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. 

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.

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.