Glories of Rama Ekadasi in the month of Kartika

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Glories of Rama Ekadasi in the month of Kartika

 

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, "O Janardana, O protector of all beings,

what is

the name of the Ekadasi that comes during the dark fortnight (Krishna

paksha) of the month of Karttika (October - November)? Please impart

this

sacred knowledge to me.

 

The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna then spoke as follows, "O lion among

kings,

please listen as I narrate to you. The Ekadasi that occurs during

the dark

part of the month of Karttika is called Ramaa Ekadasi. It is most

auspicious, for it at once eradicates the greatest sins and awards

one the

passage to the spiritual abode. I shall now narrate to you its

history and

glories.

 

"There once lived a famous king of the name Muchakunda, who was

friendly to

Lord Indra, the king of the heavenly planets, as well as with

Yamaraj,

Varuna, and Vibhishana, the pious brother of the demon Ravana.

Muchakunda

always spoke the truth and constantly rendered devotional service to

Me.

Because he ruled according to religious principles, there were no

disturbances in his kingdom.

 

"Muchakunda's daughter was named Chandrabhaagaa, after a sacred

river, and

the king gave her in marriage to Shobhana, the son of Chandrasena.

One day,

Shobhana visited his father-in-law's palace on the auspicious

Ekadasi day.

This visit made Shobhana's wife Chandrabhaagaa quite anxious, for

she knew

that her husband was physically very weak and unable to bear the

austerity

of a day-long fast. She said to him, `My father is very strict about

following Ekadasi. On Dasami, the day before Ekadasi, he strikes a

large

kettledrum and announces, "Nobody should eat on Ekadasi, the sacred

day of

Sri Hari!

 

"When Shobhana heard the sound of the kettledrum, he said to his

wife, `O

beautiful one, what am I to do now? Please tell me how I can save my

life

and obey your father's strictness and at the same time satisfy our

guests!

 

"Chandrabhaagaa then spoke, `My dear husband, in my father's house

nobody -

not even the elephants or horses, what to speak of consenting human

beings -

eats on Ekadasi. Indeed, none of the animals are given their ration

of

grains, leaves, or straw - or even water ! - on Ekadasi, the sacred

day of

Sri Hari. So how can you escape fasting? My beloved husband, if you

must eat

something, then you should leave here at once. Now, with firm

conviction

decide on what you have to do.'

 

"Prince Shobhana then said, `I have decided to fast on the sacred

Ekadasi

day. Whatever my fate is, it will surely come to pass.'

 

"Deciding thus, Shobhana attempted to fast on this Ekadasi, but he

became

unbearably disturbed with excessive hunger and thirst. Eventually

the sun

set in the west, and the arrival of the auspicious night made all the

Vaishnavas very happy. O Yudhisthira, all the devotees enjoyed

worshipping

Me (Sri Hari) and remaining awake all through night, but Prince

Shobhana

that night became absolutely unbearable. Indeed, when the Sun rose

on the

Dwadasi, that Prince Shobhana was dead.

 

"King Muchakunda observed his son-in-law's funeral, ordering a large

stack

of wood be assembled for the fire, but he instructed his daughter

Chandrabhaagaa not to join her husband on the funeral pyre. Thus

Chandrabhaagaa, after performing all the purificatory processes and

procedures for honouring her deceased husband, continued to live in

her

father's house.

 

Lord Sri Krishna continued, "O best of the kings, Yudhisthira, even

though

Shobhana died because of observing Ramaa Ekadasi, the merit that he

accrued

enabled him, after his death, to become the ruler of a kingdom high

on the

peak of Mandarachala Mountain. This kingdom was like a city of the

demigods;

very lustrous, with unlimited jewels set in the walls of its

buildings that

gave off light. The pillars were made of rubies, and gold inlaid

with

diamonds shone everywhere. As King Shobhana sat upon a throne

beneath a pure

white canopy, servants fanned him with yak-tail whisks. A stunning

crown

rested upon his head, beautiful earrings adorned his ears, a

necklace graced

his throat, and bejewelled armlets and bracelets encircled his arms.

He was

served by Gandharvas (the best of heavenly singers) and Apsaras

(celestial

dancers). Verily, he resembled a second Indra.

 

"One day, a brahmin named Somasharma, who lived in Muchakunda's

kingdom,

happened upon Shobhana's kingdom while travelling to various places

of

pilgrimage. The brahmin saw Shobhana in all his resplendent glory and

thought he might be the son-in-law of his own king Muchakunda. When

Shobhana

saw the brahmin approaching, he immediately rose up from his seat and

welcomed him. After Shobhana had paid his respectful obeisances he

asked the

brahmin about his well-being and about the health and welfare of his

(Shobhana's) father-in-law, his wife and all the residents of the

city.

