The Story of Ekadashi

June 25, 2003

(This article was originally written in 1956 by Sri Navincandra Cakravarti, a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and in 1979 translated into English by Vyenkata das brahmachari.)

Many devotees are very inquisitive about the appearance of Sri Ekadashi and about her special characteristics. Therefore I am presenting this description from the fourteenth chapter of the Padma Purana, from the section entitled "Kriya-sagara-sara."

Once the great sage Jaimini Rsi said to his spiritual master Srila Vyasadeva, "Oh Gurudeva! Previously, by your mercy, you described to me thehistory of the glories of the Ganga river, the benefits of worshipping Vishnu, the giving of grains in charity, the giving of water in charity, and the magnanimity of drinking the water that has washed the feet of the brahmanas. O best of the sages, Sri Gurudeva, now, with great enthusiasm, I desire to hear the benefits of fasting on Ekadashi and the appearance of Ekadashi.

kasmad ekadashi jata tasyah ko va vidhir dvija

kada va kriyate kim va phalam kim va vadasva me

ka va pujyatama tatra devata sad-gunarnava

akurvatah syat ko dosa etan me vaktum arhasi

"Oh Gurudeva! When did Ekadashi take birth and from whom did she appear? What are the rules of fasting on the Ekadashi? Please describe the benefits of following this vow and when it should be followed. Who is the utmost worshippable presiding deity of Sri Ekadashi? What are the faults in not following Ekadashi properly? Please bestow your mercyupon me and tell about these subjects, as you are the only personality able to do so."

Srila Vyasadeva, upon hearing this enquiry of Jaimini Rsi, became situated in transcendental bliss. "Oh brahmana sage Jaimini! The results of following Ekadashi can only be perfectly described by the Supreme Lord, Narayana, because Sri Narayana is the only personality capable of describing them in full. But I will give a very brief description in answer to your question."

"At the beginning of the material creation, the Supreme Lord created the moving and nonmoving living entities within this world made of five gross material elements. Simultaneously, for the purpose of punishing the humans beings, He created a personality whose form was the embodiment of sin (Papapurusha). The different limbs of this personality were constructed of the various sinful activities. His head head was made of the sin of murdering a brahmana, his two eyes were the form of the sin of drinking intoxicants, his mouth was made of the sin of stealing gold, his ears were the form of the sin of having illicit connection with the spiritual master's wife, his nose of the sin of killing one's wife, his arms the form of the sin of killing a cow, his neck made of the sin of stealing accumulated wealth, his chest of the sin of abortion, his lower chest of the sin of having sex with another's wife, his stomach of the sin of killing one's relatives, his navel of the sin of killing those who are dependent on him, his waist of the sin of self appraisal, his thighs of the sin of offending the guru, his genital of the sin of selling one's daughter, his buttocks of the sin of telling confidential matters, his feet of the sin of killing one's father, and his hair the form of lesser, less severe sinful activities. In this way, a horrible personality embodying all the sinful activities and vices was created. His bodily colour is black, and his eyes are yellow. He inflicts extreme misery upon sinful persons."

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, upon seeing this personality of sin, began to think to Himself as follows: 'I am the creator of the miseries and happiness for the living entities. I am their master because I have created this personality of sin, who gives distress to all dishonest, deceitful, and sinful persons. Now I must create someone who will control this personality.' At this time Sri Bhagavan created the personality known as Yamaraj and the different hellishj planetary systems. Those living entities who are very sinful will be sent after death to Yamaraj, who will in turn, according to their sins, send them tom a hellish region to suffer.

"After these adjustments had been made, the Supreme Lord, who is the giver of distress and happiness to the living entities, went to the house of Yamaraj, with the help of Garuda, theking of birds. When Yamaraj saw that Lord Vishnu had arrived, he immediately washed His feet and made an offering unto Him. He then had Him sit upon a golden throne. The Supreme Lord, Vishnu, became seated on the throne, whereupon He heard very loud crying sounds coming from the southern direction. He became surprised by this and thus enquired from Yamaraj, 'From where is this loud crying coming?'

"Yamaraj in reply said, 'Oh Deva! The different living entities of the earthly planetary systems have fallen into the hellish regions. They are suffering extremely for their misdeeds. The horrible crying is because of suffering from the inflictions of their past bad karma (actions).'

