AMALAKI EKADASI

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AMALAKI EKADASI

 

King MAndhAtA once said to Vasishtha Muni, " O great sage, kindly be

merciful to me and tell me of a holy fast that will benefit me

eternally. "

Vasishtha Muni replied. " O king, kindly listen as I describe

the

best of all fast days, Amalakii EkAdasi. He who faithfully observes

a

fast on this EkAdasii obtains enormous wealth, gets free of the

effects of

all kinds of sins, and attains liberation. Fasting on this EkAdasii

is

more purifying than donating one thousand cows in charity to a pure

brAhmana. So please hear me attentively as I tell you the story of

a

hunter who, though daily engaged in killing innocent animals for his

living, achieved liberation by observing a fast on Amalakii EkAdasii

and

following the prescribed rules and regulations of worship.

 

" There was once a kingdom named VaidishA, where all the brAhmanas,

kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras were equally endowed with Vedic

knowledge, great bodily strength, and fine intelligence. Oh lion

among

kings, the whole kingdom was full of Vedic sounds, not a single

person was

atheistic, and no one sinned. The ruler of this kingdom was King

PAshabinduka, a member of the dynasty of Soma, the moon. He was

also

known as Chitraratha and was very religious and truthful. It is

said that

King Chitraratha had the strength of ten thousand elephants and that

he

was very wealthy and knew the six branches of Vedic wisdom

perfectly.

 

" During the reign of Maharaja Chitraratha, not a single person in

his

kingdom attempted to practice another's dharma (duty) so perfectly

engaged

in their own dharmas were all the brAhmanas, kshatriyas, vaisyas,

and

sudras. Neither miser nor pauper was to be seen throughout the

land, not

was there every drought or flood. Indeed, the kingdom was free of

disease, and everyone enjoyed good health. The people rendered

loving

devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord

Vishnu, as

did the king, who also rendered special service to Lord Shiva.

Moreover,

twice a month everyone fasted on EkAdasii.

 

" In this way, O best of kings, the citizens of VaidishA lived many

long

years in great happiness and prosperity. Giving up all varieties of

materialistic religion, they completely dedicated themselves to the

loving

service of the Supreme Lord, Hari.

 

" Once, in the month of Phalguna (February - March), the holy fast of

Amalakii EkAdasii arrived, conjoined with DvAdasi. King Chitraratha

realised that this particular fast would bestow especially great

benefit,

and thus he and all the citizens of VaidishA observed this sacred

EkAdasii

very strictly, carefully following all the rules and regulations.

 

" After bathing in the river, the king and all his subjects went to

the

temple of Lord Vishnu, where an Amalakii tree grew. First the king

and

his leading sages offered the tree a pot filled with water, as well

as a

fine canopy, shoes, gold, diamonds, rubies, pearls, sapphires, and

aromatic incense. Then they worshiped Lord ParashurAma with these

prayers: 'Oh Lord ParashurAma, Oh son of RenukA, Oh all-pleasing

one, Oh

liberator of the worlds, kindly come beneath this holy Amalakii tree

and

accept our humble obeisances.'

 

Then they prayed to the Amalakii tree: 'Oh Amalakii, Oh offspring of

Lord

BrahmA, you can destroy all kinds of sinful reactions. Please

accept our

respectful obeisances and these bumble gifts. O Amalakii, you are

actually the form of Brahman, and you were once worshiped by Lord

RAmachandra Himself. Whoever circumambulates you is therefore

immediately

freed of all his sins.'

 

" After offering these excellent prayers, King Chitraratha and his

subjects

remained awake throughout the night, praying and worshiping

according to

the regulations governing a sacred EkAdasii fast. It was during

this

auspicious time of fasting and prayer that a very irreligious man

approached the assembly, a man who maintained himself and his family

by

killing animals. Burdened with both fatigue and sin, the hunter saw

the

king and the citizens of VaidishA observing Amalakii EkAdasii by

performing an all-night vigil, fasting, and worshiping Lord Vishnu

in the

beautiful forest setting, which was brilliantly illuminated by many

lamps. The hunter hid nearby, wondering what this extraordinary

sight

before him was.

