Traditions

Tilak, in general, is a mark of auspiciousness. Lord Krishna, the original Person, wears "Vishnu tilak," which signifies His divinity. In the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, the Deities of Krishna wear tilak that reflects the philosophical position of the worshipper.

The different Vaishnava sampradayas ("schools of thought") each have their own distinctive style of tilak which depicts the siddhanta ("philosophical conclusion") of their particular lineage. Some examples are:

In the Vallabha, Rudra-sampradayas, the tilak worn is generally a single vertical red line. This line represents Yamuna devi. The form of Krishna worshiped in the Vallabha line is Sri Nathji or Govardhana. The consort of the Govardhana hill is the river Yamuna. Their process of surrender goes through Yamuna devi.

The Madhva sampradayas mark two vertical lines representing Krishna's 'lotus feet'. In between is a vertical black line is made from the daily coal of the
yajna-kunda (fire sacrifice). In their sampradayas, the process of worship involves 'nitya-homa', or daily fire sacrifices to Narayana or Krishna. The coal remaining from the puja (worship) is used each day to mark the forehead. Underneath the black line, a yellow or red dot is added to indicate either Lakshmi or Radharani. Those who did not perform daily fire sacrifice wear the simple two line tilak only.

In the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradayas the tilak is usually made out of mud from Vrindavan. The main tilak is basically identical to the Madhva tilak. The slight difference arose due to the emphasis on the chanting (japa and kirtan) in the Gaudiya tradition. In Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's line, chanting is given as the essential devotional (bhakti) activity to be performed in Kali-yuga in preference to fire sacrifices. As such, the black line made from fire sacrifice ash isn't included.

The second difference arose due to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's process of approaching Krishna. In the Gaudiya line devotees do not approach Radha and Krishna directly, but always indirectly through their servant. To indicate this, the red dot representing Radha is replaced with a Tulsi leaf offered at the base of Krishna's feet. In Gaudiya belief, only through the mercy of Tulsi Devi (or another pure devotee) can pure devotion to Radha & Krishna, or Krishna & Balarama be awakened.

Again thanks for your question,
Sincerely,
Laxmimoni dasi

Full question: I was always told Ekadasi starts to be observed by midnight (00.00) of the day of Ekadasi, completely abstaining from grains, beans & all foods containing these ingredients. Recently I read somewhere that there are certain fruits/veggies that are forbidden (like tomatoes, spinach) and it should start to be observed the evening before Ekadasi. HUH?? Please set me straight, eh? Thank you! HARI

Hare Krishna! thanks for your question. Actually Srila Prabhupada didn't get too detailed about following Ekadasi according to tiny details. He told us that Ekadasi is foremost a day for increasing hearing and chanting. In order to do this we try to take less time for bodily maintenance, such as eating, sleeping, shaving, etc. It's best to just minimize bodily stuff on that day and spend as much time hearing and chanting about Krishna as possible. It's not an auspicious day for heavy material business of any kind. That's the primary principle.

As far as eating on Ekadasi is concerned, Srila Prabhupada told us to avoid beans and grains on this day. Eat simply, just to keep body and soul together. He never gave us hours to start or end; this information has come from other places, of varying degrees of validity. But the principle is wake up, avoid grains and beans, go to sleep, and the next day, when you eat breakfast, break your fast. It's not good to fast on the day after Ekadasi.

If you miss Ekadasi for some reason, wait until the next day to do it again. If you just eat simple fruits and veggies, you'll be fine. No need to worry about various veggies or spices or fruits...Srila Prabhupada never gave us any warnings about these things and he himself ate just as he asked us to. Sometimes it's nice to fast, or just fast until noon, but this is to allow more time for spiritual things, not just to be spaced out and hungry...do as you can and still maintain your Krishna consciousness.

Our austerity is really fixing our mind on Krishna! Always remember Him, and never forget Him; these are the two main principles of Krishna consciousness. Everything else is secondary.

I hope this is helpful.
Sincerely
Laxmimoni dasi