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Putradha Ekadashi - Vrat Katha
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Falls on: Paush sukla paksh
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How to please Prushotam
Dharmaraj Yudhisthir said,� Hai Shri Krishna, You have so nicely explained the glories of
the auspicious Saphala Ekadashi Vrat, which occurs during krishna paksh of Paush. Now
please be merciful to me and explain the Ekadashi of Paush sukla paksh. What is its name,
and which of your form should we be worshipping on that sacred day? Hai Prushotam, Hai
Hrishikesh, please also do tell me how You can be pleased on this day�.
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Shri Krishna replies for the benefit of all humanity
Bhagwan Shri Krishna replied, �Rajan, for the benefit of all humanity I shall tell you
how to observe fasting on Paush-sukla Ekadashi�.
�As I previously explained, everyone should observe the rules and regulations of Ekadashi
to the best of his ability. This injunction also applies to the Ekadashi named Putrada,
which destroys all sins and elevates one to the spiritual abode. Shri Narayan, the Purna
Purshotam Bhagwan, is the worshipable Dev of this Ekadashi, and for His faithful devotee
He happily fulfills all desires and awards full perfection. Thus in Tri-lok, there is no
better personality than Bhagwan Narayan�.
�Rajan, now I will narrate to you the history of Putrada Ekadashi, which removes all
kinds of sins, and makes one famous, and learned�.
Pain of not having a heir
�There was once a kingdom named Bhadravati, which was ruled by King Suketuman. His queen
was the famous Saibya. Because he had no son, he spent a long time in anxiety, thinking,
If I have no son, who will carry on my dynasty? In this way, the king meditated in a
religious attitude for a long time, thinking, 'Where should I go? What should I do? How
can I get a son? King Suketuman could find no happiness anywhere in his kingdom, even in
his own palace, and soon he was spending more and more time inside his wife's palace,
gloomily thinking only of how he could get a son�.
�Thus both King Suketuman and Queen Saibya were in great distress. Even when they offered
tarpan [oblations of water to their forefathers], their mutual misery made them think that
it was as undrinkable as boiling water. They thought that they would have no descendants
to offer tarpan to them when they died. The king and queen were especially upset to learn
that their ancestors were worried that soon there would be no one to offer them tarpan�.
Nothing can bring happiness
After learning of their ancestors unhappiness, the king and queen became more and more
miserable, and no one even ministers, neither friends, nor loved ones could cheer them up.
To the king, his elephants, horses, and infantry were no solace, and at last, he became
practically inert and helpless.
�The king thought, 'It is said that without a son, marriage is wasted. Indeed, for a
family man with no son, both his heart and his splendid house remain vacant and miserable.
Bereft of a son, a man cannot liquidate the debt he owes to his ancestors, the Devs, and
other human beings. Therefore, every married man should endeavor to beget a son; thus, he
will become famous within this world and at last attain the auspicious celestial realms.
A son is proof of the pious activities a man performed in his past one hundred lifetimes,
and such a person achieves a long duration of life in this world, along with good health
and great wealth. Possessing sons and grandsons in this life proves that one has
worshiped Bhagwan Visnu, in the past. The great blessings of sons, wealth, and sharp
intelligence can be achieved only by worshiping the Purna Purshotam Bhagwan Shri Krishna
That is my opinion�.�
Depression gets dreadful
�Thinking thus, the king had no peace. He remained in anxiety day and night, from morning
to evening, and from the time he lay down to sleep at night until the sun rose in the
morning, his dreams were equally full of great anxiety. Suffering such constant anxiety
and apprehension, King Suketuman decided to end his misery by committing suicide. But he
realized that suicide throws a person into hellish conditions of rebirth, and so he
abandoned that idea. Seeing that he was gradually destroying himself by his all consuming
anxiety over the lack of a son, the king at last mounted his horse and left for the dense
forest alone. No one, not even the priests and Brahmins of the palace, knew where he had
gone�.
