifespan increases (may ten to twenty more years be added to infinity), and that He always remains smiling and playful. Worship with these desires. This would be the greatest way to celebrate Karva Chauth.
Moreover, fasting benefits the body, and one should eat light food once a week anyway. Occasionally skipping meals helps the digestive system. The undigested food from the previous meal gets digested when we don't eat for a day, thereby preventing illnesses and disorders. It is beneficial, so there is no loss in keeping a fast. However, not eating alone doesn't constitute fasting. The Vedas explain 'upavāsa' (fasting) as:
upa samīpe yo vāsa: jīvātmaparamātmanoḥ । upavāsaḥ sa vijñeyo na tu kāyasya śoṣaṇam॥ - Increasing the closeness of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul is known as fasting ('upa' means close, 'vāsa' means to reside), not the drying up of the body.
May the soul get closer to God. The closer it gets to God, the better the fast.
'na tu kāyasya śoṣaṇam' - Merely drying up the body is not fasting.
So, the real meaning of fasting is to bring the mind closer to God and your Guru.
Recommended books by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj related to this topic:
Devotional Sentiments of Love in Separation: Viraha Madhuri - E-Book- English
Devotional Sentiments of Love in Union: Milana Madhuri - E-Book - English
Today is the festival of Karva Chauth. Many women observe fasts for the well-being of their husbands, worshipping Shiva and Parvati. Some do it to increase their husband's lifespan. But what should you do?
What will you gain from increasing the lifespan of a worldly husband? Food to eat? Everyone gets that according to their destiny. ajagara kare nā cākarī paṃchī kare nā kāma। dāsa malūkā kaha gae saba ke dātā rāma॥, meaning The python doesn't serve any master, nor does the bird search for work. God is the provider for all.
gopīnāṃ tatpatīnāṃ ca sarveṣāmeva dehināṃ, yo'ntaścarati so'dhyakṣaḥ। (Bhagavatam)
tamīśvarāṇāṃ paramaṃ maheśvaramtaṃ devatānāṃ paramaṃ ca daivatam । 'patiṃ patīnāṃ' paramaṃ parastāt vidāma devaṃ bhuvaneśamīḍyam। (Veda)
Shri Krishna is the husband of all husbands, and He is your husband too. He is the husband of the soul. 'Pati' means 'one who protects'. How can a worldly husband protect you when he cannot even protect himself? He himself falls ill, bound by the three material modes, three karmas, three doshas, five afflictions, and so on.
It is our divine husband who can destroy our material bondage. He can and does protect us. If we pray to Him, He will protect us even better. You should observe fasts for that Husband of yours.
'Vrat' means fasting. People fast for their worldly husbands, and they worship Shankar Ji and Mother Parvati. Similarly, we should fast and worship Shankar Ji for the sake of our Supreme Husband. vaiṣṇavāṇāṃ yathā śaṃbhu: Shankar Ji is the greatest devotee of Shri Krishna. We should pray to Him that our Supreme Husband, Shri Krishna, remains happy, that His lifespan increases (may ten to twenty more years be added to infinity), and that He always remains smiling and playful. Worship with these desires. This would be the greatest way to celebrate Karva Chauth.
Moreover, fasting benefits the body, and one should eat light food once a week anyway. Occasionally skipping meals helps the digestive system. The undigested food from the previous meal gets digested when we don't eat for a day, thereby preventing illnesses and disorders. It is beneficial, so there is no loss in keeping a fast. However, not eating alone doesn't constitute fasting. The Vedas explain 'upavāsa' (fasting) as:
upa samīpe yo vāsa: jīvātmaparamātmanoḥ । upavāsaḥ sa vijñeyo na tu kāyasya śoṣaṇam॥ - Increasing the closeness of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul is known as fasting ('upa' means close, 'vāsa' means to reside), not the drying up of the body.
May the soul get closer to God. The closer it gets to God, the better the fast.
'na tu kāyasya śoṣaṇam' - Merely drying up the body is not fasting.
So, the real meaning of fasting is to bring the mind closer to God and your Guru.
Recommended books by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj related to this topic:
Devotional Sentiments of Love in Separation: Viraha Madhuri - E-Book- English
Devotional Sentiments of Love in Union: Milana Madhuri - E-Book - English
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