Haribodhini/Prabodhini Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 24th NOVEMBER 2012

Lord Brahma tells the secrects of Haribodhini Ekadhasi to Naradha Muni

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the month Kārtika (October – November) is the Haribodhini Ekadhasi.

• This sacred Ekādhaśī is more powerful in nullifying sin than one thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices and one hundred Rājasūya sacrifices.
• The sins a person has accumulated over a thousand previous births are burned to ashes if he not only fasts but also remains awake throughout Ekādhaśī night, just as a mountain of cotton can be burned to ashes if one lights a small fire in it.
• Even if one’s forefathers were implicated in many sins and are suffering in hell, they still attain beautifully ornamented spiritual bodies and happily go to Viṣṇu’s abode.
• All places of pilgrimage in the three worlds at once come to reside in the house of a person who fasts on this Ekādhaśī.
• One who fasts on this Haribodhinī day is acknowledged as a wise man, a true yogi, an ascetic, and one whose senses are truly under control.
• The great soul who honors this Ekādhaśī by fasting and remaining awake throughout the night, the Supreme Lord, Śrī Vishnu, personally terminates the sinful reactions that soul has acquired by the actions of his mind, body, and words.
• Anyone who bathes in a place of pilgrimage, gives charity, chants the holy names of the Supreme Lord, undergoes austerities, and performs sacrifices for God on Haribodhinī Ekādhaśī, the merit thus earned all becomes imperishable.
• A person who observes this fast and worships Lord Viṣṇu properly is freed from great danger.
• Fasting on this Ekādhaśī  is a thousand times better than giving charity on the day of the solar or lunar eclipse.
• Whatever merit is earned by one who bathes in a place of pilgrimage, performs sacrifices, and studies the Vedas is only one tenth-millionth the merit earned by the person who fasts but one on Haribodhinī Ekādhaśī.

Ramaa Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 10th NOVEMBER 2012

Ramaa Ekadhasi

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month Ashvina (September – October) is the Ramaa Ekadhasi.

• This Ekadhasi is most auspicious, for it at once eradicates the greatest sins and awards one the passage to the spiritual abode.
• This Ekadashi day was created as the Supreme medicine to remove the disease of material world of having a miserable material body and mind.
• If somebody remains awake all the night, all of the sins accumulated for the previous millions of births are destroyed at once.
• In Kali-yuga, if somebody studies the glories of  Ekadhashi on Ekadhashi day, they do not suffer with mental problems and physical disease.
• After fasting properly on Ekadashi, one should eat mahaprasada the next day (Dvadasi) and at that time millions of his sins are burnt.

There once lived a famous king  Mucukunda. He was always truthfull and followed Ekadhasi vratha with great devotion. One day his daughter and son-in-law came to his place on Dasami. The Kings daughter Candrabhāgā told her husband Sobhana that “My father is very strict about following Ekādhaśī, you are physically weak and cannot hold the fast. But we are in my fathers place now, If we dont fast we have to get out of this place, you please decide what to do.” Hearing this Sobhana told he’ll fast to satisfy his father-in-law.

On Ekadhasi, everyone fasted and as night came, everyone became happy and started doing Jaagarne. Sobhana was unable to bear the thirst and weakness. When the Sun rose, he was dead. With great sorrow, the funeral was done.

Even though Śobhana died because of observing Ramā Ekādhaśī, the merit that he accrued enabled him, after his death, to become the ruler of a kingdom high on the peak of Mandarācala Mountain. He resembled the second Indra with that position. Once a brahmana met came to know about this came and met the King with great interest. He decided to bring the king’s wife for him. So he went and told what all happened to the kings wife and brought her back. As the Kingdom is not permenent, the king’s wife gave away all the merits she got by fasting all the Ekadhasis throughout her life. Thus the kingdom became permanent and the King and queen continued there life.

Papankusha Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 25th OCTOBER 2012

If a person strictly observes Papankusa Ekadasi, hundreds of his ancestors are taken by Garuda to the spiritual world, where they attain their original, four-armed, transcendental forms

 The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Āśvina (September – October) is the Papankusha Ekadhasi.

• Whether one is a child, a youth, or in old age, fasting on Pāpāṅkuśhā Ekādhaśī frees him from all sins and makes him immune to suffering a hellish rebirth.
• One can achieve the same merit as is gained by performing great penances for a long time restraining and controlling the senses.