Wandering in beautiful forest made king more sad
�In that forest, which was filled with deer and birds and other animals, King Suketuman
wandered aimlessly, noting all the different kinds of trees and shrubs, such as the fig,
bel fruit, date, palm, jackfruit, bakula, saptaparna, tinduka, and tilaka, as well as the
sala, talc, tamala, sarala, hingota, arjuna, labhera, baheda, sallaki, karonda, patala,
khaira, saka, and palasa trees. All were beautifully decorated with fruits and flowers.
He saw deer, tigers, wild boar, lions, monkeys, snakes, huge bull elephants in rut, cow
elephants with their calves, and four-tusked elephants with their mates close by. There
were cows, jackals, rabbits, leopards, and hippopotamuses. Beholding all these animals
accompanied by their mates and offspring, the king remembered his own menagerie,
especially his palace elephants, and became so sad that he absentmindedly wandered into
their very midst�.
�Suddenly the king heard a jackal howl in the distance. Startled, he began wandering
about, looking around in all directions. Soon it was midday, and the king started to tire.
He was tormented by hunger and thirst. He thought, What sinful deed could I possibly have
done so that I am now forced to suffer like this, with my throat parched and burning? I
have pleased the Devs with numerous fire sacrifices and abundant devotional worship. I
have given many gifts and delicious sweets in charity to all the worthy Brahmins. In
addition, I have taken care of my subjects as though they were my very own children. Why
am I suffering so like this? What unknown sins have come to torment me in this dreadful
way�?
Good deeds pays
�Absorbed in these thoughts, King Suketuman struggled forward, and eventually, due to his
pious credit, he came upon a beautiful pond that resembled the famous Lake Manasarovar.
It was filled with aquatics, including crocodiles and many varieties of fish, and graced
with lilies. Beautiful lotuses had opened to the sun, and swans, cranes, and ducks swam
happily in its waters. Nearby were many attractive Ahsrams, where there resided many
saints and sages who could fulfill the desires of anyone. Indeed, they wished everyone
well. When the king saw all this, his right arm and eye began to quiver, a sign that
something auspicious was about to happen�.
Conversation with Vishve-devas
As the king dismounted his horse and stood before the sages, who sat on the shore of the
pond, he saw that they were chanting the holy names of Bhagwan on jaap beads. The king
paid his obeisance and, joining his palms, glorified them. He was overjoyed to be in
their presence. Observing the respect the king offered them, the sages said, 'We are very
pleased with you, Rajan. Kindly tell us why you have come here. What is on your mind?
Please tell us what you desire�.
The king replied, �O great sages, who are you? What are your names, O auspicious saints?
Why have you come to this beautiful place? Please tell me everything�.
The sages replied, �Rajan, we are the Vishve-devas; we have come here to this lovely pond
to bathe. The month of Magh will be here in five days, and today is the famous Putrada
Ekadashi. One who desires a son should strictly observe this Ekadashi.'
The king said,�I have tried so hard to have a son. If you great sages are pleased with me,
kindly grant me a good son�.
�The very meaning of Putrada, the sages replied, is giver of a son. So please observe a
complete fast on this Ekadashi day. If you do, then by our blessings-and by the mercy of
Bhagwan Keshav you will surely obtain a son�.
On the advice of the Vishve-devas, the king observed the auspicious fast day of Putrada
Ekadashi according to all the established rules and regulations, and on Duvadashi, after
breaking his fast, he paid his obeisance again and again to them all.
Soon after Suketuman returned to his palace, Queen Saibya became pregnant, and exactly as
the Vishve-deva sages had predicted, a bright faced, beautiful son was born to them. In
due course he became famous as a heroic prince, and the king gladly pleased his noble son
by making him his successor. The son of Suketuman took care of his subjects very
conscientiously, just as if they were his own children.
Shri Krishna concluded
�Yudhisthir, one who wishes to fulfill his desires should strictly observe Putrada
Ekadashi. While on this Earth, one who strictly observes this Ekadashi will surely obtain
a son, and after death he will achieve liberation. Anyone who even reads or hears the
glories of Putrada Ekadashi obtains the merit earned by performing a Aksh-va-megh yagiya.
It is to benefit all humanity that I have explained all this to you�.
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