Bhāgavat Dharma Samāj

09/19/2024

Jai Sri Radhe!

You can Register here: https://www.krsna.org/kumbh-mela-2025/

09/18/2024

Jai Sri Radhe!

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Part 180 - Maharishi Angira got Chitraketu-Kritadhrti to perform Tvashta Yajna

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Part 180 - Maharishi Angira got Chitketu-Kritadhrti to perform Tvashta Yajna- spoken by His Divine Grace Mahāmaṇḍaleshwar Mahant Kṛṣṇa Bal...

08/25/2024

Jai Sri Radhe.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam part 177 - All the sins of Lord Indra were removed totally and he became pure.- spoken by His Divine Grace Mahāmaṇḍaleshwar Mahant Kṛṣṇa B...

08/25/2024

Jai Sri Radhe, Sri Krsna Janmastami will be celebrated on the 27th day of August, Tuesday. Janmastami is a fasting day like Ekadasi day and breaking fast the next morning.

08/21/2024

Jai Sri Radhe

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam part 176 - Indra, humbly begged pardon from his spiritual master Bṛhaspati.- spoken by His Divine Grace Mahāmaṇḍaleshwar Mahant Kṛṣṇa Bala...

08/15/2024

Putradā Ekādaśī will be celebrated on 16th day of August, Friday.
Following is the translation of the Text extracts about Putradā Ekādaśī between Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja
Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, “O Madhusūdana, O killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the mont h of Śravaṇa [July-August] .”
The Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, replied, “Yes, O king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred Ekādaśī one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice.”
“At the dawn of Dvāpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Māhiṣmatī-purī. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next. For a long time this king tried very hard to obtain an heir, but to no avail. Seeing his years advancing ever onwards, King Mahijita became increasingly anxious. One day he told an assembly of his advisers : ‘I have committed no sin in this life, and there is no ill-gotten wealth in my treasury. I have never usurped the offerings to the demigods or brāhmaṇas. When I waged war and conquered kingdoms, I followed the rules and regulations of the military art , and I have protected my subjects as if they were my own children. I punished even my own relatives if they broke the law, and if my enemy was gentle and religious I welcomed him. O twice-born souls, although I am a religious and faithful follower of the Vedic standards, still my home is without a son. Kindly tell me the reason for this.”
“Hearing this, the king’s brāhmaṇa advisers discussed the subject among themselves, and with the aim of benefiting the king they visited the various āśramas of the great sages. At last t hey came upon a sage who was austere, pure, and self-satisfied, and who was strictly observing a vow of fasting. His senses were completely under control, he had conquered his anger, and he was expert at performing his occupational duty. Indeed, this great sage was expert in all the conclusions of the Vedas, and he had extended his life span to t hat of Lord Brahmā himself. His name was Lomaṣa R̥ṣi, and he knew past, present, and future. After each kalpa passed, one hair would fall out of his body. All the king’s brāhmaṇa advisers very happily approached him one by one to offer their humble respects.”
“Captivated by this great soul, King Mahijita’s advisers offered obeisances to him and said very respectfully, ‘Only because of our great good fortune, O sage, have we been allowed to see you.”
“Lomasa R̥ṣi saw them bowing down to him and replied, ‘Kindly let me know why you have come here. Why are you praising me? I must do all I can to solve your problems, for sages like me have only one interest : to help others. Do not doubt this.”
“The king’s representatives said, ‘We have come to you, O exalted sage, to ask for your help in solving a very serious problem. O sage, you are like Lord Brahmā. Indeed, there is no better sage in the entire world. Our king, Mahijita, is without a son, though he has sustained and protected us as if we were his sons. Seeing him so unhappy on account of being sonless, we have become very sad, O sage, and therefore we have entered the forest to perform severe austerities. By our good fortune we happened upon you. Everyone’s desires and activities become successful just by your darśana. Thus we humbly ask that you tell us how our kind king can obtain a son.”
“Hearing their sincere plea, Lomaśa R̥ṣi absorbed himself in deep meditation for a moment and at once understood the king’s previous life. Then he said, ‘Your ruler was a merchant in his past life, and feeling his wealth insufficient, he committed sinful deeds. He traveled to many villages to trade his goods. Once, at noon on the day after the Ekādaśī that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeṣṭha, he became thirsty while traveling from place to place. He came upon a beautiful pond on the outskirts of a village, but just as he was about to drink at the pond a cow arrived there with her new-born calf. These two creatures were also very thirsty because o f the heat , but when the cow and calf started to drink, the merchant rudely shoved them aside and selfishly slaked his own thirst. This offense against a cow and her calf has resulted in your king’ s being without a son now. But the good deeds he performed in his previous life have given him rulership over an undisturbed kingdom.”
“Hearing this, the king’ s advisers replied, ‘O renowned R̥ṣi, we have heard that the Vedas say one can nullify the effects of one’ s past sins by acquiring merit. Be so kind as to give us some instruction by which our king’s sins can be destroyed; please give him your mercy so that a prince will take birth in his family.”
“Lomasa R̥ṣi said, ‘There is an Ekādaśī called Putradā, which comes during the light fortnight of the month of Śravaṇa. On this day all of you, including your king, should fast and stay awake all night, strictly following the rules and regulations. Then you should give the king whatever merit you gain by this fast. If you follow these instructions of mine, he will surely be blessed with a fine son.”
“All the king’s advisers became very pleased to hear these words from Lomasa R̥ṣi, and they all offered him their grateful obeisances. Then, their eyes bright with happiness, they returned home.”
“When the month of Śravaṇa arrived, the king’s advisers remembered the advice of Lomaśa R̥ṣi, and under their direction all the citizens of Mahismati-puri, as well as the king, fasted on Ekādaśī. And on the next day, Dvādaśī, the citizens dutifully offered their accrued merit to. him. By the strength of all this merit, the queen became pregnant and eventually gave birth to a most beautiful son.”
“O Yudhiṣṭhira,” Lord Kṛṣṇa concluded, “the Ekādaśī that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Śravaṇa has thus rightfully become famous as Putradā [“bestower of a son”] . Whoever desires happiness in this world and the next should certainly fast from all grains and legumes on this holy day. Indeed, whoever simply hears the glories of Putradā Ekādaśī becomes completely free of all sins, is blessed with a good son, and surely ascends to heaven after death.”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Śravaṇa-śukla Ekādaśī, or Putradā Ekādaśī, from the Bhaviṣya uttara Purāṇa.