• Although a person might have committed unlimited and abominable sins, he can still escape hellish punishment just by paying his obeisances to Lord Śrī Hari.

• The merits gained by going on pilgrimage to tīrthas of this earthly planet can also be achieved simply by chanting the holy names of Lord Viṣhṇu.

• The merit obtained by performing one hundred horse sacrifices and one hundred Rājasūrya sacrifices is not even equal to one sixteenth of the merit a devotee is able to attain by fasting on Ekādhaśī. There is no higher merit one can achieve than that attained by fasting on Ekādhaśī. 

• Whosoever observes it faithfully and even donates something in charity will never see the death personified, Lord Yamarāja.

• Not only that, but ten generations of ancestors on his mother’s side, ten generations on his father’s side, and ten generations on his wife’s side are all liberated by a single observance of a fast on this Ekādhaśī. All these ancestors attain their original, four armed transcendental Vaikuṇṭha forms. 

Indhira Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 11th OCTOBER 2012

By fasting on Indhira Ekadhasi all the forefathers who are in hell will be at once liverated.

 The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada (August – September) is the Indhira Ekadhasi.

• If a person fasts on this day, all his sins are eradicated and his forefathers who have fallen into hell are at once liberated.
• Even chithragupta cannot calculate the merits of Ekadhasi vratha.
• Prahlada says, “Wherever there is a person remaining awake overnight on Ekadashi, which is very dear to Sri Vishnu, all the demigods, including Brahma, Indra and Siva, are all available there. And where there is such a wake going on, all of the great sages, headed by Narada Muni and Vyasadeva, are available there and I (Prahlada Maharaja) who am always engaged in worshiping Lord Shri Hari, am also available there.”
• This Ekadhasi day was created as the Supreme medicine to remove the disease of material world of having a miserable material body and mind.

In the Satya-yuga there lived a king named Indrasena, who was so powerful that he destroyed all his enemies. He was greatly devoted to Lord Śrī Viṣṇu and dedicated himself to pure spiritual life and spent much time meditating on the Absolute Truth.

One day Narada muni suddenly descended to his place. The king respected him and asked for his arrival. Narada mini said “When I descended from Brahmaloka to Yamaloka, I noticed your father in Yamarāja‟s assembly. Though he had been very religious, because he broke an Ekādhaśī fast prematurely, he had to go to the Yamaloka. Your father gave me a message for you. He told you to fast on Indhira Ekadhasi and give much in charity so that he can be free from hell and go to heaven.”

King Indrasena followed the Indhira ekadhasi strictly. As he broke fast on dwadhasi, flowers fell from the sky. The merit that Indrasena earned by observing this fast released his father from the kingdom of Yamarāja and caused him to attain a completely spiritual body. Indrasena saw him rising to the abode of Lord Hari on the back of Garuḍa.

Whoever hears or reads this narration gets the merit of performing a horse scarifice, certainly enjoys life in this world, is freed of all reactions to his past sins, and at the time of death returns home, back to God, where he lives eternally.

Parivarthini or Vaamana Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 26th SEPTEMBER 2012 

Parivarthini Ekadhasi – Sri Vishnu turns his side in his Yoga nidhra period

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the light fortnight (shukla paksha) of the month of Bhādrapada (August-September) is the Parivarthini or Vaamana Ekadhasi. 

• This is the day Sri Vishnu turns his side of sleeping in his Yoga Nidhra.
• Sri Vishnu has himself told that “Whether one takes fruits, roots, or even water on My sleeping day, or My turning-over-on-My-side day of Ekadashis, he pierces My heart with a sharp spear”. 
• Any person who fasts on Ekadhasi with devotion, attains the same form as Vishnu, goes to His abode and lives with Him.
• Vāmana Ekādhaśī bestows upon those who observe it both great merit and ultimate liberation from material bondage.
• Just hearing the glories of this Ekadhasi frees one from all his past misdeeds.
• Irrespective of all the merits of Ekadhasi, it also bestows the same merit as that earned by performing a horse sacrifice.
• If one truly desires freedom from the punishing material world, one should fast on Vāmana Ekādhaśī.

