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Why Do Hindus Practice Fasting?

5-6 minutes

Fasting in Hinduism indicates the denial of the physical needs of

the body for the sake of spiritual gains. According to the scriptures,
fasting helps create an attunement with the Absolute by
establishing a harmonious relationship between the body and the
soul. This is thought to be imperative for the well-being of a human
being as it nourishes both his/her physical and spiritual demands.

Hindus believe it is not easy to unceasingly pursue the path of

spirituality in one's daily life. We are harangued by a lot of
considerations, and worldly indulgences do not allow us to
concentrate on spiritual attainment. Therefore a worshiper must
strive to impose restraints on himself/herself to get the mind
focused. One form of restraint is fasting.

Self-Discipline

However, fasting is not only a part of worship but a great instrument

for self-discipline too. It is a training of the mind and the body to
endure and harden up against all hardships, to persevere under
difficulties and not give up. According to Hindu philosophy, food
means gratification of the senses and to starve the senses is to
elevate them to contemplation. Luqman the wise once said, "When
the stomach is full, the intellect begins to sleep. Wisdom becomes

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mute and the parts of the body restrain from acts of righteousness."

Different Kinds of Fasting

Hindus fast on certain days of the month such as Purnima (full

moon) and Ekadasi (the 11th day of the fortnight).

Certain days of the week are also marked for fasting, depending on
individual choices and on one's favorite god and goddess. On
Saturday, people fast to appease the god of that day, Shani or
Saturn. Some fast on Tuesdays, the auspicious day for Hanuman,
the monkey God. On Fridays devotees of the goddess Santoshi
Mata abstain from taking anything citric.

Fasting at festivals is common. Hindus all over India observe fast

on festivals like Navaratri, Shivratri, and Karwa Chauth. Navaratri is
a festival when people fast for nine days. Hindus in West Bengal
fast on Ashtami, the eighth day of the festival of Durga Puja.

Fasting can also mean abstaining from eating only certain things,
either for religious reason or for the sake of good health. For
instance, some people refrain from consuming salt on particular
days. It is common knowledge that excess salt and sodium causes
hypertension or elevation of blood pressure.

Another common kind of fast is to forego taking cereals when only

fruits are eaten. Such a diet is known as phalahar.

Ayurvedic Viewpoint

The underlying principle behind fasting is to be found in Ayurveda.

This ancient Indian medical system sees the basic cause of many
diseases as the accumulation of toxic materials in the digestive
system. Regular cleansing of toxic materials keeps one healthy. By

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fasting, the digestive organs get rest and all body mechanisms are
cleansed and corrected. A complete fast is good for heath, and the
occasional intake of warm lemon juice during the period of fasting
prevents flatulence.

Since the human body, as explained by Ayurveda, is composed of

80 percent liquid and 20 percent solid like the earth, the
gravitational force of the moon affects the fluid contents of the body.
It causes emotional imbalances in the body, making some people
tense, irritable, and violent. Fasting acts as an antidote, for it lowers
the acid content in the body which helps people to retain their
sanity.

A Non-Violent Protest

From a matter of dietary control, fasting has come to be a handy

tool of societal control. It is a non-violent form of protest. A hunger
strike can draw attention to a grievance and can bring about an
emendation or redress. It is interesting to note that it was Mahatma
Gandhi who used fasting to capture people's attention. There is an
anecdote to this: Once the workers at the textile mills in
Ahmedabad were protesting their low wages. Gandhi told them to
go on strike. After two weeks when the workers took to violence,
Gandhi himself decided to fast untill the matter was resolved.

Fellow-Feeling

Finally, the pangs of hunger that one experiences during fasting

make one think and extend one's sympathy towards the destitute
who often go without food. In this context fasting functions as a
societal gain wherein, people share with each other a fellow feeling.
Fasting provides an opportunity for the privileged to give food-

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grains to the less privileged and alleviate their distress, at least for
the moment.

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