 

"Somasharma then said, `O king, all the residents and subjects are

well in

your father-in-law's kingdom, and Chandrabhaagaa and your other

family

members are also quite well. Peace and prosperity reign throughout

the

kingdom. But there is one thing, I'm quite astonished to find you

here!

Please tell me about yourself. Nobody has ever seen such a beautiful

city as

this! Kindly tell me how you obtained it.'

 

"King Shobhana then began to tell his story, `Because I observed the

Ramaa

Ekadasi, I was given this splendid city to rule over. But for all of

its

grandeur, it is only temporary. I beg you to do something to correct

this

deficiency. You see, this is only an ephemeral city, a place of this

material world. How may I make its beauties and glories permanent?

Kindly

reveal this to me by your instructions.

 

"The brahmin then asked, `Why is this kingdom unstable and how will

it

become stable? Please fully explain this to me, and I shall try to

help

you.'

 

"Shobhana then answered, `Because I fasted on the Ramaa Ekadasi

without any

faith, this kingdom is impermanent. Now hear how it can become

permanent.

Please return to Chandrabhaagaa, the beautiful daughter of king

Muchukunda,

and tell her what you have seen and understood about this place and

about

me. Surely, if you, a pure hearted brahmin, tell her this, my city

will soon

become permanent.'

 

"Thus the brahmin returned to his city and related the entire

episode to

Chandrabhaagaa, who was both surprised and overjoyed to hear this

news of

her husband. She said, `O brahmana, is this a dream you have seen,

or is it

actually a factual thing?'

 

"Somasharma the brahmin replied, `O Princess, I have seen your late

husband

face to face in that wonderful kingdom, which resembles a realm of

the

denizens' of heavens playgrounds. But you former husband has asked

me to

relate to you that he says that his kingdom is unstable and could

vanish

into thin air at any moment. Therefore he hope you can find a way to

make it

permanent.'

 

"Chandrabhaagaa then said, `O sage among the brahmins, please take

me to

that place where my husband resides at once, for I greatly desire to

see him

again! Surely I shall make his kingdom permanent with the merit that

I have

acquired by fasting on every Ekadasi throughout my life. Please

reunite us

at once, again. It is said that one who reunites separated persons

also

obtains very great merit.'

 

"The humble brahmin Somasharma then led Chandrabhaagaa to Shobhana's

effulgent kingdom. Before reaching it, however, they stopped at the

foot of

Mt. Mandaracala, at the sacred ashrama of Vamadeva. Upon hearing

their

story, Vamadeva chanted hymns from the Vedas and sprinkled holy

water from

his samanya arghya upon Chandrabhaagaa. By the influence of that

great

Rishi's rites, the merit she had accrued by fasting for so many

Ekadasis

made her body transcendental. Ecstatic, her eyes beaming in wonder,

Chandrabhaagaa continued on her journey.

 

"When Shobhana saw his wife approaching him high on Mount

Mandarachala, he

was overwhelmed with joy and called out to her in great happiness and

jubilation. After she arrived , he seated her on his left side and

she said

to him, `O dearest Patiguru, please listen as I tell you something

that will

benefit you greatly. Since I was eight years old I have fasted

regularly and

with full faith on every Ekadasi. If I transfer to you all the merit

I have

accumulated, your kingdom will surely become permanent, and its

prosperity

will grow and grow until the coming of the great inundation!'

 

Lord Sri Krishna then continued to address Yudhisthira as follows, "O

Yudhisthira, in this way Chandrabhaagaa who was beautifully

decorated with

the finest ornaments and had an exquisitely transcendental body, at

last

enjoyed peace and happiness with her husband. By the potency of Ramaa

Ekadasi, Shobhana found his kingdom on the peaks of Mt. Mandarachala

able to

fulfill all his desires and bestow upon him everlasting happiness,

like that

achieved from the transcendental Kaama-dhenu milch cow.

 

"O greatest of kings, I have thus narrated to you the glories of

Ramaa

Ekadasi that falls in the dark fortnight of the month of Karttika.

 

"Anyone who observes sacred Ekadasi during both the light and the

dark

fortnight of each month is undoubtedly freed from the reactions to

the sin

of killing a brahmin. One should not differentiate between the

Ekadasis of

the light and dark parts of the month. As we have seen, both can

award

pleasure in this world and liberate even the most sinful and fallen

souls.

Just as black cows and white cows give equally good quality milk. So

the

Ekadasis of the dark fortnight (Krishna paksha) and the light

fortnight

(shukla or Gaura paksha) award the same high degree of merit and

eventually

liberate one from the repeated cycle of birth and death. Anyone who

simply

hears this narration of the glories of the sacred day of Ramaa

Ekadasi, is

freed from all kinds of sin and attains the supreme abode of Lord

Vishnu.

 

Thus ends the narration for the glories of the sacred Karttika-

krishna

Ekadasi, or Ramaa Ekadasi, from the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana of Srila

Krishna

Dwaipayana Veda Vyaasa.