"After hearing this the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, went to the hellish region to the south. When the inhabitants saw who had come they began to cry even louder. The heart of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, became filled with compassion. Lord Vishnu thought to Himself, 'I have created all this progeny, and it is because of Me thatthey are suffering.'"

Srila Vyasadeva continued: "Oh Jaimini, just listen to what the Supreme Lord did next.

etac canyac ca viprarse

vicintya karunamayah

babhuva sahasa tatra

svayam ekadashi tithih

'After the merciful Supreme Lord thought over what He had previously considered, He suddenly manifested from His own form the deity of the lunar day Ekadashi.' Afterwards the different sinful living entities began to follow the vow of Ekadashi and were then elevated quickly to the abode of Vaikuntha. Oh my child Jaimini, therefore the lunar day of Ekadashi is the selfsame form of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, and the Supersoul within the heart of the living entities. Sri Ekadashi is the utmost pios activity and is situated as the haed among all vows.

"Following the ascension of Sri Ekadashi, that personality who is the form of the sinful activity gradually saw the influence she had. He approached Lord Vishnu with doubts in his heart and began offering many prayers, whereupon Lord Vishnu became very pleased and said, ' I have become very pleased by your nice offerings. What boon is it that you want?'

"The Papapurusha replied, 'I am your created progeny, and it is through me that you wanted distress given to the living entities who are very sinful. But now, by the influence of Sri Ekadashi, I have become all but destroyed. Oh Prabhu! After I die all of Your parts andparcels who have accepted material bodies will become liberated and therefore return to the abode of Vaikuntha. If this liberation of all living entities takes place, then who will carry on Your activities? There will be no one to enact the pastimes in the earthly planetary systems! Oh Keshava! If You want these eternal pastimes to carry on, then You please save me from the fear of Ekadashi. No type of pious activity can bind me. But Ekadashi only, being Yourown manifested form, can impede me. Out of fear of Sri Ekadashi I have fled and taken shelter of men; animals; insects; hills; trees; moving and nonmoving living entities; rivers; oceans; forests; heavenly, earthly, and hellish planetary systems; demigods; and the Gandarvas. I cannot find a place where I can be free from fear of Sri Ekadashi. Oh my Master! I am a product of Your creation, so therefore very mercifully direct me to a place where I can reside fearlessly.'"

Srila Vyasadeva then said to Jaimini, "After saying this, the embodiment of all sinful activities (Papapurusha) fell down at the feet of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, who is the destroyer of all miseries and began to cry.

"After this, Lord Vishnu, observing the condition of the Papapurusha with laughter, began to speak thus: 'Oh Papapurusha! Rise up! Don't lament any longer. Just listen, and I'll tell you where you can stay on the auspicious lunar day of Ekadashi. On the day of Ekadashi, which is the benefactor of the three worlds, you can take shelter of foodstuff in the form of grains. There is no reason to worry about this any more, because My form as Sri Ekadashi Devi will no longer impede you.' After giving direction to the Papapurusha, the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, disappeared and the Papapurusha returned to the performance of his own activities.

"Therefore those persons who are serious about the ultimate benefit for the soul will never eat grains on the Ekadashi tithi. According to the instructions of Lord Vishnu, every kind of sinful activity that can be found in the material world takes its residence in this place of foodstuff (grain). Whoever follows Ekadashi is freed from all sins and never enters into hellish regions. If one doesn't follow Ekadashi because of illusion, he is still considered the utmost sinner. For every mouthful of grain that is eaten by a resident of the earthly region, one receives the effect of kiling millions of brahmanas. It is definately necessary that one give up eating grains on Ekadashi. I very strongly say again and again, 'On Ekadashi, don't eat grains, don't eat grains, don't eat grains!' Whether one be a ksatriya, vaisya, shudra, or of any family, he should follow the lunar day of Ekadashi. From this the perfection of varna and ashram will be attained. Especially since even if one by trickery follows Ekadashi, all of his sin become destroyed and he very easily attains the supreme goal, the abode of Vaikuntha."

