Glories of Utpanna Ekadasi

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Glories of Utpanna Ekadasi

from Bhavisya-uttara Purana

 

Suta Goswami said, " O learned brahmanas, long ago Lord Sri Krishna,

the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, explained the auspicious glories of

Sri

Ekadasi and the rules and regulations governing each observance of

fasting

on that holy day. O best of the brahmins, whosoever hears about the

origins

and glories of these sacred fasts on the Ekadasi days goes directly

to the

abode of Lord Vishnu after enjoying many different kinds of

happiness in

this material world.

 

" Arjuna, the son of Prithaa, asked the Lord, 'O Janardana, what are

the

pious benefits of complete fasting, eating only supper, or eating

but once

at midday on Ekadasi, and what are the regulations for observing the

various

Ekadasi days? Kindly narrate all this to me'.

 

" The Supreme Lord Krishna replied, 'O Arjuna, in the beginning of

winter

(northern hemisphere), on the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark

fortnight

of the month of Margasirsha (November-December), a novice should

begin his

practice of observing a fast on Ekadasi. On Dasami, the day before

Ekadasi,

he should clean his teeth nicely. Then during the eight portion of

Dasami,

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,

thsat 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 Asvakrante! O Rathakrante! O Vishnukrante! O Vasundhare! O

Mrttike! 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 brahmanas; or with any

other

wicked personalities, such as those who have sex with forbidden

women, those

who are known plunderers, or those who rob temples. If any such

person is

spoken to or even seen during Ekadasi, 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 sex. 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 worshipper should give charity to

qualified

brahmanas and offer his humble obeisances unto them, begging their

forgiveness for his offences.

 

" 'Those who are serious about devotional service should consider the

Ekadasis 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 Ekadasi.

 

Please listen as I now describe the results obtained by one who

observes

Ekadasi in this way. Neither the merit one receives by taking a bath

in the

sacred place of pilgrimage known as Sankhoddhara, where the Lord

killed the

Sankhasura demon, nor the merit one receives upon seeing Lord

Gadadhara

directly is equal to one sixteenth of the merit one obtains by

fasting on

Ekadasi. 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 sankranti

(equinox) attains four hundred thousand times the ordinary result.

Yet

simply by fasting on Ekadasi one obtains all these pious results, as

well as

whatever pious results one gets at Kurukshetra during an eclipse of

the sun

or moon. Furthermore, the faithful soul who observes complete

fasting on

Ekadasi achieves a hundred times more merit than one who performs an

Asvamedha-yajna (horse sacrifice). One who observes Ekadasi just

once earns

ten times more merit than a person who gives a thousand cows in

charity to a

brahmana learned in the Vedas.

 

" 'A person who feeds just one brahmacari earns ten times more merit

than one

who feeds ten good brahmanas in his own house. But a thousand times

more

merit than is earned by feeding a brahmacari is achieved by donating

land to

the needy and respectable brahmana, and a thousand time 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. O son of Kunti,

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

Ekadasi cannot be measured. O 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 Ekadasi.

 

" 'One should therefore observe fasting on Lord Hari's day either by

eating

only once at midday, 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

Ekadasi

has not arrived. Therefore anyone afraid of the miseries of material

existence should observe Ekadasi. On Ekadasi one should not drink

water from

a conch-shell, kill living entities such as fish or pigs, or eat any

grains

or beans. Thus I have described to you, O 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 Ekadasi fast. How can this be? How has Ekadasi

become

the most meritorious of all days?'

 

" Lord Sri Krishan replied, 'I will tell you why Ekadasi 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; Vivasvan, the

sun-god;

the eight Vasus; Lord Brahma; Vayu. the wind-god; and Agni, the fire-

god.

With his terrible power he brought them all under his control.

 

" 'Lord Indra then approached Lord Shiva and said, " We have all

fallen from

our planets and are now wandering helplessly on the earth. O lord,

how can

we find relief from this affliction? What will be the fate of us

demigods?'