In the Tretā-yuga there once was a king of the name Bali. Though born in a demonic dynasty, he was very devoted to Sri Vishnu. He respected the twice-born brāhmaṇas and engaged them in performing sacrifices daily. This great soul had a quarrel with Indra, however, and eventually defeated him in battle. Bali took over his entire celestial kingdom. Therefore Indra and all the other demigods, along with many great sages, approached Sri Vishnufor help. Thus he agreed to appear on their behalf as a dwarf Vāmanadev, his fifth incarnation.

Sri Vishnu approached that pious king Bali in the form of a dwraf brahmana to ask him for alms in the form of land in charity. As Bali accepted he asked three steps of land in charity. Bali agreed to grant without lengthy consideration. But as soon as he vowed to give the land, Sri Vishnu’s body began to expand into a gigantic transcendental form and covered the whole Earth with 1st step and all the heavenly planets with the 2nd. When Sri Vishnu asked the land to place his foot to measure the 3rd step, Bali Mahārāja bowed down in humility and offered his head to place My third step.

Sri Vishnu sent him all the way to Pātālaloka with his 3rd step. Thus Sri Vishnu became very pleased and told Bali that henceforth he would permanently reside in his palace. Thereafter, on Parivartinī Ekādhaśī, which occurs during the light part of the month of Bhādra, Bali, the son of Virocana, installed a Deity form of Vishnu in his residence.

One who simply hears this narration with devotion will go to the abode of the demigods and shine there like the Moon itself, so powerful is observance of this Ekādhaśī. Indeed, this observance is as powerful as the performance of a thousand horse sacrifices.

Ajaa Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 13th AUGUST2011

King Harihchandra who’s life became miserable with his past sins, with the advice of Gautama Muni, fasted on Ajaa ekadhasi and regained everything.

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Shravana (July – August) is Ajaa Ekadhasi.

• Anyone who fasts on this ekadhasi, becomes free of all reactions of his sins.
• He’s at once freed from his past sins.
• The merit one obtains by observing a complete fast on Ekādhaśī cannot be measured. The powerful effect of this merit is inconceivable even to the demigods.

There once lived a famous king named Hariścandra, who was the emperor of the world and a person of great truth and integrity. His wife’s name was Candrāmatī, and he had a son named Lohitāśva. By the force of destiny, however, Hariścandra lost his great kingdom and sold his wife and son. The pious king himself became a menial servant of a dog-eater, who made him guard a crematorium. Yet even while doing such menial service, he did not forsake his truthfulness and good character, just as soma-rasa, even when mixed with some other liquid, does not lose its ability to bestow immortality.

The king passed many years in this condition. Once he got a chance to see the great Gautama muni. At once Hariścandra paid his respectful obeisances to the sage. With joined palms the king stood before Gautama Muni and narrated his pitiful story. Gautama Muni was astonished to hear the king’s tale of woe. He thought, “How has this mighty king been reduced to collecting clothes from the dead?” Gautama Muni became very much compassionate toward Hariścandra and instructed him on the process of fasting for purification.

Gautama Muni said, ‘O king, during the dark fortnight of the month of Bhādrapada there occurs an especially meritorious Ekādaśī named Ajā, which removes all sins. Indeed, this Ekādaśī is so auspicious that if you simply fast on that day and perform no other austerity, all your sins will be nullified. By your good fortune it is coming in just seven days. So I urge you to fast on this day and remain awake through the night. If you do so, all the reactions of your past sins will come to an end. O Hariścandra, I have come here because of your past pious deeds. Now, all good fortune to you in the future!’ So saying, the great sage Śrī Gautama Muni immediately disappeared from his vision.

With great happiness, the king fasted the Ajaa Ekadhasi with great devotion. Just because the king fasted on that day, the reactions to his previous sins were completely destroyed at once. It immediately vanquished all the meseries he was suffering as a result of past sinful activities. Just by the power of this wonderful Ekādhaśī, he was reunited with his wife and son, who had died but were now revived. In heaven the demigods began beating on their celestial kettledrums and showering down flowers upon Hariścandra, his queen, and their son. By the blessings of the Ekādhaśī fast, he regained his kingdom without difficulty. Moreover, when King Hariścandra left this planet, his relatives and all his subjects too, went with him to the spiritual world.

Kaamika Ekadhasi & Athiriktha Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 14th & 15th JULY 2012

Kaamika Ekadhasi – Purest of all days and most powerfull for burnings sins.

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Āṣāḍha (June-July) is the Kaamika Ekadhasi.

