________________
Ratnakarandaka-śrāvakācāra
पर्वण्यष्टम्यां च ज्ञातव्यः प्रोषधोपवासस्तु । चतुरभ्यवहार्याणां प्रत्याख्यानं सदेच्छाभिः ॥१०६ ॥
सामान्यार्थ - चतुर्दशी और अष्टमी के दिन सर्वदा के लिये व्रत-विधान की वाञ्छा से चार प्रकार के आहारों (अशन, पान, खाद्य और लेह्य) का त्याग करना प्रोषधोपवास शिक्षाव्रत जानना चाहिए।
The householder who, with a view to strengthen and safeguard his vows, abstains for life from taking the four kinds of food - i) staples (asana) like rice and capātī; ii) drinks (pāna) like water and buttermilk; iii) savory food (khādya) like sweetmeat; and iv) food for the taste buds (lehya or svādya) like cațanī and betel leaf – on the eighth and the fourteenth days of the lunar cycle, is said to be observing the vow of fasting at regular intervals (proșadhopavāsa), a limb of instructional vows-śikṣāvrata.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:
The word proşadha' refers to the holy days in the lunar month. Abstaining from the pleasures of the five senses such as sounds and dwelling in the self in deep concentration is fasting. It means giving up the four kinds of food. Proșadhe upavāsa is proşadhopavāsa, that is fasting on the eighth and fourteenth days of the lunar cycle. The fasting householder discards bodily adornments such as bath, perfume, garlands, and ornaments,
prosadha: the eighth and the fourteenth days of a fortnight, the bright
half and the dark half of the lunar month. - The five senses turn away from their pleasure of touch etc. and repose
in the self in deep concentration during fasting.
164