 

" 'Lord Shiva replied, " O best of the demigods, go to that place

where Lord

Vishnu, the rider of Garuda, resides. He is Jagannatha, the master

of all

the universes and their shelter as well. He is devoted to protecting

all

souls surrendered to Him.' "

 

" Lord Krishna continued, 'O Arjuna, winner of wealth, after Lord

Indra heard

these words of Lord Shiva's, he proceeded with all the demigods to

the place

where Lord Jagannatha, 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, recite 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 Jagannatha, 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 Shiva, Brahma, and also Vishnu, 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 moveable 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, O

Lord of the universe, we are now wandering about this earthly

planet. " '

 

" Lord Krishna continued, 'Having heard Indra and the other demigods

speak

these words, Sri Vishnu, 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 Brahma

dynasty whose name was Nadijangha. 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 Chandravati. 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; Vayu, the wind-god; Isha, or Lord Shiva;

Soma, the

moon-god; Nairrti, the lord of the directions; and Pasi, or Varuna,

the

water-god. 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 Vishnu, please kill tis demon and

make the

demigods victorious. "

 

" 'Hearing these words from Indra, Lord Janardana became very angry

and said,

 

" O powerful demigods, all together you may now advance on Mura's

capital

city of Chandravati. " Encouraged thus, the assembled demigods

proceeded to

Chandravati with Lord Hari 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 Hrsikesha, 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 hundred 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

Hrsikesa

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

weapons - whether 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 Badarikashrama. There Lord Yogeshvara,

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

ninety-six miles in diameter and had only on entrance. I went there

out of

fear, and also to sleep. There is no doubt about this, O son of

Pandu, 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, Hari. "

 

" '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

Pandu, 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 attacker

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

Yamaraja. the

rest of the Lord's enemies, out of fear and helplessness, entered the

subterranean Patala region.

 

" 'Then the Supreme Lord woke up and saw the dead demo 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

You transcendental body. Indeed, O Lord Hari, 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 this 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, O 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 of 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 Vishnu

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

Janardana, 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

by Ekadasi. If a person fasts on Ekadasi, 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: Tritiya (the third day), Ashthami (the eighth day), Navami (the

ninth

day), Chaturdasi (the fourteenth day), and especially Ekadasi (the

eleventh

day).

 

" ' " The merit one attains by fasting on Ekadasi 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 brahmanas.

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 Ekadasi day became most

meritorious

and famous all over the universe. O Arjuna, if a person strictly

observes

Ekadasi, I kill all his enemies and grant him the highest

destination.

Indeed, if a person observes this great Ekadasi fast in any of the

prescribed way, I remove all obstacles to his spiritual progress and

grant

him the perfection of life.

 

" 'Thus, O son of Prtha, I have described to you the origin of

Ekadasi. 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 Ekadasis of the waxing and

waning

moons; both must be observed, O Partha, and they should not be

differentiated from Maha-Dvadasi. Everyone who fasts of Ekadasi

should

recognise that there is no difference between these two Ekadasis,

for they

comprise the same tithi.

 

" 'Whoever completely fasts on Ekadasi, following the rules and

regulations,

will achieve the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, who rides upon

Garuda. They

are glorious who devote themselves to Lord Vishnu and spend all

their rime

studying the glories of Ekadasi. One who vows not to eat anything on

Ekadasi

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 Dvadasi, the day after Ekadasi, one should pray, " O

Pundarikaksha, 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 form the sanctified vessel in which he offered water at the

Lord's

lotus feet.

 

" 'On Dvadasi one must avoid sleeping during the day, eating in

another's

home, eating more than once, having sex, eating honey, eating from a

bell-metal plate, eating urad-dal, and rubbing oil on one's body. The

devotee must give up these eight things on Dvadasi. If he wants to

speak to

an outcaste on that day, he must purify himself by eating a Tulasi

leaf or

an amalaki fruit. O best of kings, from noon on Ekadasi until dawn on

Dvadasi, one should engage himself in taking baths, worshipping 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 Ekadasi fast properly on Dvadasi,

one can

break it by drinking water, and then one is not at fault if he eats

again

after that.

 

" 'A devotee of Lord Vishnu 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 Ekadasi is

freed from

the reactions to such sins as killing a brahmana. There is no doubt

of this.

For all eternity there will be no better way of worshiping Lord

Vishnu than

observing a fast on Ekadasi.' "

 

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Margasirsa-krishna

Ekadasi, or

Utpanna Ekadasi, from the Bhavisya-uttara Purana.

