History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.435

v6.c81.435

The restrictions on the day of fast are many, but a few are stated here Hārīta lays²⁹⁷ down: one should on a day of fasting avoid speaking with persons guilty of grave sins, heretical persons, atheists and the like and also falsehood, gambling and the like. The Kūrmapurāna provides: on the day of vrata one should not touch nor speak nor look at persons that are *antyajas* (untouchables) and have to live outside the village, a woman recently delivered, one guilty of grave sins and a woman in her monthly illness. Devala provides.²⁹⁸ A fast perishes (i. e all rewards of observing it are lost) by sleep in the day, by play with dice and by sexual intercourse; but in case of great pain (or danger) a fast is not affected by drinking water (frequently). The Rājamārtanda lays down: a man fasting on an Ekādaśī should not be guilty of telling a lie, gambling, sleeping by day and sexual intercourse Hemādri (on vrata vol. I p. 331) quoting Matsya forbids a bath with oil on ekādaśī A fast is vitiated by drinking water often, by eating *tāmbūla*, by sleep in day time and by sexual intercourse When Vyāsa²⁹⁹ says that flowers, ornaments, (rich) clothes, fragrant substances, incense, sandal-wood paste, brushing the teeth and collyrium (in the eyes) would not vitiate a fast, he is referring to the fast observed by women whose husbands are alive.