Sriman Narayana himself told,

• “One who fasts on Kaamikā Ekādhaśī attains much more merit than one who studies all the spiritual literatures.”
• “This Ekādhaśī is the purest of all days and the most powerful for removing sins of the native.”
• “Anyone who fasts on this particular day and remains awake throughout the night will never experience the anger of Yamadharmarāja. “
• “Whoever observes Kaamikā Ekādhaśī will not have to suffer future births, and in the past many yogīs who fasted on this day went to the spiritual world.”
• “One who fasts on Kaamika Ekadhasi are far greater than those one who takes a sacred bath in the Ganges at Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), in the forest of Naimiśāraṇya, or at Puśkara, where I am worshipped and achieves greater merit than one who has darśana of Lord Kedāranātha in the Himālayas, or one who bathes at Kurukṣetra during a solar eclipse, or one who donates the whole Earth in charity, including its forests and oceans, or one who bathes in the River Gaṇḍakī or the River Godāvari on a full moon (purnima) day that falls on a Monday when Leo and Jupiter are conjoined.”
• “Even Cithragupta, Yamarāja’s secretary, cannot calculate the merit obtained by one who offers Śrīmati Tulasi-devi a perpetually burning ghee lamp on this Ekadhasi.”
• Whoever offers a ghee or sesame oil lamp to Śrī Vishnu on this day is freed from all his sins and enters the abode of Sūrya, the sun-deity, with a body as bright as ten million lamps.
• Observing Kāmikā Ekādhaśī bestows the same merit as donating a milk-cow and her auspicious calf, along with their feed. On this all auspicious day, whosoever worships Lord Viṣṇu, is glorified by all the devas, Gandharvas, Pannagas, and Nāgas.
• Those who are afraid of their past sins and completely immersed in sinful material life should at least observe this best of Ekādhaśīs according to their ability and thus attain liberation.
• Just by hearing the glories of the Kaamikā Ekādhaśī bestows merit equal to that obtained by one who performs a horse sacrifice. 

One should worship Śrī Vishnu with tulasī leaves on this Ekadhasi and will be freed from all implication of sin. Indeed, he lives untouched by sin. Whosoever offers Lord Śrī Vishnu a single leaf from the tulasī tree attains as much merit as one who gives away in charity two hundred grams of gold and eight hundred grams of silver. A single thulasi pleases Sri Vishnu more than pearls, rubies, topaz, diamonds, lapis lazuli, sapphires, gomedā stones, cat’s eye gems, coral, etc. 

One who offers Sri Vishnu newly grown mañjarīs from the tulasī plant gets rid of all the sins he has committed during this or any other lifetime. Indeed, mere darśana of tulasī on Kaamikā Ekādhaśī removes all sins, and merely touching her and praying to her removes all kinds of disease. One who waters tulasī devi need never fear Yamarāja. One who plants or transplants tulasī on this days will eventually reside with Śrī Vishnu in His own abode.

All the forefathers of one who offers a bright ghee lamp to Śrī Vishnu on this day ascend to the heavenly planets and drink the celestial nectar there. This sacred day nullifies even the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa or the sin of killing an unborn child in the womb, and it promotes one to the spiritual world by making one supremely meritorious. Whoever hears these glories of the Kaamikā Ekādaśī with faith becomes free of all sins and returns home, back to Viṣṇu-loka.

NOTE:

1. One should NOT think beforehand that one can kill a Brāhmaṇa or other innocent folk and then go unpunished simply by hearing of this Ekādhaśī. Such knowing commission of sin is an abomination.
2. Pushkara, which is the only place on the planet where Sri Vishnu is formally worshipped.
3. This Ekādhaśī is so powerful that if one who is unable to fast simply follows the practices as mentioned herein, s/he is elevated to the heavenly planets, along with all their forefathers.

Importance of Shayani Ekadhasi at Pandharpur

Pandharpur Vittal

Shayani Ekadashi (June- July) is an important day in Pandharpur. Pandharpur Yathra in Maharastra draws more than 10 lakh devotees. It is believed that this yatra has been taking place for more than 700 years, first started by the parents of Saint Dyaneshwar in the 13th century. The procession that is there in the current form was started by Tukaram’s son Narayana maharaj.

   This yatra of Pandharpur breaks barriers of caste, creed, rich and poor. The main palaki, the Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi procession starts at the Dehu temple and numerous other palkhis are taken from other towns and villages that join on the way.

