EKADASHI VRAT

Falls on: Jyesth sukla paksh

Bhimsen's inquisitive and worried
Once Bhimsen, the younger brother of Maharaj Yudhisthir, asked the great sage Shri Vyasji - the grandfather of the Pandavas, if it is possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed all the rules and regulations of the Ekadashi fasts. Bhimsen also said, my brother Yudhisthir, my dear mother Kunti and my beloved wife Draupadi, along with Arjuna Nakul and Sahadev, fast completely on Ekadashi and strictly follow all the rules and regulations of that sacred day. Being very religious, they always tell me that I should also fast on that day. However, hai grandfather, I tell them that I cannot live without eating, because hunger is unbearable to me. I give widely in charity and worship Bhagwan Shri Kesav properly, but I cannot fast on Ekadashi. Please tell me how I can obtain the same result without fasting.

Shri Vyasji�s instruction

Vyasji replied, �without drinking even water, you should fast on the Ekadashi that occurs during sukla paksh of Jyesth, when the sun travels in the sign of Gemini and Taurus. According to learned personalities, on this day one may bathe and perform aachaman for purification. But while performing aachaman one may drink only that amount of water equal to a masa (lowest weight for gold), or that amount which a single mustard seed can be immersed in. Only this amount of water should be placed in the palm, which one should form to resemble a cow's ear. If one drinks more water than this, he might as well have drunk wine. One must certainly not eat anything, for if he does so he breaks his fast. This rigid fast is in effect from sunrise on Ekadashi to sunrise on Duvadashi. If a person endeavors to observe this great fast very strictly, he easily achieves the results of observing all twenty-four Ekadashi fasts throughout the entire year.�

�On Duvadashi the devotee should bathe early in the morning. Then, according to the prescribed rules and regulations, and depending on his ability, he should give some gold and water to worthy Brahmins. Hai Bhimsen, one who can fast on this special Ekadashi in this way reaps the benefit of having fasted on every Ekadashi during the year. There is no doubt of this.�

�Bhim, now hear the specific merit one gets by fasting on this Ekadashi. The Purna Prushotam Bhagwan Kesav, who holds a conch, disc, club, and lotus, personally told me, everyone should take shelter of Me and follow My instructions. Then He told me that one who fasts on this Ekadashi, without drinking water or eating, becomes free of all sinful reactions, and that one who observes the difficult nirjala fast on Jyestha-sukla Ekadashi truly reaps the benefit of all other Ekadashi fasts.�

Bhimsen, in the Kali-yug, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, when all the principles of the Veds will have been destroyed or greatly minimized, and when there will be no proper charity or observance of the ancient Vedic principles and ceremonies, how will there be any means of purifying thy self? However, there is the opportunity to fast on Ekadashi and become free of all one's past sins. Hai son of Vayu, what more can I say to you? You should not eat during the krishna and sukla paksh Ekadashis, and you should even give up drinking water on the particularly auspicious day of Jyesth-sukla Ekadashi. Vrkodara (Bhim), whoever fasts on this Ekadashi receives the merits of bathing in all the places of pilgrimage, giving all kinds of charities, and fasting on all the krishna and sukla paksh Ekadashis, Of this there is no doubt. Bhim, whoever fasts on this Ekadashi truly becomes a great person and achieves all wealth, grains, strength, and health and at the fearful moment of death, the terrible Yamaduts, whose complexions are yellow and black and who brandish huge clubs and twirl mystic pass ropes in the air, will refuse to approach him. Rather, the Visnuduts will at once take such a faithful soul to the supreme abode of Bhagwan Vishnu. It is to gain all these benefits that one should certainly fast on this very important Ekadashi, even from water.�

Shri Vyasji continued �Bhim, therefore you should observe this important fast to remove all your past sinful reactions. You should pray Purna Prushotam Bhagwan Shri Krishna, in this way:

