Shloka : 80

उपवासदिने त्याज्या दिवानिद्रा प्रयत्नत: ।

उपवासस्तया नश्येन्मैथुनेनेव यन्नृणाम् ॥ 80 ॥

અને જે દિવસે વ્રતનો ઉપવાસ કર્યો હોય તે દિવસે અતિશય યત્ને કરીને દિવસની નિદ્રાનો ત્યાગ કરવો; કેમ કે જેમ મૈથુને કરીને મનુષ્યના ઉપવાસનો નાશ થાય છે તેમ જ દિવસની નિદ્રાએ કરીને મનુષ્યના ઉપવાસનો નાશ થઈ જાય છે. ॥ 80 ॥

And on the day of fasting, one should avoid sleep during day time through sincere efforts. Because as copulation destroys the holiness of fasting, similarly, sleep during day time also destroys the holiness of fasting. || 80 ||

Commentary

Generally it has been noticed that on a fasting day people prefer to sleep and relax because there are no stomach related activi­ties like preparing or eating food. To avoid this Shri Hariji has denied this emphatically; while fasting on 'Ekadashi' etc. festival days or for penance, people should avoid the sleep during day time by all means. Because as copulation destroys the holiness of fasting, similarly, sleep during day time also destroys the holiness of fasting. Sleep during day time increases the excitement in the senses which can result into restlessness (laziness) or careless behaviour which breaks the fast.

Moreover, on a fasting day one tries to avoid sleep during day time, similarly, one should not spend time in roaming around in the town or in gardens etc. places for the sake of entertainment. Also, one should not spend time in gossip. Thus, on a fasting day one should give up laziness, sleep, excitement and should control all the eleven senses including mind and should concen­trate on the worship of God.