06/17/2024

TOMORROW (18th, June, 2024) IS BHIMASENI NIRJALA EKADASI
Once Bhīmasena, the younger brother of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, asked the great sage Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas, if it is possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed all the rules and regulations of the Ekādaśī fasts.
Bhīmasena said, “O greatly intelligent grandfather, my brother Yudhiṣṭhira, my dear mother Kuntī, and my beloved wife Draupadī, as well as Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, fast completely on Ekādaśī and strictly follow all the rules, and regulations of that sacred day. But, O grandfather, I tell them that I cannot live without eating, because hunger is unbearable to me. I give widely in charity and worship Śrī Keśava properly, but I cannot fast on Ekādaśī. Please tell me how I can obtain the same result without fasting.”
Hearing these words, Śrīla Vyāsadeva replied, “If you want to go to the heavenly planets and avoid the hellish planets, you should indeed observe a fast on both the light and dark Ekādaśīs.”
Bhīma said, “O greatly intelligent grandfather, please listen to my plea. O greatest of munis, since I cannot live if I eat only once in a day, how can I possibly live if I fast completely? Within my stomach burns a special fire named vṛka, the fire of digestion. Only when I eat to my full satisfaction does the fire in my stomach become satisfied. O great sage, I might possibly be able to fast only once, so I beg you to tell me of an Ekādaśī that includes all other Ekādaśīs. I shall faithfully observe that fast and hopefully still become eligible for liberation.”
Śrīla Vyāsadeva replied, O king, you have heard from me about the various kinds of occupational duties, such as elaborate Vedic ceremonies. In the Kali-yuga, however, no one will be able to observe all these occupational duties properly. I shall therefore tell you how, at practically no expense, one can endure some small austerity and achieve the greatest benefit and resultant happiness. The essence of what is written in the Vedic literatures known as the Purāṇas is that one should not eat on either the dark- or light-fortnight Ekādaśīs. One who fasts on Ekādaśī is saved from going to the hellish planets.”
Hearing Vyāsadeva’s words, Bhīmasena, the strongest of all warriors, became frightened and began to shake like a leaf on a banyan tree in a strong wind. The frightened Bhīmasena said, “O grandfather, what should I do? I am completely unable to fast twice a month throughout the year! Please tell me of the one fasting day that will bestow the greatest benefit upon me!”
Vyāsadeva replied, “Without drinking even water, you should fast on the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeṣṭha [May-June], when the sun travels in the sign of Gemini and Ta**us. According to learned personalities, on this day one may bathe and perform ācamana for purification. But while performing ācamana one may drink only that amount of water equal to a drop of 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 Ekādaśī to sunrise on Dvādaśī. If a person endeavours to observe this great fast very strictly, he easily achieves the results of observing all twenty-four Ekādaśī fasts throughout the entire year.
“On Dvādaśī 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 brāhmaṇas. Finally, he should cheerfully honour prasādam with a brāhmaṇa.
“O Bhīmasena, one who can fast on this special Ekādaśī in this way reaps the benefit of having fasted on every Ekādaśī during the year. There is no doubt of this. O Bhīma, now hear the specific merit one gets by fasting on this Ekādaśī. The Supreme Lord Keśava, 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 Ekādaśī, without drinking water or eating, becomes free of all sinful reactions, and that one who observes the difficult nirjala fast on Jyeṣṭha-śukla Ekādaśī truly reaps the benefit of all other Ekādaśī fasts.
“O Bhīmasena, in the Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, when all the principles of the Vedas 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 the self? But there is the opportunity to fast on Ekādaśī and become free of all one’s past sins.
“O son of Vāyu, what more can I say to you? You should not eat during the dark and light Ekādaśīs, and you should even give up drinking water on the particularly auspicious day of Jyeṣṭha-śukla Ekādaśī. O Vṛkodara, whoever fasts on this Ekādaśī receives the merits of bathing in all the places of pilgrimage, giving all kinds of charities, and fasting on all the dark and light Ekādaśīs. Of this there is no doubt. O tiger among men, whoever fasts on this Ekādaśī truly becomes a great person and achieves all wealth, grains, strength, and health. And at the fearful moment of death, the terrible Yamadūtas, whose complexions are yellow and black and who brandish huge clubs and twirl mystic pāśa ropes in the air, will refuse to approach him. Rather, such a faithful soul will at once be taken to the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu by the Viṣṇu-dūtas, whose transcendentally beautiful forms are clothed in gorgeous yellowish garments and who each hold a disk, club, conch, and lotus in their four hands. It is to gain all these benefits that one should certainly fast on this very auspicious and important Ekādaśī, even from water.”