Prayer
�Hai Devo ke Dev, hai Purna Prushotam Bhagwan, today I shall observe Ekadashi without taking any water. Hai Purna Anand, I shall break fast on the next day, Duvadashi. Thereafter, to remove all his sins, the devotee should honor this Ekadashi fast with full faith in the Purna Prushotam and with full control of his senses. Whether his sins are equal in volume to Mount Sumeru or to Mandaracala Hill, if he or she observes this Ekadashi, the sins all become nullified and are burned to ashes. Such is the great power of this Ekadashi.�

�Hai serva-sresth atma, although a person should also give water and cows in charity during this Ekadashi if for some reason or other he cannot, then he should give a qualified Brahmin some cloth or a pot filled with water. Indeed, the merit achieved by giving water alone equals that gained by giving gold ten million times a day. Hai Bhim, Bhagwan Shri Krishna has said that whoever observes this Ekadashi should take a holy bath, give charity to a worthy person, chant Shri Krishna Sharanam mama, on a jaap-mala, and perform some kind of recommended sacrifice, for by doing these things on this day one receives imperishable benefits. There is no need to perform any other kind of religious duty. Observance of this Ekadashi fast alone promotes one to the supreme abode of Shri Vishnu. Servasresth of the Kurus, if one donates gold, cloth, or anything else on this day, the merit one obtains is imperishable.�

�Remember, whoever eats any grains on Ekadashi becomes contaminated by sin and verily eats only sin. In effect, he has already become a dogeater, and after death, he suffers a hellish existence. But he who observes this sacred Jyesth-sukla Ekadashi and gives something in charity certainly achieves liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death and attains to the supreme abode. Observing this Ekadashi, which is merged with Duvadasi, frees one from the horrible sin of killing a Brahmin, drinking liquor and wine, becoming envious of one's spiritual master and ignoring his instructions, and continually telling lies.�

�Furthermore, Bhim, any man or woman who observes this fast properly, worships Purna Prushotam. On the next day satisfies a qualified Brahmin with nice sweets and a donation of cows and money-such a person certainly pleases the Supreme Bhagwan Vasudev, so much so that one hundred previous generations in his family undoubtedly go to the Bhagwan�s abode, even though they might have been very sinful, of bad character, and guilty of suicide. Indeed, one who observes this Ekadashi rides on a glorious celestial airplane [viman] to that abode.�

�One who on this day gives a Brahmin a waterpot, an umbrella, or shoes surely goes to heaven. Indeed, he who simply hears these glories also attains to the transcendental abode of the Purna Prushotam Bhagwan Shri Vishnu. Whoever performs the sraddha ceremony to the ancestors on the darkmoon day called amavasya, particularly if it occurs at the time of a solar eclipse, undoubtedly achieves great merit. However, this same merit is achieved by him, simply hears this sacred narration-so powerful and so dear to Bhagwan is this Ekadashi.�

�One should clean his teeth properly and, without eating or drinking, observe this Ekadashi to please the Bhagwan Kesav. On the day after Ekadashi one should worship Purna Prushotam Bhagwan Shri Krishna in His form as Trivikrama by offering Him water, flowers, incense, and a brightly burning lamp. Then the devotee should pray from the heart: �hai Devo ka Dev, 0 deliverer of everyone, 0 Hrsikesa, master of the senses, kindly bestow upon me the gift of liberation, though I can offer you nothing greater than this humble pot filled with water.� Then the devotee should donate the waterpot to a Brahmin. 0 Bhimsen, after observing this Ekadashi fast and donating the recommended items according to his ability, the devotee should feed brahmins and thereafter honor prasadam silently.�

Shri Vyasji concluded, �I strongly urge you to fast on this auspicious, purifying, sin-devouring Dvadasi in just the way I have outlined. Thus you will be completely freed of all sins and reach the supreme abode.�

When the other Pandavas heard about the benefits to be gained by following Jyest-sukla Ekadashi they resolved to observe it exactly as Shri Vyasji had explained it to their brother, Bhimsen. All the Pandavas observed it by refraining from eating or drinking anything, and thus this day is known as Pandavnirjala Duvadashi.