Should devotees fast on Mahashivaratri?

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the karmic consequences have to be carefully considered before making a decision.
Thank you. Guidebook for Devotees At the same time, there are many things in the Hari Bhakti Vilas which may or may not be relevant today or applicable today. Shri L. L. Prabhupada was, we could say, quite pragmatic in deciding which aspects of traditional Indian culture including Hari Bhakti Vilas, Shri Gaurav Vaishnav culture are to be applied today.
In the Krishna Consciousness Movement, we generally focus on what Prabhupada has given, even from Shastra, and we primarily follow that. But there are many other things in Shastra which can also be valid and which can be followed by those who feel inspired to do so, because the broad dharmic tradition has many different injunctions. So, in general, in the Goswami’s writings, depending on context, the abhed aspect between Vishnu and Shiva is frequently stressed, and that means that the original Sadashiva is considered to be non-different from Krishna-Vishnu, and thus, there are times when Lord Shiva’s worship is also elevated to be similar to the worship of Vishnu, and it is in that cultural context, and it is within that understanding that devotees may be recommended to fast on the occasion of Lord Shiva’s birth.
Of course, we may also consider him to be a great devotee, just like on Acharya’s appearance days, we fast, we may fast, or on secret days associated with Acharyas, we might fast, same might apply here also. At the same time, as the tradition has descended, there has been some significant increase in the abhed aspect, because there is greater confusion associated with who is actually the supreme. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went into Shiva temple and danced before Lord Shiva, and was even ecstatic sometimes on seeing the seeing Lord Shiva being worshipped, but that did not mean that he was like a Shaivite, but he was able to nuance his presentation by seeing Lord Shiva as a great devotee, and he works like Shiva, Shiva ashtakam attributed to him, but because today’s world has a greater amount of confusion about who is the supreme, so devotees worshipping some Devata, I say not just Devata, he is Mahadev, that can lead to that confusion among other people also.
That’s why a devotee has to consider not only what Shastra is saying, but also what Acharyas are saying, and also how certain things will be perceived, sometimes in a less than healthy way. So therefore, if we come from a Shaivite family, and everybody is fasting on that day, then there is no need for a devotee to necessarily take a contra position, and there is also the loka sangadha that has to be considered, say some devotees can inspire to fast for whatever reason, that’s perfectly fine. This could be a matter of preference, and not a matter of their principle.
Some devotees who have never been from a Shaivite background, they never see, they never worship Lord Shiva, and those devotees who see Shiva as a devotee, and can see that Shiva helped them come closer to Krishna, if they fast at that time and that time, that is good, but it’s just not to make it into an issue of discussion and debate, but of confrontation, but making it a matter of personal faith and practice. So let devotees choose according to their preference, whether they wish to fast or not on Shivaratri. Hare Krishna.