Vijaya Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 8th MARCH 2013

Vijaya Ekadhasi

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month Magha Maasa (February-March) is the Vijaya Ekadhasi.

• Nārada Muni once asked Lord Brahmā about the scerets and merits of Vijaya Ekadhasi. Lord Brahma told, ” My dear son, this oldest of fasting days is pure, and it nullifies all sins. I have never revealed this to anyone until today, but you can understand beyond any doubt that this Ekādhaśī bestows the result indicated by its name… (Vijayā means Victory).”
• “Sri Rama and his group were able to cross the Lanka and got victory over Ravana because of the merits they gained by fasting Vijaya Ekadhasi.”
• This fast is powerful enough to eradicate all one’s sinful reactions, even the most abominable ones.
• Anyone who reads or hears this history will attain the same great merit as that which is earned by performing a horse sacrifice.

Everyone knows that Sri Rama went to Lanka to save Sitadevi. At one point Sri Rama and the monkey army were finding themselves very difficult to cross the ocean. Then Sri Lakshmana suggested that Sri Bakadaalbhya muni is near Lanka and they can have his blessing and advice. Accordingly they all approached that muni.

Bakadaalbhya muni could understand, however, that Śrī Rāma was actually the Supreme Personality of God, who for His own reasons had appeared on the Earth as a human being. Sri Rama told his situation. Bakadaalbhya muni told him that they will surely corss the river and get great victory if that fast the great Vijaya Ekadhasi. He told them a procedure to worship Sriman narayana with a water pot on Ekadhasi and dwadhasi.

Sri Rama did just as Bakadaalbhya Muni instructed and thus He conquered all demoniac forces. Similarly, anyone who observes the Vijayā Ekādhaśī in this way will always be victorious in this mortal world, and after leaving this world he/she will reside forever in the anxiety free realm of the Kingdom of God.

Mokshadha ekadhasi (VAIKUNTA EKADHSAI 2012)

Fasting to be observed on 24th DECEMBER 2012 (VAIKUNTA EKADHASI)

Mokshadha Ekadhasi

 

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

Mokshada Ekādhaśī is special in two regards;

1. It was the auspicious day on which Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, at the place now known as Jyotisar Tirtha.
2. Anyone who gifts a Bhagavad Gītā away to a deserving person on this day is bestowed profuse blessings by the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān.

• This Ekādhaśī purifies the faithful devotee of all sinful reactions and bestows liberation upon him.
• By the influence of this fasting merit, one’s forefathers, mothers, sons, and other relatives who have gone to hell by chance can turn around and go to the heavenly kingdom.
• Puranas tell that this Ekadhasi burns several million sins to ashes. Also gives the merit of performing Ashwamedha yaagam by hearing the following narration.

In the city named Champaka nagara, there lived a great King Vaikhanasa. He once got a dream and saw his father suffering severely in the hell and was yelling to save him. The King asked his court brahmanas, they adviced him to meet Parvatha muni who was near his Kingdom.

The King met Parvatha muni and offered his respects. Parvatha muni closed his eyes and meditated upon the Kings past, presemt and future and started telling “Your father is suffering the results of committing a great sin and I have discovered what it is. In his previous life he quarrelled with his wife and forcibly enjoyed her sexually during her menstrual period. She tried to protest and resist his advances and even yelled out, “Someone please save me! Please do not interrupt my monthly period in this way!” Still he did not stop or leave her alone. It is on account of this grievous sin that your father now has fallen into such a hellish condition of suffering.”

Parvatha muni further told that there is one way to save his father. He told him to strictly observe fast on Mokshadha Ekadhasi and give away all the merits to his father which will burn his sins to ashes and will save him. Accordingly the King followed a strict fast and gave all the merits to his father on dwadhasi day and he saw his father being taken by the demigods to vishnu lokha in the celestial plane.

Utpanna Ekadhasi

Fasting to be observed on 9th DECEMBER 2012

Utpanna Ekadhasi

The Ekādhaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month Kartika (October – November) is the Utpanna Ekadhasi.

• This is the day Sri Ekadhasi Devi manifested herself from Sri Vishnu and killed the demon Mura.
• Sri Ekadhasi Devi (Sri Vishnu’s maha shakthi) has taken a boon from Sri Vishnu, the power to deliver from the greatest sins that person who fasts of this day.
• One who strictly observes a complete fast on my appearance day (On Ekadhasi), with controlled senses, go to the abode of Lord Vishnu for one billion kalpas after he has enjoyed all kinds of pleasures in this world. 
• Bathing at Śaṅkhoddhāra, where the Lord killed the Śaṅkhāsura demon, nor the merit one receives upon seeing Lord Gadadhāra directly is equal to one sixteenth of the merit one obtains by fasting this Ekādhaśī.

Neither the merit by doing few yaagas nor giving charity on a Monday when the moon is full nor feeding brahmachari nor by donating land to the needy nor by giving away a virgin girl in marriage to a young, well-educated, responsible man nor educating children properly on the spiritual path, without expecting any reward in return nor giving food grains to the hungry etc can all be measured. But the merit one obtains by observing a complete fast on this Ekādhaśī cannot be measured. The powerful effect of this merit is inconceivable even to the demigods.