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[sv-rituals] The Story of Ekadashi

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • August 4, 2002 


Dear BhakthAs:

SrimAn Keerthy from Bangalore sent me the posting
on EkAdasi Vratham .This would be of interest to you
since thre have been many questions on EkAdasi
Varatham before in the Bhakthi List .

V.Sadagopan 

Posting by Sri Keerthy
**********************
My most humble obeisances to all the
Srivaishnavas......

The Story of Ekadashi

The appearance of Sri Ekadashi and about her special
characteristics. I am presenting this description from
the fourteenth chapter of the Padma Purana, from the
section entitled "Kriya-sagara-sara."

Once the great sage Jaimini Rsi said to his spiritual
master Sri Vyasadeva, "Oh Gurudeva! Previously, by
your mercy, you described to me thehistory of the
glories of the Ganga river, the benefits of
worshipping Vishnu, the giving of grains in charity,
the giving of water in charity, and the magnanimity of
drinking the water that has washed the feet of the
brahmanas. O best of the sages, Sri Gurudeva, now,
with great enthusiasm, I desire to hear the benefits
of fasting on Ekadashi and the appearance of Ekadashi.

kasmad ekadashi jata tasyah ko va vidhir dvija
kada va kriyate kim va phalam kim va vadasva me
ka va pujyatama tatra devata sad-gunarnava
akurvatah syat ko dosa etan me vaktum arhasi

"Oh Gurudeva! When did Ekadashi take birth and from
whom did she appear? What are the rules of fasting on
the Ekadashi? Please describe the benefits of
following this vow and when it should be followed. Who
is the utmost worshippable presiding deity of Sri
Ekadashi? What are the faults in not following
Ekadashi properly? Please bestow your mercyupon me and
tell about these subjects, as you are the only
personality able to do so."

Sri Vyasadeva, upon hearing this enquiry of Jaimini
Rsi, became situated in transcendental bliss. "Oh
brahmana sage Jaimini! The results of following
Ekadashi can only be perfectly described by the
Supreme Lord, Narayana, because Sri Narayana is the
only personality capable of describing them in full.
But I will give a very brief description in answer to
your question."

"At the beginning of the material creation, the
Supreme Lord created the moving and nonmoving living
entities within this world made of five gross material
elements. Simultaneously, for the purpose of punishing
the humans beings, He created a personality whose form
was the embodiment of sin (Papapurusha). The different
limbs of this personality were constructed of the
various sinful activities. His head head was made of
the sin of murdering a brahmana, his two eyes were the
form of the sin of drinking intoxicants, his mouth was
made of the sin of stealing gold, his ears were the
form of the sin of having illicit connection with the
spiritual master's wife, his nose of the sin of
killing one's wife, his arms the form of the sin of
killing a cow, his neck made of the sin of stealing
accumulated wealth, his chest of the sin of abortion,
his lower chest of the sin of having sex with
another's wife, his stomach of the sin of killing
one's relatives, his navel of the sin of killing those
who are dependent on him, his waist of the sin of self
appraisal, his thighs of the sin of offending the
guru, his genital of the sin of selling one's
daughter, his buttocks of the sin of telling
confidential matters, his feet of the sin of killing
one's father, and his hair the form of lesser, less
severe sinful activities. In this way, a horrible
personality embodying all the sinful activities and
vices was created. His bodily colour is black, and his
eyes are yellow. He inflicts extreme misery upon
sinful persons."

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, upon
seeing this personality of sin, began to think to
Himself as follows: 'I am the creator of the miseries
and happiness for the living entities. I am their
master because I have created this personality of sin,
who gives distress to all dishonest, deceitful, and
sinful persons. Now I must create someone who will
control this personality.' At this time Sri Bhagavan
created the personality known as Yamaraj and the
different hellishj planetary systems. Those living
entities who are very sinful will be sent after death
to Yamaraj, who will in turn, according to their sins,
send them tom a hellish region to suffer.

"After these adjustments had been made, the Supreme
Lord, who is the giver of distress and happiness to
the living entities, went to the house of Yamaraj,
with the help of Garuda, theking of birds. When
Yamaraj saw that Lord Vishnu had arrived, he
immediately washed His feet and made an offering unto
Him. He then had Him sit upon a golden throne. The
Supreme Lord, Vishnu, became seated on the throne,
whereupon He heard very loud crying sounds coming from
the southern direction. He became surprised by this
and thus enquired from Yamaraj, 'From where is this
loud crying coming?'

