Mokshada (Vaikunda) Ekadasi ..

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dark part of the month of Margashirsha, which is the day when Ekadasi-devi

appeared from My body to kill the demon Mura, and which benefits everything

animate and inanimate in the three worlds - so I shall now relate to you

regarding this Ekadasi that occurs during the light part of the month of

Margashirsha. This Ekadasi is famous as Mokshadaa because it purifies the

faithful devotee of all sinful reactions and bestows liberation upon him. The

worshippable Deity of this all auspicious day is Lord Damodara. With full

attention one should worship Him with incense, a ghee lamp, fragrant flowers,

and Tulasi manjaris (buds). "O best of saintly kings, please listen as I

narrate to you the ancient and auspicious history of this wonderful Ekadasi.

Simply by hearing this history one can attain the merit earned by performing a

horse sacrifice. By the influence of this merit, one's forefathers, mothers,

sons, and other relatives who have gone to hell can

turn around and go to the heavenly kingdom. For this reason alone, O king, you

should listen with rapt attention to this narration. "There once was a

beautiful city named Champaka-nagar, which was decorated with devoted

Vaishnavas. There the best of saintly kings Maharaj Vaikhaanasa, ruled over his

subjects as if they were his very own dear sons and daughters. The brahmins in

that capital city were all expert in four kinds of Vedik knowledge. The king,

while ruling properly, had a dream one night in which his father was seen to be

suffering the pangs of hellish torture in one of the hellish planets ruled over

by the Yamaraj. The king was overwhelmed with compassion for his father and

shed tears. The next morning, Maharaj Vaikhaanasa described what he had seen in

his dream to his council of twice born learned brahmins. " ' O brahmanas,'

the king addressed them, 'in a dream last night I saw my father suffering on a

hellish planet.

He was crying out in anguish, "O son, please deliver me from this torment of

this hellish condition !" Now I have no peace in my mind, and even this

beautiful kingdom has become unbearable to me. Not even my horses, elephants,

and chariots and my vast wealth in my treasury that formerly brought so much

pleasure, gives me no pleasure at all. " 'Everything, O best of the

brahmins, even my own wife and sons, have become a source of unhappiness since

I beheld my father suffering the tortures of that hellish condition so. Where

can I go, and what can I do, O brahmins, to alleviate this misery? My body is

burning with fear and sorrow ! Please tell me what kind of charity, what mode

of fasting, what austerity, or what deep meditation, and in service upon which

Deity I may have to perform to deliver my father from that agony and bestow

upon liberation upon my forefathers. O best among the brahmins, what is the use

of one's being a powerful son if one's

father must suffer on a hellish planet? Truly, such a son's life is utterly

useless, to him and to his forefathers. " The twice born brahmins replied,

'O king, in the mountainous forest not fat from here is the ashram where a great

saint Parvata Muni resides. Please go to him, for he is tri-kala-jnan (he knows

the past, the present, and the future of everything) and can surely help you in

your gaining relief from your misery.' "Upon hearing this advise, the

distressed king immediately set out on a journey to the ashram of the famous

sage Parvata Muni. The ashram was indeed very big and housed many learned sages

expert in chanting the sacred hymns of the four Vedas (Rg, Yajur, Sama, and

Arthava). Approaching the holy ashram, the king beheld Parvata Muni seated

among the assembly of sages adorned with hundreds of tilaks (from all the

authorised sampradayas) like another Brahmaa or Vyaas. "Maharaj

Vaikhaanasa offered his humble obeisances to the muni, bowing his head and then

prostrating his entire body before him. After the king had seated himself among

the assembly Parvata Muni asked him about the welfare of the seven limbs of his

extensive kingdom (his ministers, his treasury, his military forces, his allies,

the brahmins, the sacrificial offerings performed, and the needs of his

subjects). The muni also asked him if his kingdom was free of troubles and

whether everyone was peaceful, happy and satisfied. To these enquiries the king

replied, 'By your mercy O glorious and great sage, all seven limbs of my kingdom

are doing very well. Yet there is a problem that has recently arisen, and to

solve it I have come to you, O brahmana for your expert help and guidance'.

"Then Parvata Muni, the best of all sages, closed his eyes and meditated on the

king's past, present and future. After a few moments he

opened his eyes and said, '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, O husband, 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 father now has fallen into such a hellish condition of

suffering.' "King Vaikhaanasa then said, 'O greatest among sages, by what

process of fasting or charity may I liberate my dear father from such a

condition? Please tell me how I can relieve and remove the burden of his sinful

reactions, which are a great obstacle to his progress toward ultimate release

(salvation - liberation - going back home).' "Parvata Muni replied, 'During

the light

fortnight of the month of Margashirsha there occurs an Ekadasi called Mokshadaa.