   The below video of Lord Vittal is his morning bathing ritual. This takes place at dawn around 4:00-4:30 am. It is called Kakkad Aarti. This is the first glimpse of the Lord Vithal.

    The next video below shows the Shringar – the way Lord Vittal is dressed with garments of the finest silk and sparkling jewels. His forehead is adorned with Tilak made of sandalwood paste and Kasturi (Fragrance obtained from the rare breed of deer called Kasturi).

SatTila Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 19th JANUARY 2012

SatTila Ekadhasi

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month Pausha Maasa (December – January) is the SatTila Ekadhasi.

• One who properly observes this wonderful Ṣaṭ-tilā Ekādhaśī with great faith, becomes free from all kinds of poverty – spiritual, mental, physical, social, and intellectual.
  
• All Kinds of ill luck, evil omens will be destroyed.
• The powerful effect of this merit is inconceivable even to the demigods.
• Any widow, who eats grains on the Ekadhashi day, becomes bereft of all of her merits and she suffers the sin of performing an abortion daily.
• As long as one does not fast on Ekadashi, the day of Lord Hari, until that long all of the sins remain in one’s body.

There lived a lady who was a staunch devotee of Sri Vishnu. She very faithfully, did several in charity, observed many a fast, especially on special days and served Sri Vishnu with full devotion, devoid of any personal motive. Although this spiritually minded woman gave charitable donations to worthy people, the odd feature of her austerity was that she never gave food to brāhmaṇas or the demigods.

Sri Vishnu decided to test this lady and came done with disguise as a follower of Lord Shiva with a begging pot. When the lady asked him for his arrival, he replied that he wanted some sacred alms from her. But that lady angrily threw a dense lump of mud into the begging pot! Sri Vishnu returned back to his adobe.

At last the austere lady reached the spiritual world because of her great fasting and charity merits. And because she had offered Sri Vishnu a lump of mud, it was transformed into a beautiful home. However, this particular house was just like that mud completely devoid of any edible grains, as well as any furniture or ornamentation, and when she entered it she found only an empty structure. The lady with great anger approached Sri Vishnu and asked him for this mud house though she had great merits.

Sri Vishnu then told her that he was the one who came in disguise and further told her that the wives of demogids will come to her place and told her not to open the door until they tell her about SatTila Ekadhasi. She did so, but none told her about SatTila Ekadhasi but finally a lady told her. From then on the lady observed Ṣaṭ-tilā Ekādhaśī, which awards material enjoyment and liberation at the same time, as it has been described to her.

Saphalaa Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 21st DECEMBER 2011

Saphala ekadhasi

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month Mārgaśirṣa (November-December) is the Saphalaa Ekadhasi.

• Sri Hari does not get pleased if one does many charity and scarifices. Fasting on ekadhasi will please him to the best.
• Offering ghee lamp is especially glorious on Saphalaa Ekadhasi.
• If one can remain awake and alert the entire night long, it bestows the same merit as the performance of austerity for 5000 earthly years.
• One gets all the merits of observing Ekadhasi fast even without his knowledge or unwillingly due to circumstances.
• There a wonderfull incident where a man’s life changed totally by fasting Saphalaa Ekadhasi without his knowledge and willingness.

King Mahismatha was the King of  Campavathi. He has 4 sons. The eldest son Lumpaka always used to be engaged in illict sex with wifes of others, gambling and continual association with prostitutes. His evil deeds brought down the wealth of his father’s kingdom. With great anger his father exiled him to forest.

Lumpaka killed animals, stole things from city and passed his days in the forest. He used to live under a Banyan tree which is dear to Srihari and demigods have worshipped that tree. The Dasami day before Saphalaa Ekadhasi arrived. Lumpaka suffered with great cold and was left sleepless on that night. On Ekadhasi day, he was unable to move from his place because of cold and severe fever. By afternoon he managed to bring few fruits. But with great sufferings he cried out loud and prayed to Sri Hari asking him to save him from death by keeping those fruits and his naivedhyam.

Thus Lumpaka fasted the whole Ekadhasi without even sleeping. Sri Hari was pleased and blessed him and gave him a horse to go back to his Kingdom. Lumpaka was given the Kingdom by his father and later he gave the kingdom to his son and went to serve the Lord all the time.

NOTE : Just by reading this wonderfull narration, one gets the merit of performing Rajasurya yaagam.