---

 

SRI NARAHARI SARKAR THAKURA

---

-------

----

 

Sri Narahari Sarkar Thakura was born at Sri Khanda. Sri Krsnadasa

Kaviraja

Gosvami describes that the residents of Sri Khanda formed a branch

of the

desire tree of love of God. " Sri KhanRdavasi (the residents of Sri

Khanda)

Mukunda and his son RaghuRnandan were the thirty ninth branch of the

tree,

Narahari was the fortieth, Chiran Jiva the forty first and Sulocana

the

forty second. They were all big branches of the all merciful tree of

Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They distributed the fruits and flowers of love

of

Godhead anywhere and everywhere. [Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-lila

10:78-79]

Srila Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaj once stated - " Navadwip is the

abode of

Goloka. Vrindavana is the abode of Gokula. And Sri Khanda is the

abode of

Vaikuntha. "

 

Sri Narahari Sarkar Thakura participated in all of Sri Gaurasundora's

pastimes. Bhakti Ratnakara states: " Sri Sarkar Thakura's glories are

most

uncommon. In Braja he is known as Madhumati, whose good qualities are

unlimited. " (thus proving he was not the author of it)

 

One day, Nityananda Prabhu arrived at Sri Khanda and said to

Narahari, " All

right, we know who you are. So where's the honey, Madhu' ? " In Krsna-

lila,

Narahari is the sakhi Madhumati, whose service is to supply honey

for Sri

Sri Radha-Govinda and Their associates. So he immediately went to a

nearby

pond and filled a pot which immediately turned into honey of the most

nectarean kind. Nityananda Prabhu and His associates drank from this

pot to

their full and unlimited satisfaction.

 

Narahari däsa Sarakära was a very famous devotee. Locana däsa

Thäkura, the

celebrated author of Sri Caitanya-mangala, was his disciple. In the

Caitanya-mangala it is stated that Sri Gadädhara däsa and Narahari

Sarakära

were extremely dear to Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu, but there is no

specific

statement regarding the inhabitants of the village of Srikhanta.

(A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-lila

10:78-79.purport)

 

Sri Locana dasa Thakura was the dear disciple of Sri Narahari

Sarkar. In his

book Caitanya mangala he introduces his guru in this way: " My Thakur

(spiritual master) is Sri Narahari das Thakura, who is very

influential

amongst the medical caste. He is continuously absorbed in Krsna-

prema, and

in fact his body knows nothing but Krsna. To his followers he speaks

about

nothing other than love of Krsna. He was previously known in

Vrindavana-lila

as Madhumati and was a storehouse of sweetness (honey), and very

dear to

Radharani. Now he is now present in Kali-yuga with Sri Gaurasundara

as Sri

Narahari. He is the keeper of the storehouse of love of Radha and

Krsna. "

[sri Caitanya Mangal, Sutrakhanda]

 

This is supported in Gaura Ganod-desh dipika of Kavi-karnapura 177.,

wherein

it is said:

 

pura madhumati prana-

shakhi vrindavane sthitaa

adhuna naraharya-akhyah

saarakarah prabhoh priyah

 

" Srimati Radharani's dear friend, the Vraja-gopi named Madhumati-

devi,

appeared as Narahari Saarakaara, who was very dear to Lord

Chaitanya " .

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in his Gaura-arati kirtana, sings of

some of

that intimate service to that he performed for Lord Chaitanya: 'kiba

narahari adikari chamara dhulaya' " Narahari is fanning Gaurasundara

with a

yak-tail (chaumara) fan. "

 

Sri Narahari Sarkar Thakura was a very expert singer as well as

poet. He has

composed many songs about the pastimes of Lord Caitanya and Lord

Nityananda.

He composed a Sanskrit work entitled Sri Bhajanamrta. Gaurviraha-

gita pada

kalpataru is also attributed to him, although some scholar devotees

doubt

whether it is really his own composition.

 

Most of Narahari Sarkar Thakura's songs have gotten mixed up with

Narahari

Chakravarti Thakura's compositions (Narahari Chakravarti Thakura is

the

author of Bhakti-ratnakara). Therefore is difficult to ascertain

which are

actually his. Before the appearance of Sri Gaurasundara he also

composed

many songs about the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.

 

Narahari was the only devotee who had the adhikara (right) to do

Gaura-kirtana in Gaurasundara's presence. Ordinarily, if anyone

would praise

Mahaprabhu in His presence, or chant His Holy Name, He would block

His ears

and call out " Visnu! Visnu! " Narahari, however, enjoyed the special

privilege of being able to sing about Mahaprabhu in a very unique

mood and

with sweet descriptions of His transcendental beauty without

objection from

Mahaprabhu.

 

But alas there is little else known of him.

 

His disappearance is on the ekadasi tithi day, of the dark

fortnight, in the

month of Agrahayon (Mrigasir – Nov-Dec).