If you observe this sacred Ekadasi strictly, with a full fast, and give directly

to your suffering father the merit you with thus attain/obtain, he will be freed

from his pain and instantly liberated'. "Hearing this, Maharaj Vaikhaanasa

profusely thanked the great sage and then returned to his palace to perform his

vrata (austere rite). O Yudhishthira, when the light part of the month of

Margashirsha at last arrived, Maharaj Vaikhaanasa faithfully waited for the

Ekadasi tithi to arrive. He then perfectly and with full faith observed the

Ekadasi fast with his wife, children, and other relatives. He dutifully gave

the merit from this fast to his father, and as he made the offering, beautiful

flower petals showered down from the devas who peered out from behind the

clouds in the sky. The king's father was then praised by the messengers of the

demigods (devas) and

escorted to the celestial region. As he passed his son, as he traversed the

lower to middle to higher planets, the father said to the king, 'My dear son,

all auspiciousness unto you!' At last he reached the heavenly realm from where

he can again with his newly acquired merit perform devotional service to Krishna

or Vishnu and in due course return back to home back to Godhead. "O son of

Pandu, who so ever strictly observes the sacred Mokshadaa Ekadasi, following

the established rules and regulations, achieves full and perfect liberation

after death. There is no better fasting day than this Ekadasi of the light

fortnight of the month of Margashirsha, O Yudhishthira, for it is a

crystal-clear and sinless day. Whoever faithfully observes this Ekadasi fast,

which is like chintaa-mani (a gem that yields all desires), obtains special

merit that is very hard to calculate, for this day can elevate one from hellish

life to the heavenly planets, and

for one who observes Ekadasi for his own spiritual benefit, this elevates one to

go back to Godhead, never to return to this material world." Ekadasi Morning

Meditation on the Lord: Lotus Feet: Om Damodaraya Namah Thighs: Om

Madhavaya Namah Private Parts: Om Kamapataye Namah Hips: Om Vamanaya

Namah Navel: Om Padmanabhaya Namah Stomach: Om Vishvamutaye Namah

Heart: Om Jnanagamyaya Namah Throat: Om Srikanthaya Namah Arms:

Om Sahasrabahave Namah Lotus Eyes: Om Paramayogine Namah Forehead:

Om Urugayai Namah Nose: Om Narakeshvaraya

Namah Hair: Om Sarvakamadaya Namah Head: Om Sahasrashirshaya Namah

Midday: Bathe in river, lake or pond. Chant, while smearing mud upon

body: "O Asvakrante! O Rathakranthe! O Visnukranthe! O Mrttike! O Mother

Earth! Kindly remove all the sins I have accumulated throughout many past

lives so that I may enter the sacred abode of the Supreme Lord."

Light fortnight Ekadasi: meditate upon the 12 holy names of Lord

Vishnu while applying tilaka. Dark fortnight: meditate upon 16 holy names:

om vasudevaya namah, om keshavaya namah, om narayanah namah, om madhavaya

namah, om sankarshanaya namah, om govindaya namah, om

vaishnave namah, om madhusudanaya namah, om pradyumnaya namah, om trivikramaya

namah, om vamanaya namah, om sridharaya namah, om aniruddhaya namah, om

hrishikeshaya namah, om padmanabhaya namah, om damodarayah namah. One should

read about the particular Ekadasi (The Ekadasi book). Do not sleep in

day, take massage, engage in sex life, take intoxication, touch impure people,

shave. On Dvadasi, one should not sleep in the day, eat in another's home,

eat more than once, eat urad dahl, rub oil on the body. One may break the fast

at the right time by drinking water if eating is difficult to arrange. "O

sages, one who hears about these Ekadasis will learn how to observe them

properly.Each Ekadasi bestows particular benefits on the faithful observer.

"One who is physically unable to fast on Ekadasi may read the glories of each

Ekadasi when

it occurs and recite all the names of the Ekadasis; thus he will achieve the

same goal as the person who observes the full Ekadasi vow." (or fast to the

best of their ability while still observing ekadasi) Fasting: "One who is

physically unable to fast on Ekadasi may read the glories of each Ekadasi when

it occurs and recite all the names of the Ekadasis; thus he will achieve the

same goal as the person who observes the full Ekadasi vow." Whether one is a

Vaisnava or a Saivite, everyone should fast on Ekadasi day. EKA BHUKTENA

NAKTENA BALA VRDDHA ATURAH KSIPET PAYO MULA PHALAIR VAPI NA NIRDVAD ASIKO

BHAVET (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 12/91 from MARKANDEYA PURANA) A child, an old

man or a person unable to fast can take something to eat in the evening or once

in the day, whether it be milk, fruit or water, but should properly

follow the Ekadasi fast. One should not give up fasting on Ekadasi.

VYADHIBHIK PARIBHUTANAM PITTA ADHIKA SARIRINAM TRINSAD VARSADHIKANAN CA

NAKTA-ADI PRIKALPANAM (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 12/93 from BAUDHAYANA SMRTI) Any

person who is diseased, or who is dominated by bile or who has aged more than

thirty years (after householder life), they are advised to eat in the evening

on the Ekadasi day. Srila Sanatana Gosvami remarks, "Aging more than thirty

years means after household life ends. This is understood to be around sixty

years of age, so thirty years added to that is ninety years." Furthermore, "One

should go to the forest at the ate of fifty". According to this statement, a

grhastha's life is said to be fifty years, that is he has decided to live in

his family life until the age of fifty. Even then, if one adds thirty years, if

becomes approximately eighty

years. Therefore, fasting is recommended until a minimum age of eighty (actually

it means throughout life). ASTA ETANY AVRTAGHNANI APO MULAM PHALAM PAYAH HAVIR

BRAHMANA KAMYA CA GUROR VACANAM AUSADHAM (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 12/100 from

MAHABHARATA, UDYOGA PARVA) Water, fruits, roots, milk, ghee, the request of

a brahmana, the order of a spiritual master and medicine do not wane one's fast.

Hope this helps! Subhammastu! Subham Dinam Astu! or Have a nice (ekhadasi)

day! Sarvam Sri Krishna Arpanamastu!