When the other Pāṇḍavas heard about the benefits to be gained by following Jyeṣṭha-śukla Ekādaśī, they resolved to observe it exactly as Śrīla Vyāsadeva had explained it to their brother, Bhīmasena. All the Pāṇḍavas observed it by refraining from eating or drinking anything, and thus this day is also known as Pāṇḍava-nirjalā Dvādaśī.
Śrīla Vyāsadeva continued, O Bhīma, therefore you should observe this important fast to remove all your past sinful reactions. You should pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in this way: `O Lord of all the demigods, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, today I shall observe Ekādaśī without taking any water. O unlimited Ananta, I shall break fast on the next day, Dvādaśī.’ Thereafter, to remove all his sins, the devotee should honour this Ekādaśī fast with full faith in the Lord and with full control over his senses. Whether his sins are equal in volume to Mount Sumeru or to Mandarācala Hill, if he or she observes this Ekādaśī, the sins all become nullified and are burned to ashes. Such is the great power of this Ekādaśī.
“O best of human beings, although a person should also give water and cows in charity during this Ekādaśī, if for some reason or other he cannot, then he should give a qualified brāhmaṇa 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.
“O Bhīma, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said that whoever observes this Ekādaśī should take a holy bath, give charity to a worthy person, chant the Lord’s holy names on a japa-māla, 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 Ekādaśī fast alone promotes one to the supreme abode of Śrī Viṣṇu. O best 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 Ekādaśī becomes contaminated by sin and verily eats only sin. In effect, he has already become a dog-eater, and after death he suffers a hellish existence. But he who observes this sacred Jyeṣṭha-śukla Ekādaśī and gives something in charity certainly achieves liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death and attains to the supreme abode. Observing this Ekādaśī, which is merged with Dvādaśī, frees one from the horrible sin of killing a brāhmaṇa, drinking liquor and wine, becoming envious of one’s spiritual master and ignoring his instructions, and continually telling lies.
“Furthermore, O best of beings, any man or woman who observes this fast properly and worships the Supreme Lord Jalaśāyī [He who sleeps on the water], and who on the next day satisfies a qualified brāhmaṇa with nice sweets and a donation of cows and money – such a person certainly pleases the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva, so much so that one hundred previous generations in his family undoubtedly go to the Supreme Lord’s abode, even though they might have been very sinful, of bad character, and guilty of su***de. Indeed, one who observes this Ekādaśī rides on a glorious celestial airplane [vimāna] to that abode.
“One who on this day gives a brāhmaṇa 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 Supreme Lord, Śrī Viṣṇu. Whoever performs the śrāddha ceremony to the forefathers on the dark-moon day called amāvasyā, particularly if it occurs at the time of a solar eclipse, undoubtedly achieves great merit. But this same merit is achieved by him who simply hears this sacred narration – so powerful and so dear to the Lord is this Ekādaśī.
“One should clean his teeth properly and, without eating or drinking, observe this Ekādaśī to please the Supreme Lord, Keśava. On the day after Ekādaśī one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form as Trivikrama by offering Him water, flowers, incense, and a brightly burning lamp. Then the devotee should pray from the heart, `O God of gods, O deliverer of everyone, O Hṛṣīkeśa, 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 brāhmaṇa.
“O Bhīmasena, after observing this Ekādaśī fast and donating the recommended items according to his ability, the devotee should feed brāhmaṇas and thereafter honour prasādam silently.”
Śrīla Vyāsadeva concluded, “I strongly urge you to fast on this auspicious, purifying, sin-devouring Dvādaśī in just the way I have outlined. Thus you will be completely freed of all sins and reach the supreme abode.”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Jyeṣṭha-śukla Ekādaśī, or Bhīmaseni-nirjalā Ekādaśī, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa.
[Ekādaśī, The Day of Lord Hari, by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Balarām Swāmījī, KBS0121]