--

Rules for Ekadashi

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada makes an interesting comment in his purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila. 9-24-342:

"You should recommend the avoidance of mixed Ekadashi and the performance of pure Ekadashi. You should also describe the fault in not observing this. One should be very careful as far as these items are concerned. If one is not careful, one will be negligent in executing devotional service."

Vratas - what to do / austerities:

From Pancharatra Pradipa - Appendix 3

Notes on Ekadashi…

The Hari-bhakti-vilasa gives many rules for observing Ekadashi…, and these are discussed at length in Volume II of Pancharata-Pradipa. Here, however, we will mention only a few points concerning Ekadashi in relation to general standards of Deity worship in ISKCON:

Offering Grains to the Spiritual Master and Lord Caitanya

In a conversation, Srila Prabhupada said that grains should not be offered to either the spiritual master or Lord Caitanya and His associates on Ekadashi

Devotee: On Ekadashi, we can offer the Deity grains?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. But not guru. Ekadashi is observed by jiva-tattva, not by Vishnu. We are fasting for clearing our material disease, but Radha-Krishna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu . . . Caitanya Mahaprabhu also may not be offered grains because He is playing the part of a devotee. Only Radha-Krishna, Jagannatha can be offered grains. Otherwise, Guru-Gauranga, no. And the prasad should not be taken by anyone. It should be kept for the next day. [srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, Tokyo, April 22, 1972]

If there is only one plate for all Deities and the main Deity is Krishna or Jagannatha, grains should be offered as on normal days. If the main Deities are Gaura-Nitai, offer only non-grain preparations.* It is best to replace the normally offered grain preparations with non-grain preparations so that there are the same number of preparations as on normal days. If, however, grain preparations are being cooked for Krishna or Jagannatha, it may be difficult to cook additional non-grain preparations for the spiritual master and Gaura-Nitai. In that case serve larger quantities of the non-grain preparations to the spiritual master and Gaura-Nitai, and prepare the offering plate for Krishna or Jagannatha as on normal days.

* If you are cooking for a restaurant where grains will be served on Ekadashi, you may offer the grains to Gaura-Nitai with the understanding that They will offer the bhoga to Krishna.

What Constitutes "Grains" on Ekadashi?

Srila Prabhupada specified foodgrains and beans (pulses) as foods that must be avoided on Ekadashi. One may use spices for cooking, although mustard seeds should be avoided.* You should not use powdered asafatoeda (hing), since it (generally) contains grains. Sesame seeds are also to be avoided, except on Satila Ekadashi, when they may be offered and eaten.

Do not use any cooking ingredients that might be mixed with grains, such as ghee that has been used to fry puris, or spices touched by hands dusted with chapati flour. There is absolutely NO doubt about what is NOT permissible to eat on Ekadashi. ANNA. However it is how you translate this word that makes the difference. I once again submit what Pradyumna Prabhu told me Srila Prabhupada told him many years ago. When asked by Pradyumna what we could eat Srila Prabhupada said "Fruits, Roots, Nuts, Milk". If you stick to these types of foods you should be fine. Of course the sure way is to fast completely. Water of course can be taken. Except if you wish to do Nirjala.

* Someone who is very strictly observing Ekadashi should avoid all spices except pepper, rock salt and cumin. He should also eschew certain vegetables, such as tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, and leafy vegetables. Temple kitchens need not follow these strictures, since Srila Prabhupada did not establish them. Individual devotees may observe these rules if they choose, either making their own arrangements for cooking on Ekadashi, eating uncooked foods such as fruit, or observing full fasting. These arrangements should not interfere with the temple cooking schedule.

Mahaprasad on Ekadashi:

On Ekadashi, strict followers of Vaishnava regulations avoid eating any mahaprasad from an offering that includes grains. The shastra explains that the papa-purusha (sin personified) takes shelter in grains on Ekadashi, and therefore we avoid grains at all cost on that day, not even risking taking non-grain preparations of mahaprasad from an offering plate containing grains. Ekadashi mahaprasad should be stored until the next day; if that is not possible it can be distributed to persons not strictly following Vaishnava regulations or to animals. In fact, mahaprasad maintains its purity on Ekadashi despite the presence of the papa-purusha, and therefore it will purify anyone who eats it. Nevertheless, the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, being strict followers of Vaishnava regulations, avoid mahaprasad on that day because their strict sadhana will be hampered by the presence of the papa-purusha.

