[Advaita-l] Advaitic Foods - kricchra, sin

[Anand Hudli]

>Thanks for giving the details of the various kRcchra-s.  On the whole it
>appears that a kRcchra is a generic name for 'anashanam' or denying food to
>oneself or fasting and there are several types in this.  Since
'chAndrAyana'
>is also a method of fasting for penance / praayashchittam purpose, could it
>be said that this is also a type of kRcchra?

Dear Subrahmanian ji,

The Manu Smriti describes the chAndrAyaNa and its variations in verses
11.216-220, and a chAndrAyaNa could be said to be a kR^icchra only in the
general sense of the term kR^icchra as something that is a trouble or
painful. It is usually an atonement for a sin.

I am not aware of the source of the siddhAnta-lesha-saMgraha verse, but it
is used to assert that there is an "adR^iShTa" phala also  of vedAnta
shravaNa. Appayya dIkShita cites the opinion of some advaitins that such
vedAnta shravaNa helps in "amuShmika-vidyA".

Anand