01/20/2024

TOMORROW (01.21) is Putradā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ – Pauṣa-śukla pakṣa
Observe a full day fast following the rules of Ekādaśī Vrataṁ &
BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY. KHICHRI BHOG ENDS HERE.

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, “O Lord, You have so nicely explained the glories of the auspicious Saphalā Ekādaśī, which occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Pauṣa [December-January] . Now please be merciful to me and explain the Ekādaśī of the light fortnight of this month. What is its name, and what Deity should be worshiped on that sacred day? 0 Puruṣottama, O Hṛṣīkeśa, please also tell me how You can be pleased on this day.”

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa replied, “O king, for the benefit of all humanity I shall tell you how to observe fasting on Pauṣa-śukla Ekādaśī. “As I previously explained, everyone should observe the rules and regulations of Ekādaśī to the best of his ability. This injunction also applies to the Ekādaśī named Putradā, which destroys all sins and elevates one to the spiritual abode. Śrī Nārāyana, the Supreme Lord and original personality, is the worshipable Deity of this Ekādaśī, and for His faithful devotee He happily fulfills all desires and awards full perfection. Thus among all the animate and inanimate beings in the three worlds, there is no better personality than Lord Nārāyana.”

“O king, now I will narrate to you the history of Putradā Ekādaśī, which removes all kinds of sins and makes one famous and learned.”

“There was once a kingdom named Bhadrāvati, which was ruled by King Suketumān. His queen was the famous Śaibyā. 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 Suketumān 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 Suketumān and Queen Śaibyā were in great distress. Even when they offered tarpaṇa [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 tarpaṇa to them when they died. The king and queen were especially upset to learn that their forefathers were worried that soon there would be no one to off er them tarpaṇa.”

“After learning of their forefathers’ unhappiness, the king and queen became more and more miserable, and neither ministers, friends, nor even loved ones could cheer them up. To the king, his elephants and 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 his forefathers, the demigods, 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 Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the past. The great blessings of sons, wealth, and sharp intelligence can be achieved only by worshiping the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That is my opinion.”

“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 Suketumān decided to end his misery by committing su***de. But he realized that su***de 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 briihmar:ias of the palace, knew where he had gone.”

“In that forest, which was filled with deer and birds and other animals , King Suketumān wandered aimlessly, noting all the different kinds of trees and shrubs, such as the fig, bel fruit, date, palm, jackfruit , bakula, saptaparṇāa, tinduka, and tilaka, as well as the śāa, tāla, tamāla, saralā, hiṇgoṭāa, arjuna, labherā, baheḍā, sallaki, karonda, paṭala, khaira, śāka, and palāśa 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 off spring, 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 demigods with numerous fire sacrifices and abundant devotional worship. I have given many gifts and delicious sweets in charity to all the worthy brāhmaṇas. And I have taken care of my subjects as though they were my very own children. Why am I suffering so? What unknown sins have come to torment me in this dreadful way?”

“Absorbed in these thoughts, King Suketumān struggled forward, and eventually, due to his pious credit, he came upon a beautiful pond that resembled the famous Lake Mānasarovara. 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 asramas, 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.”

“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 God on japa beads. The king paid his obeisances 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, 0 king. 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, 0 auspicious saints? Why have you come to this beautiful place? Please tell me everything.”

“The sages replied, ‘O king, we are the Viśvedevas; we have come here to this lovely pond to bathe. The month of Māgha will be here in five days, and today is the famous Putradā Ekādaśī. One who desires a son should strictly observe this Ekādaśī.”

”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 Putradā,’ the sages replied, ‘is “giver of a son.” So please observe a complete fast on this Ekādaśī day. If you do, then by our blessings-and by the mercy of Lord Keśava – you will surely obtain a son.”

“On the advice of the Viśvedevas, the king observed the auspicious fast day of Putradā Ekaadasi according to all the established rules and regulations, and on Dvādaśī , after breaking his fast, he paid his obeisances again and again to them all.”

“Soon after Suketumān returned to his palace, Queen Śaibyā became pregnant, and exactly as the Viśvedeva 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 Suketumān took care of his subjects very conscientiously, just as if they were his own children.”