'What is going on here?' he thought. What he saw in that

lovely

forest beneath the holy Amalakii tree was the Deity of Lord DAmodara

being

worshiped upon the Asana of a waterpot, and what he heard were

devotees

singing sacred songs describing Lord Shri Krishna's transcendental

forms

and pastimes. Despite himself, that staunchly irreligious killer of

innocent birds and animals spent the entire night in great amazement

as he

watched the EkAdasii celebration and listened to the glorification

of the

Lord.

 

" Soon after sunrise, the king and his royal retinue - including the

court

sages and all the citizens - completed their observance of EkAdasii

and

returned to the city of VaidishA. The hunter then returned to his

hut and

happily ate his meal. In due time the hunter died, but the merit he

had

gained by fasting on Amalakii Ekadasii and hearing the glorification

of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as well as by being forced to

stay

awake all night, made him eligible to be reborn as a great king

endowed

with may chariots, elephants, horses, and soldiers. His name was

VasUratha, the son of King VidUratha, and he ruled over the kingdom

of

Jayanti.

 

" King VasUratha was strong and fearless, as effulgent as the Sun,

and as

handsome as the Moon. In strength he was like Shri Vishnu, and in

forgiveness like the Earth itself. Very charitable and every

truthful,

King VasUratha always rendered loving devotional service to the

Supreme

Lord, Shri Vishnu. He therefore became very well versed in Vedic

knowledge. Always active in the affairs of state, he enjoyed taking

excellent care of his subjects, as though they were his own

children. He

disliked pride in anyone and would smash it when he saw it. He

performed

many kinds of sacrifices, and he always made certain that the needy

in his

kingdom received enough charity.

 

" One day, while hunting in the jungle, King VasUratha strayed from

the

footpath and lost his way. Wandering for some time and eventually

growing

weary, he paused beneath a tree and, using his arms as a pillow,

fell

asleep. As he slept, some barbarian tribesmen came upon him and,

remembering their longstanding enmity toward the king, began

discussing

among themselves various ways to kill him. 'It is because he killed

our

fathers, mothers, brothers-in-law, grandsons, nephews, and uncles

that we

are forced to aimlessly wander like so many madmen in the forest.'

So

saying, they prepared to kill King VasUratha with various weapons,

including spears, swords, arrows, and mystic ropes.

 

" But none of these deadly weapons could even touch the sleeping

king, and

soon the uncivilised, dog-eating tribesmen grew frightened. Their

fear

sapped their strength, and before long they lost what little

intelligence

they had and became almost unconscious with bewilderment and

weakness.

Suddenly a beautiful woman appeared from the king's body, startling

the

aborigines. Decorated with many ornaments, emitting a wonderful

fragrance, wearing an excellent garland around her neck, her

eyebrows

drawn in a mood of fierce anger, and her fiery red eyes ablaze, she

looked

like death personified. With her blazing chakra discus she quickly

killed

all the tribal hunters, who had tried to slay the sleeping king.

 

" Just then the king awoke, and seeing all the dead tribesmen lying

around

him, he was astonished. He wondered, 'These are all great enemies

of

mine! Who has slain them so violently? Who is my great

benefactor?'

 

" At that very moment he heard a voice from the sky: 'You ask who

helped

you. Well, who is that person who alone can help anyone is

distress? He

is none other than Sri Keshava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

He who

saves all who take shelter of Him without any selfish motive.'

 

" Upon hearing these words, King VasUratha became over-whelmed with

love

for the Personality of Godhead Shri Keshava (Krishna). He returned

to his

capital city and ruled there like a second lord Indra (king of the

heavenly regions), without any obstacles at all.

 

" Therefore, Oh King Mandhata, " the venerable Vasishtha Muni

concluded, " ...anyone who observes this holy Amalakii EkAdasii will

undoubtedly attain the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, so great is the

religious merit earned from the observance of this most sacred fast

day. "