17 Dec 2020
[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on November 22, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]
[A question by Smt. Padmaram. She sang the bhajan, “Daitya putrulu kūḍa moṃḍi tapamulu cesi…”, while Swami explained the meaning.]
Swāmi replied:- The actual sense of upavāsam is becoming close to God (upa = close; vāsam = existing, remaining). Thus, its real meaning is devotion and not fasting or avoiding food, as is commonly thought. If one is immersed in devotion to God and forgets to have food, such fasting is real upavāsam. In any case, fasting for a day is good for health and from that angle if fasting (upavāsam) is advised, it comes under pravṛtti or worldly life. In that case, the word upavāsam is taken to mean fasting by mere convention, which is known as rūḍhi. When a word is used to mean something that has no connection with its root meaning, it is a rūḍhi usage or usage by mere convention. When a word is used to mean something that is implied by its root meaning, it is called a yoga usage or an etymological usage. Using the word upavāsam to mean fasting has no connection with its root meaning of being near God. Hence, it is only a rūḍhi usage and not a yoga usage. If one is immersed in the devotion of God and even if such a person eats food, it can still be called upavāsam. If one does not eat food due to reasons of health, without any devotion to God, such fasting cannot really be called upavāsam from a yoga sense.
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