“In conclusion, O Yudhiṣṭhira, one who wishes to fulfill his desires should strictly observe Putradā Ekādaśī. While on this planet, one who strictly observes this Ekādaśī will surely obtain a son, and after death he will achieve liberation. Anyone who even reads or hears the glories of Putradā Ekādaśī obtains the merit earned by performing a horse sacrifice. It is to benefit all humanity that I have explained all this to you.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Pauṣa-śukla Ekādaśī, or Putradā Ekādaśī, from the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa.

12/08/2023

Tomorrow, 12.09 fast must me observed for Utpannā Ekādaśī vratam.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Utpannā Ekādaśī ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sūta Gosvāmī said, “O learned brāhmaṇas, long ago Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explained the auspicious glories of Śrī Ekādaśī and the rules and regulations governing each observance of fasting on that holy day. O best of the brāhmaṇas, whoever hears about the origins and glories of these sacred fasts on the Ekādaśī days goes directly to the abode of Lord Viṣṇu after enjoying many different kinds of happiness in this material world. ”

Arjuna, the son of Pṛthā, asked the Lord, ‘O Janārdana, what are the pious benefits of complete fasting, eating only supper, or eating but once at midday on Ekādaśī, and what are the regulations for observing the various Ekādaśī days? Kindly narrate all this to me.

“Arjuna, the son of Pṛthā, asked the Lord, ‘O Janārdana, what are the pious benefits of complete fasting, eating only supper, or eating but once at midday on Ekādaśī, and what are the regulations for observing the various Ekādaśī days? Kindly narrate all this to me.

“The Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, replied, ‘O Arjuna, in the beginning of winter, on the Ekādaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Mārgaśirṣa [November-December] , a novice should begin his practice of observing a fast on Ekādaśī. On Daśamī, the day before Ekādaśī, he should clean his teeth nicely. Then , during the eighth portion of Daśamī, just as the sun is about to set, he should eat supper.”

‘The next morning the devotee should make a vow, according to the rules and regulations, to observe fasting. At midday he should bathe properly in a river, lake, or small pond. A bath in a river is most purifying, that taken in a lake is less so, and a bath in a small pond is the least purifying. If neither a river, lake, nor pond is accessible, he may bathe with well-water.

‘The devotee should chant this prayer containing the names of Mother Earth : “O Aśvakrānte! O Rathakrānte! O Viṣṇuukrānte! O Vasundhare! O Mr̥ttike! O Mother Earth ! Kindly remove all the sins I have accumulated throughout my many past lives so that I may enter the sacred abode of the Supreme Lord.” As the devotee chants, he should smear mud over his body.

‘During the day of fasting the devotee should not speak to those who are fallen from their religious duties, to dog-eaters, to thieves, or to hypocrites. He should also avoid speaking with slanderers ; with those who abuse the demigods, the Vedic literatures, or brāhmaṇas; or with any other wicked personalities, such as those who have s*x with forbidden women, those who are known plunderers, or those who rob temples. If any such person is spoken to or even seen during Ekādaśī, one must purify oneself by looking directly at the sun.

‘Then the devotee should respectfully worship Lord Govinda with first-class food, flowers, and so forth. In his home he should offer the Lord a lamp in pure devotional consciousness. He should also avoid sleeping during the daytime and should completely abstain from s*x. Fasting from all food and water, he should joyfully sing the Lord’s glories and play musical instruments for His pleasure throughout the night. After remaining awake all night in pure consciousness, the worshiper should give charity to qualified briihmarJ-as and offer his humble obeisances unto them, begging their forgiveness for his offenses.

‘Those who are serious about devotional service should consider the Ekādaśīs that occur during dark fortnights to be as good as those that occur during bright fortnights. O king, one should never discriminate between these two kinds of Ekādaśī.

‘Please listen as I now describe the results obtained by one who observes Ekādaśī in this way. Neither the merit one receives by taking a bath in the sacred place of pilgrimage known as Śaṅkhoddhāra, where the Lord killed the Śaṅkhāsura demon, nor the merit one receives upon seemg Lord Gadādhara directly is equal to one sixteenth of the merit one obtains by fasting on Ekādaśī. It is said that by giving charity on a Monday when the moon is full, one obtains a hundred thousand times the results of ordinary charity. O winner of wealth, one who gives charity on the day of the saṇkrāntī [equinox) attains four hundred thousand times the ordinary result. Yet simply by fasting on Ekādaśī one obtains all these pious results, as well as whatever pious results one gets at Kurukṣetra during an eclipse of the sun or moon. Furthermore, the faithful soul who observes complete fasting on Ekādaśī achieves a hundred times more merit than one who performs an Aśvamedha-yajna [horse sacrifice] . One who observes just a single Ekādaśī fast perfectly earns the same merit as one who feeds a hundred thousand mendicants each day for sixty thousand years. And a person who properly observes Ekādaśī just once earns ten times more merit than a person who gives a thousand cows in charity to a brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas.

