Should devotees fast for Shivratri?

Should devotees fast for Shivratri

Question should devotees fast on Shivratri? Answer, since Srila Prabhupada in Krishna book states that devotees sometimes, the Vrajavasis sometimes observe Shivratri and as far as we see, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would visit Lord Shiva’s temples, but there is no reference to Srila Prabhupada actually observing Shivratri. Now in the Chaitanya Shikshashtakam of Chaitanya Shikshamruta Bhaktivinoda Thakur, he says that apart from Vaishnava festivals, devotees can participate in other festivals which may be cultural or social, so he gives examples of Durga Puja, which is a local festival, cultural festival and then some political occasions like there might be the Independence Day or something like that. So that may be done as a social duty by devotees.

So, broadly speaking, we as a movement are following Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Our Adhyadeva is Krishna and we are following Srila Prabhupada. So, as an institution, it’s unlikely that we will celebrate Shivratri, including fasting on it, as a mandated festival.

At the same time, we don’t live in isolation from the broader culture. So, devotees in America, for example, may celebrate Christmas in some Vaishnava way. Devotees may even do something on Halloween or on Thanksgiving because that’s a time when people are celebrating and we can connect with them in that way.

So devotees may do something to celebrate Ganesh Puja in Maharashtra because that’s what the general people are doing and in some ways we might be able to connect with them. So, broadly there could be three reasons why devotees may want to celebrate Shivratri. One could be it’s a social convention, second is it’s a family tradition.

In our first generation, most devotees lived in the temple and they more or less disconnected from their families and family culture. Now most of our devotees are Congregational devotees. So, if it’s a family tradition, say, Lord Shiva is the Kula Daivata, then the family may want to celebrate or it may be because of some personal inspiration.

That person might have been a devotee of Lord Shiva and now they have come to Krishna Bhakti and they may see Lord Shiva as a Path Pradarshan Guru. So, as individual devotees, each of us has some autonomy and the institution cannot impose norms for devotees for what they do at individual level. Now, simultaneously what the devotees do at individual level, they cannot expect that the institution has to support them and do the same thing.

So, there will be a certain Achintya Bheda Bhed between the institution and the individual. So, generally if devotees want to observe, then that’s perfectly fine as an individual observance and each devotee can have their own conception and motivation for doing what they are doing. Sometimes the institution may also have some talks and organize some kind of celebration on the occasion of Shivratri because that’s the time when people come to a temple and we can tap their coming to the temple.

That will have to be done very sensitively in terms of how we talk about Lord Shiva and how to try and not minimize him in any way on this occasion. So, specifically within the observation of Shivratri, if somebody wants to fast, that’s again up to the individual. Yajna Dana Tapa, Tapa is austerity of fasting.

There is absolutely no harm in it and if somebody wants to fast on this particular day, as long as they are not trying to impose it on others and making others feel guilty because they are not doing it, then that’s perfectly fine. There are things which may be in the part of the larger tradition which may be brought into practice by individual devotees, but that does not have to become the norm for the devotee community or for the institution. One last point would be that our conception of Lord Shiva is very important when we are observing these things.

The key problem is that if it leads to philosophical confusion about who is supreme or even psychological confusion about whom we should be worshipping. We may think that Krishna is supreme but for practical purposes I should worship Lord Shiva. Then that could be a problem.

As long as we are clear in our understanding, then worshipping Lord Shiva including through fasting may be something that individuals want to do and the institution does not have to come in the way of individuals doing it. Thank you.