[Advaita-l] Advaitic Foods - kricchra, sin

[Anand Hudli]

>I dont have my books with me now but kR^icchra is something where one
survives
>only by drinking water for one day,
The kR^icchra penances are described in various texts. For example, the Manu
Smriti (11.211-215) has the following description of PrAjApatya and other
kR^icchra's :

 tryahaM praatastryahaM saayaM tryahamadyaadayaachitam.h |

tryahaM paraM cha naashniiyaat.h praajaapatyaM charan.h dvijaH ||

The PrAjApatya kR^icchra requires that one eat (once) only in the morning
during the first three days, in the evening only during the next three days,
once (food offered) unasked during the next three days, and fast completely
during the last set of three days. This is a twelve day penance.

gomuutraM gomayaM kshiiraM dadhi sarpiH kushodakam.h |

ekaraatropavaasashcha kR^ichchhraM saa.ntapanaM smR^itam.h ||

The sAntapana kR^icchra requires that one subsist on Panchagavya
(combination of cow's urine, cowdung, milk, curds, and ghee) and Kusha water
for a day and night.

ekaikaM graasamashniiyaat.h tryahaaNi triiNi puurvavat.h |

tryahaM chopavasedantyamatikR^ichchhraM charan.h dvijaH ||

The atikR^icchra requires that one eat only a single morsel during each of
the first three sets of three days mentioned above, and completely fast
during the last set of three days.

taptakR^ichchhraM charan.h vipro jalakshiiraghR^itaanilaan.h |

 pratitryahaM pibedushhNaan.h sakR^itsnaayii samaahitaH ||

One must subsist on hot water, hot milk, hot ghee, and hot air (each at a
time) during a three day period and bathe once a day with concentrated mind.
This is tapta kR^icchra.

yataatmano.apramattasya dvaadashaahamabhojanam.h |

paraako naama kR^ichchhro.ayaM sarvapaapaapanodanaH ||

Controlling himself and making no mistakes, a person must fast for twelve
days. This is the parAka kR^icchra that removes all sin.

Anand