‘A person who feeds just one brahmachārī earns ten times more merit than one who feeds ten good brāhmaṇas in his own house. But a thousand times more merit than is earned by feeding a brahmachārī is achieved by donating land to a needy and respectable brāhmaṇa, and a thousand times more than that is earned by giving away a virgin girl in marriage to a young, well-educated, responsible man. Ten times more beneficial than this is educating children properly on the spiritual path, without expecting any reward in return. Ten times better than this, however, is giving food grains to the hungry. Indeed, giving charity to those in need is the best of all, and there never has been or ever will be a better charity than this. 0 son of Kuntī, all the forefathers and demigods in heaven become very satisfied when one gives food grains in charity. But the merit one obtains by observing a complete fast on Ekādaśī cannot be measured. 0 Arjuna, best of all Kurus, the powerful effect of this merit is inconceivable even to the demigods, and half this merit is attained by one who eats only supper on Ekādaśī.

‘One should therefore observe fasting on Lord Harī’s day either by eating only once at midday, abstaining from grains and beans; by eating only once in the evening, abstaining from grains and beans; or by fasting completely. The processes of staying in places of pilgrimage, giving charity, and performing fire sacrifices may boast only as long as Ekādaśī has not arrived. Therefore anyone afraid of the miseries of material existence should observe Ekādaśī. On Ekādaśī one should not drink water from a conchshell, kill living entities such as fish or pigs, or eat any grains or beans. Thus I have described to you, 0 Arjuna, the best of all methods of fasting, as you have inquired from Me.’

“Arjuna then asked, ‘O Lord, according to You, a thousand Vedic sacrifices do not equal even one Ekādaśī fast . How can this be? How has Ekādaśī become the most meritorious of all days?’ “Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa replied, ‘I will tell you why Ekādaśī is the most purifying of all days. In the Satya-yuga there once lived an amazingly fearsome demon called Mura. Always very angry, he terrified all the demigods, defeating even Indra, the king of heaven; Vivasvān , the sun-god; the eight Vasus; Lord Brahmā; Vāyu, the wind-god ; and Agni, the fire-god. With his terrible power he brought them all under his control.

‘Lord Indra then approached Lord Śiva and said, “We have all fallen from our planets and are now wandering helplessly on the earth. 0 lord, how can we find relief from this affliction? What will be the fate of us demigods?”

‘Lord Siva replied, “O best of the demigods, go to that place where Lord Viṣṇu, the rider of Garuḍa, resides. He is Jagannātha, the master of all the universes and their shelter as well. He is devoted to protecting all souls surrendered to Him.”

“Lord Kṛṣṇa continued, ‘O Arjuna, winner of wealth, after Lord Indra heard these words of Lord Siva’s, he proceeded with all the demigods to the place where Lord Jagannātha, the Lord of the universe, the protector of all souls, was resting. Seeing the Lord sleeping upon the water, the demigods joined their palms and, led by Indra, recited the following prayers : “O Supreme Personality of Godhead, all obeisances to You. O Lord of lords, O You who are praised by the foremost demigods, O enemy of all demons, O lotus-eyed Lord, O Madhusudana [killer of the Madhu demon] , please protect us. Afraid of the demon Mura, we demigods have come to take shelter of You. O Jagannātha, You are the doer of everything and the creator of everything. You are the mother and the father of all universes. You are the creator, the maintainer, and the destroyer of all. You are the supreme helper of all the demigods, and You alone can bring peace to them. You alone are the earth, the sky, and the universal benefactor. You are Śiva, Brahmā, and also Viṣṇu, the maintainer of the three worlds. You are the gods of the sun, moon, and fire. You are the clarified butter, the oblation, the sacred fire, the mantras, the rituals, the priests, and the silent chanting of japa. You are the sacrifice itself, its sponsor, and the enjoyer of its results, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nothing within these three worlds, whether movable or immovable, can exist independent of You. O Supreme Lord , Lord of lords, You are the protector of those who take shelter of You. O supreme mystic, O shelter of the fearful, please rescue and protect us. We demigods have been defeated by the demons and have thus fallen from the heavenly realm. Deprived of our positions, 0 Lord of the universe, we are now wandering about this earthly planet.”

“Lord Kṛṣṇa continued, ‘Having heard Indra and the other demigods speak these words, Śrī Viṣṇu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, replied, “What demon possesses such great powers of delusion that he has been able to defeat all the demigods? What is his name, and where does he live? Where does he get his strength and shelter? Tell Me everything, O Indra, and do not fear.”

“Lord Indra replied, “O Supreme Godhead, O Lord of lords, O You who vanquish the fear in Your pure devotees’ hearts, O You who are so kind to Your faithful servants, there was once a powerful demon of the Brahmān dynasty whose name was Nāḍījaṅgha. He was extraordinarily fearsome and wholly dedicated to destroying the demigods, and he begot an infamous son named Mura.