"Yamaraj in reply said, 'Oh Deva! The different living
entities of the earthly planetary systems have fallen
into the hellish regions. They are suffering extremely
for their misdeeds. The horrible crying is because of
suffering from the inflictions of their past bad karma
(actions).'

"After hearing this the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, went to
the hellish region to the south. When the inhabitants
saw who had come they began to cry even louder. The
heart of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, became filled with
compassion. Lord Vishnu thought to Himself, 'I have
created all this progeny, and it is because of Me
thatthey are suffering.'"

Sri Vyasadeva continued: "Oh Jaimini, just listen to
what the Supreme Lord did next.

etac canyac ca viprarse
vicintya karunamayah
babhuva sahasa tatra
svayam ekadashi tithih

'After the merciful Supreme Lord thought over what He
had previously considered, He suddenly manifested from
His own form the deity of the lunar day Ekadashi.'
Afterwards the different sinful living entities began
to follow the vow of Ekadashi and were then elevated
quickly to the abode of Vaikuntha. Oh my child
Jaimini, therefore the lunar day of Ekadashi is the
selfsame form of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, and the
Supersoul within the heart of the living entities. Sri
Ekadashi is the utmost pios activity and is situated
as the haed among all vows.

"Following the ascension of Sri Ekadashi, that
personality who is the form of the sinful activity
gradually saw the influence she had. He approached
Lord Vishnu with doubts in his heart and began
offering many prayers, whereupon Lord Vishnu became
very pleased and said, ' I have become very pleased by
your nice offerings. What boon is it that you want?'

"The Papapurusha replied, 'I am your created progeny,
and it is through me that you wanted distress given to
the living entities who are very sinful. But now, by
the influence of Sri Ekadashi, I have become all but
destroyed. Oh Prabhu! After I die all of Your parts
andparcels who have accepted material bodies will
become liberated and therefore return to the abode of
Vaikuntha. If this liberation of all living entities
takes place, then who will carry on Your activities?
There will be no one to enact the pastimes in the
earthly planetary systems! Oh Keshava! If You want
these eternal pastimes to carry on, then You please
save me from the fear of Ekadashi. No type of pious
activity can bind me. But Ekadashi only, being Yourown
manifested form, can impede me. Out of fear of Sri
Ekadashi I have fled and taken shelter of men;
animals; insects; hills; trees; moving and nonmoving
living entities; rivers; oceans; forests; heavenly,
earthly, and hellish planetary systems; demigods; and
the Gandarvas. I cannot find a place where I can be
free from fear of Sri Ekadashi. Oh my Master! I am a
product of Your creation, so therefore very mercifully
direct me to a place where I can reside fearlessly.'"

Sri Vyasadeva then said to Jaimini, "After saying
this, the embodiment of all sinful activities
(Papapurusha) fell down at the feet of the Supreme
Lord, Vishnu, who is the destroyer of all miseries and
began to cry.

"After this, Lord Vishnu, observing the condition of
the Papapurusha with laughter, began to speak thus:
'Oh Papapurusha! Rise up! Don't lament any longer.
Just listen, and I'll tell you where you can stay on
the auspicious lunar day of Ekadashi. On the day of
Ekadashi, which is the benefactor of the three worlds,
you can take shelter of foodstuff in the form of
grains. There is no reason to worry about this any
more, because My form as Sri Ekadashi Devi will no
longer impede you.' After giving direction to the
Papapurusha, the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, disappeared and
the Papapurusha returned to the performance of his own
activities.

"Therefore those persons who are serious about the
ultimate benefit for the soul will never eat grains on
the Ekadashi tithi. According to the instructions of
Lord Vishnu, every kind of sinful activity that can be
found in the material world takes its residence in
this place of foodstuff (grain). Whoever follows
Ekadashi is freed from all sins and never enters into
hellish regions. If one doesn't follow Ekadashi
because of illusion, he is still considered the utmost
sinner. For every mouthful of grain that is eaten by a
resident of the earthly region, one receives the
effect of kiling millions of brahmanas. It is
definately necessary that one give up eating grains on
Ekadashi. I very strongly say again and again, 'On
Ekadashi, don't eat grains, don't eat grains, don't
eat grains!' Whether one be a ksatriya, vaisya,
shudra, or of any family, he should follow the lunar
day of Ekadashi. From this the perfection of varna and
ashram will be attained. Especially since even if one
by trickery follows Ekadashi, all of his sin become
destroyed and he very easily attains the supreme goal,
the abode of Vaikuntha."


Jai Sri Krishna!

Adiyen Ramauja Dasan

Keerthy





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