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Vratas and Niyamas
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consume. If we firmly go on adoring dharma and proceed on the path of spiritual elevation, the natural quality of the soul called “Not needing food”, manifests itself.
Food is of four kinds. Food, drink, nourishing eatables and flavoured things : 1) food is that which can fill our stomach such as rice, sweets, milk etc.; 2) Drinks are those related to water or mixed with water; 3) Eatables are fruits, green grams, spicy preparation of cut-fruits vegetables etc., dry roasted food etc.; 4) Flavoured items include spices, medicines, cloves cardomom etc. Of them, many types are to be discarded.
Apart from these four, such things as tasteless, bitter medicines, powders are not included in food. These things are consumed at the time of Pachchakkan also on account of some necessity like sickness but if they are taken with water, they become food. Therefore, they should be taken without water at the time of Pachchakkan. These are called anahari. These substances which are not considered as food include Kutaki (a vegetable substance) Chirayatha (a plant used as medicine) Indrajawa, tasteless neem; Triphala (a medicine powder), ashes, powders. etc. The Pachchakkan relating to food is of four kinds (1) The Pachchakkan of the day; the Pachchakkan of the night, the Pachchakkan carried out at the times of calamity or on account of special necessity and the Pachchakkan of the last moments of one's life.
(1) The Pachchakkan of the day means not consuming any of the four kinds of food mentioned above for two ghadis (48 minutes) from the time of the sunrise. This is called Navakarsipachchakkan. The Porasi Pachchakkan means not consuming any food for one Prahar (i of a day) (one prahar = 3 hours) from the time of the sunrise, Sadaporasi Pachchakkan means not consuming food for 1} prahar; purimudd means not taking food for two praharas (1 day); Avadda : not taking any food for 3 prahars (9 hours). After these Pachchakkans are over, counting and reciting in the posture of the first Navakars, one can take food and water because with this Pachchakkan, there is the Muttisahiyam pachchakkan to be carried out. This
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