“Mura’s great capital city is Candrāvati. From that base the terribly evil and powerful Mura demon has conquered the whole world and brought all the demigods under his control, driving them out of their heavenly kingdom. He has assumed the roles of Indra, the king of heaven ; Agni, the fire-god ; Yama, the lord of death; Vāyu, the wind-god ; Isa, or Lord Śiva; Soma, the moon-god; Nairr̥ti, the lord of the directions; and Pāśī, or Varuṇa, the watergod. He has also begun emanating light in the role of the sun-god and has turned himself into the clouds as well. It is impossible for the demigods to defeat him. O Lord Viṣṇu, please kill this demon and make the demigods victorious.”

“Hearing these words from Indra, Lord Janārdana became very angry and said, “O powerful demigods , all together you may now advance on Mura’ s capital city of Candrāvati.” Encouraged thus, the assembled demigods proceeded to Candravati with Lord Harī leading the way.

“When Mura saw the demigods, that foremost of demons started roaring very loudly in the company of countless thousands of other demons, who were all holding brilliantly shining weapons. The mighty-armed demons struck the demigods, who began abandoning the battlefield and fleeing in the ten directions. Seeing the Supreme Lord Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, present on the battlefield, the furious demons rushed toward Him with various weapons in their hands. As they charged the Lord, who holds a sword, disk, and club, He immediately pierced all their limbs with His sharp, poisonous arrows. Thus many hundreds of demons died by the Lord’s hand.

“At last the chief demon, Mura, began fighting with the Lord. Mura used his mystic power to render useless whatever weapons the Supreme Lord Hṛṣīkeśa unleashed. Indeed, to the demon the weapons felt just like flowers striking him. When the Lord could not defeat the demon even with various kinds of weaponswhether those that are thrown or those that are held-He began fighting with His bare hands, which were as strong as iron-studded clubs. The Lord wrestled with Mura for one thousand celestial years and then, apparently fatigued, left for Badarikāśrama. There Lord Yogeśvara, the greatest of all yogis, the Lord of the universe, entered a very beautiful cave named Himavati to rest. O Dhananjaya, winner of wealth, that cave was ninty-six miles in diameter and had only one entrance. I went there out of fear, and also to sleep. There is no doubt about this, O son of Pāṇḍu, for the great fight made Me very tired. The demon followed Me into that cave and, seeing Me asleep, started thinking within his heart, “Today I will kill this slayer of all demons, Harī.”

‘While the wicked-minded Mura was making plans in this way, ,from My body there manifested a young girl who had a very bright complexion. O son of Pāṇḍu, Mura saw that she was equipped with various brilliant weapons and was ready to fight. Challenged by that female to do battle, Mura prepared himself and then fought with her, but he became very astonished when he saw that she fought him without cessation. The king of the demons then said, “Who has created this angry, fearsome girl who is fighting me so powerfully, just like a thunderbolt falling upon me?” After saying this, the demon continued to fight with the girl.

‘Suddenly that effulgent goddess shattered all of Mura’s weapons and in a moment deprived him of his chariot. He ran toward her to attack her with his bare hands, but when she saw him coming she angrily cut off his head. Thus the demon at once fell to the ground and went to the abode of Yamarāja. The rest of the Lord’s enemies, out of fear and helplessness, entered the subterranean Pātāla region.

‘Then the Supreme Lord woke up and saw the dead demon before Him, as well as the maiden bowing down to Him with joined palms. His face expressing His astonishment, the Lord of the universe said, “Who has killed this vicious demon? He easily defeated all the demigods, Gandharvas, and even Indra himself, along with Indra’s companions, the Maruts, and he also defeated the Nagas [snakes] , the rulers of the lower planets. He even defeated Me, making Me hide in this cave out of fear. Who is it that has so mercifully protected Me after I ran from the battlefield and went to sleep in this cave?”

‘The maiden said, “It is I who have killed this demon after appearing from Your transcendental body. Indeed, O Lord Harī, when he saw You sleeping he wanted to kill You. Understanding the intention of this thorn in the side of the three worlds, I killed the evil rascal and thus freed all the demigods from fear. I am Your great maha-sakti, Your internal potency, who strikes fear into the hearts of all Your enemies. I have killed this universally terrifying demon to protect the three worlds. Please tell me why You are surprised to see that this demon has been killed, O Lord.”

‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, “O sinless one, I am very satisfied to see that it is you who have killed this king of the demons. In this way you have made the demigods happy, prosperous, and full of bliss. Because you have given pleasure to all the demigods in the three worlds , I am very pleased with you. Ask any boon you may desire, 0 auspicious one. I will give it to you without a doubt , though it be very rare among the demigods.”

