Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
[128]
[Essential Sutra]
(1) Anabhoga, (2) Sahasagar, (3) Sagarikaakar, (4) Akunchana-Prasaran, (5) Gurvabhyuththan, (6) Parishthapanikaakar, (7) Mahattarakaar, (8) Sarvasamadhipratyayakaar. I renounce food except for these eight Agars.
Discussion - Eating once a day is called Ekashan tapa. Ekashan means - ek + ashan, i.e. eating once.
Rejection is the same for both householders and monks. However, householders should keep in mind that they should only consume uncooked food and water in Ekashan. Monks, on the other hand, renounce uncooked food for life. A Shravak should not recite the Pariṭṭhāvaṇiāgareṇaṁ' text while reciting the original text.
While eating in Ekashan and Dwikashan, all four types of food can be taken at will, but after eating, food is renounced for the rest of the time. If one wants to do Trivihar Ekashan, then water can be drunk for the rest of the time. If one wants to do Chaurivihar, then even water cannot be drunk. If one wants to do Duvihar, then water and mouth freshener can be taken after eating. Nowadays, Trivihar Ekashan is the prevalent practice, hence the text 'Triviham' is given in the original text. If one wants to do Chaurivihar, then one should recite the text 'Chauriviham pi aharam asanam, panam, khaim, saim'.
The tradition of Duvihar-Ekashan was prevalent in ancient times. In today's age, its practice is very rare, although it is not completely absent.
There are eight Agars in Ekashan. Four have already been mentioned, the remaining four are as follows:
1. Sagarikaakar - In the language of the Agamas, a Sagarik is a householder. It is forbidden to eat in front of a householder. Therefore, if a monk has to stop eating and go to a secluded place to eat again after a Sagarik arrives, the fast is not broken.
1. 'Egashan' is a Prakrit word, which has two Sanskrit translations - 'Ekashan' and 'Ekasana'.
(1) 'Ekashan' means - eating once. (2) 'Ekasana' means - eating from one seat. Both meanings are acceptable in 'Egashan'. Ekansakṛt ashanam-bhojanam ekam vā āsanam-putācalanato yatra pratyākhyāne tadekāśanam ekāsanam vā, prākṛte dvayor api egāśanam iti rūpam.
- Acharya Haribhadra explains in the Pravachanasaroḍdhāravṛtti that eating once and not getting up again. 'Ekāśanam nāma sadu-paviṣṭa patācalanena bhojanam.'
- Aavashyakavṛtti