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Utpathit Ekadashi - Vrat Katha
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Falls on: Marghsirsh Krishna Paksh
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Sutji explains
Sutji said, �0 learned Brahmins long ago, Purna Prushotam Bhagwan, explained the
auspicious glories of Ekadashi with rules and regulations governing each observance
of fasting on that holy day. 0 best of the Brahmins, whoever hears about the origins
and glories of these sacred fasts on the Ekadashi days goes directly to the abode of
Bhagwan Vishnu after enjoying many different kinds of happiness in this material world�.
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Arjun ask his Sakha the benefits
Arjun, said, �Janardan, what are the pious benefits of complete fasting, eating only
supper, or eating but once at midday on Ekadashi, and what are the regulations for
observing the various Ekadashi days? Kindly narrate all this to me�.
Purna Prushotam explains in details
Shri Krishna, �Arjun, in the beginning of winter, on the Ekadashi that occurs during
krishna paksh of Marghsirsh, a novice should begin his practice of observing a fast on
Ekadashi. On Dashami, the day before Ekadashi he should clean his teeth nicely. Then,
during the eighth portion of Dashami, just as the sun is about to set, he should eat
supper.
The next morning the devotee should make a vow, according to the rules and regulations,
to observe fasting. At midday, he should bathe properly in a river, lake, or small pond.
A bath in a river is most purifying, that taken in a lake is less so, and a bath in a
small pond is the least purifying. If neither a river, lake, nor pond is accessible,
he may bathe with well water�.
Prayer for mother earth
�The devotee should chant this prayer containing the names of Mother Earth:
0 Asvakrante! O Rathakrante! 0 Visnukrante! O Vasundhare! 0 Mrttike! O Mother Earth!
Kindly remove all the sins I have accumulated throughout my many past lives so that
I may enter the sacred abode of the Purna Prushotam. As the devotee chants, he should
smear mud over his body�.
Do�s & dont's
�During the day of fasting the devotee should not speak to those who are fallen from
their religious duties, to dog-eaters, to thieves, or to hypocrites. He should also
avoid speaking with slanderers; with those who abuse the Devtas, the Vedic literatures,
and Brahmins; or with any other wicked personalities, such as those who have sex with
forbidden women, those who are known plunderers, or those who rob temples. If any such
person is spoken to or even seen during Ekadashi, one must purify oneself by looking
directly at the sun�.
�Then, the devotee should respectfully worship Bhagwan Govind with first class food,
flowers, and so forth. In his home, he should offer the Bhagwan a lamp in pure devotional
consciousness. He should also avoid sleeping during the daytime and should completely
abstain from sex. Fasting from all food and water, he should joyfully sing the Purna
Prushotam's glories and play musical instruments for His pleasure throughout the night.
After remaining awake all night in pure consciousness, the worshiper should give charity
to qualified Brahmins and offer his humble obeisance unto them, begging their forgiveness
for his offenses�.
�Those who are serious about devotional service should consider the Ekadashis that occur
during krishna paksh to be as good as those that occur during sukla paksh. Parth, one
should never discriminate between these two kinds of Ekadashi�.
Merits
�Please listen as I now describe the results obtained by one who observes Ekadashi in
this way. Neither the merit one receives by taking a bath in the sacred place of
pilgrimage known as Sankhoddhara where the Bhagwan killed the Sankhasura demon, nor the
merit one receives upon seeing Bhagwan Gadadhar directly, is equal to one sixteenth of
the merit one obtains by fasting on Ekadashi. It is said that by giving charity on a
Monday when the moon is full, one obtains a hundred thousand times the results of
ordinary charity. O winner of wealth, one who gives charity on the day of the
sankranti [equinox] attains four hundred thousand times the ordinary result. Yet simply
by fasting on Ekadashi one obtains all these pious results, as well as whatever pious
results one gets at Kuruksetra during an eclipse of the sun or moon. Furthermore, the
faithful soul who observes complete fasting on Ekadashi achieves a hundred times more
merit than one who performs an Asvamedha-yajna [horse sacrifice]. One who observes just
a single Ekadashi fast perfectly earns the same merit as one who feeds a hundred thousand
mendicants each day for sixty thousand years. In addition, a person who properly observes
Ekadashi just once earns ten times more merit than a person who gives a thousand cows in
charity to a Brahmin learned in the Veds�.
Merits of Ekadashi fast
�A person who feeds just one brahmacari earns ten times more merit than one who feeds
ten good Brahmins in his own house. However, a thousand times more merit is earned
by donating land to a needy and respectable Brahmin than feeding a brahmacari, and
still better a thousand times more than that is earned by giving away an unmarried girl
in marriage to a young, well-educated, responsible man. Ten times more beneficial than
this is educating children properly on the spiritual path, without expecting any reward
in return. Ten times better than this, however, is giving food grains to the hungry.
Indeed, giving charity to that in need is the best of all, and there never has been or
ever will be a better charity than this. 0 son of Kunti, all the ancestors and Devtas
in heaven become very satisfied when one gives food grains in charity. But the merit
one obtains by observing a complete fast on Ekadashi cannot be measured., at all
Rajan, the powerful effect of this merit is inconceivable even to the Devtas, and half
this merit is attained by one who eats only supper on Ekadashi�.
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