‘The maiden said, “O Lord, if You are pleased with me and wish to give me a boon, then give me the power to deliver from the greatest sins that person who fasts on this day. I wish that half the pious credit obtained by one who fasts will accrue to one who eats only in the evening [abstaining from grains and beans] , and that half of this pious credit will be earned by one who eats only at midday. Also, may one who strictly observes a complete fast on my appearance day, with controlled senses, go to the abode of Lord Viṣṇu for one billion kalpas after he has enjoyed all kinds of pleasures in this world. This is the boon I desire to attain by Your mercy, my Lord. O Lord Janārdana, whether a person observes complete fasting, eats only in the evening, or eats only at midday, please grant him a religious attitude, wealth, and at last liberation.”

‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, “O most auspicious lady, what you have requested is granted. All My devotees in this world will surely fast on your day, and thus they will become famous throughout the three worlds and finally come and stay with Me in My abode. Because you, My transcendental potency, have appeared on the eleventh day of the waning moon, let your name be Ekādaśī. If a person fasts on Ekādaśī, I will burn up all his sins and bestow upon him My transcendental abode.”

“These are the days of the waxing and waning moon that are most dear to Me: Tṛtiyā [the third day] , Aṣṭami [the eighth day] , Navamī [the ninth day] , Caturdaśī [the fourteenth day] , and especially Ekādaśī [the eleventh day] .”

“The merit one attains by fasting on Ekādaśī is greater than that achieved by observing any other kind of fast or by going to a place of pilgrimage, and even greater than that achieved by giving charity to brāhmaṇas. I tell you most emphatically that this is true.”

‘Having thus given the maiden His benediction, the Supreme Lord suddenly disappeared. From that time onward the Ekādaśī day became most meritorious and famous all over the universe. 0 Arjuna, if a person strictly observes Ekādaśī, I kill all his enemies and grant him the highest destination. Indeed, if a person observes this great Ekādaśī fast in any of the prescribed ways, I remove all obstacles to his spiritual progress and grant him the perfection of life.”

‘Thus, O son of Pṛthā, I have described to you the origin of Ekādaśī. This one day removes all sins eternally. Indeed, it is the most meritorious day for destroying all kinds of sins, and it has appeared in order to benefit everyone in the universe by bestowing all varieties of perfection.”

‘One should not discriminate between the Ekādaśī of the waxing and waning moons ; both must be observed, O Pārtha, and they should not be differentiated from Maha-dvadasi. Everyone who fasts on Ekādaśī should recognize that there is no difference between these two Ekādaśīs, for they comprise the same tithī.

‘Whoever completely fasts on Ekādaśī, following the rules and regulations, will achieve the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu, who rides upon Garuḍa. They are glorious who devote themselves to Lord Viṣṇu and spend all their time studying the glories of Ekādaśī. One who vows not to eat anything on Ekādaśī but to eat only on the next day achieves the same merit as one who executes a horse sacrifice. Of this there is no doubt.”

‘On Dvādasī, the day after Ekādaśī, one should pray, “O Puṇḍarīkākṣa, O lotus-eyed Lord, now I will eat. Please shelter me. ” After saying this, the wise devotee should offer some flowers and water at the Lord’ s lotus feet and invite the Lord to eat by chanting the eight-syllable mantra thrice. If the devotee wants to gain the fruit of his fast, he should then drink water taken from the sanctified vessel in which he offered water at the Lord’s lotus feet.”

‘On Dvādaśi one must avoid sleeping during the day, eating in another’s home, eating more than once, having s*x, eating honey, eating from a bell-metal plate, eating urad diil, and rubbing oil on one’s body. The devotee must give up these eight things on Dvādaśi. If he wants to speak to an outcaste on that day, he must purify himself by eating a tulasī leaf or an āmalakī fruit. O best of kings, from noon on Ekādaśī until dawn on Dvādaśi, one should engage himself in taking baths, worshiping the Lord, and executing devotional activities, including the giving of charity and the performance of fire sacrifices. If one finds himself in difficult circumstances and cannot break the Ekādaśī fast properly on Dvādaśi, one can break it by drinking water, and then one is not at fault if he eats again after that.”

‘A devotee of Lord Viṣṇu who day and night hears these all-auspicious topics concerning the Lord from the mouth of another devotee will be elevated to the Lord’s planet and reside there for ten million kalpas. And one who hears even one sentence about the glories of Ekādaśī is freed from the reactions to such sins as killing a brāhmaṇa. There is no doubt of this. For all eternity there will be no better way of worshiping Lord Viṣṇu than observing a fast on Ekādaśī.’

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Mārgaśīrṣa-kr̥ṣṇa Ekādaśī, or Utpannā Ekādaśī, from the Bhaviṣya-uttara Purāṇa.