History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.461

v6.c81.461

A difficulty may arise owing to the rules that no fresh vrata is to be undertaken till one (prior) vrata is finished and that vrata includes its pāraṇā. Suppose, a man has undertaken years ago to observe two vratas, then he may have to observe a fast on ekādaśī and also on dvādaśī owing to another vrata already undertaken Pāraṇā involves *bhojana* (taking food). But this is impossible if one has to undergo two fasts successively The remedy is that at the end of the first vrata the performer (who has to undergo two fasts) should sip water. The Veda says that when a man partakes of water it is neither eating nor non-eating.³¹⁶