Dvadashi (the day after ekadasi - the day of breaking the Ekadashi Fast):

(To observe Ekadashi properly, one should strictly observe the breaking of this fast.)

One should break the fast after the sunrise of the dvadasi, after the first quarter of the dvadashi tithi has passed, but before the dvadashi tithi has ended. (timings can be found out from the free downloadable calendar)

After taking morning bath, one should offer the upavasa to the Lord:

ajnana timirandhasya vratenanena kesava

prasida sumukho natha jnana drsti bhava

"Oh Kesava, be pleased with this vrata performed by one fallen in the modes of darkness. Oh Lord, bestow your glance of knowledge upon me."

One should observe similar rules as on dashami. For health and common sense, what to speak of spiritual development, it is wise to eat only once going into a fast and coming out of a fast. The meal should also be light.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, especially if one is fasting entirely, or even just taking water, the malas (stools) absorb the toxins in the body when fasting. So on the day the fast is broken it is a good idea to take a gentle laxative consisting of 50-50 warm milk and water, with some rock candy to sweeten it. Generally 4-5 cups are drunk (up to 7) and within half an hour to an hour one will expel the malas. After this at lunch time one takes one's meal of prasadam.

One should not bathe the deity on the dvadashi day, but bathe the Lord in ghee in the night. But if one does, then it should be performed before sunrise.

Mahadvadasi:

Sometimes, due to the manner in which the ekadashi tithi and the dvadashi tithis are positioned in relation to the sunrise (there are six different cases), the vrata is observed on the dvadashi and the fast is broken the next day, the trayodashi. Such a fast day is called a mahadvadashi, to distinguish it from a regular dvadashi, which is the day to break the ekadashi fast.

Govindaram · June 25, 2003

<font color="blue">"Arjuna then asked, '0 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?' </font color>

"Lord Sri Krsna 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 Siva 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, "0 best of the demigods, go to that place where Lord Visnu, 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 Krsna continued, '0 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 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, recited the following prayers:

" ' "0 Supreme Personality of Godhead, all obeisances to You. 0 Lord of lords, 0 You who are praised by the foremost demigods, 0 enemy of all demons, 0 lotus-eyed Lord, 0 Madhusudana [killer of the Madhu demon], please protect us. Afraid of the demon Mura, we demigods have come to take shelter of You. 0 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 Siva, Brahma, and also Visnu, 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. 0 Supreme Lord, Lord of lords, You are the protector of those who take shelter of You. 0 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 Krsna continued, 'Having heard Indra and the other demigods speak these words, Sri Visnu, 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, "0 Supreme Godhead, 0 Lord of lords, 0 You who vanquish the fear in Your pure devotees' hearts, 0 You who are so kind to Your faithful servants, there was once a powerful demon of the Brahman 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 Candravati. 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; Isa or Lord Siva Soma, the moon-god; Nairrti, the lord of the directions; and Pa§i, or Varuna, 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. 0 Lord Visnu, please kill this demon and make the demigods victorious."

" 'Hearing these words from Indra, Lord Janardana became very angry and said, "0 powerful demigods, all together you may now advance on Mura's capital city of Candravati." Encouraged thus, the assembled demigods proceeded to Candravati 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 Hrsikesa, 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 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 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 Badarikasrama. There Lord Yogesvara, the greatest of all yogis, the Lord of the universe, entered a very beautiful cave named Himavati to rest. 0 Dhananjaya winner of wealth, that cave was ninety-six miles in diameter and had only one entrance. <font color="red"> I went there out of fear, and also to sleep There is no doubt about this, 0 son of Pandu, for the great fight made Me very tired </font color> I went there out of fear, and also to sleep There is no doubt about this, 0 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 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 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 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, 0 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 thus freed all the demigods from fear. I am Your great mahd-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, 0 Lord."

"'The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, "0 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, "0 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 Visnu 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. 0 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 be 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: Trtiya [the third day], Astami [the eighth day], Navami [the ninth day], Caturdasi [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 brdhmanas. 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. 0 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 ways,' I remove all obstacles to his spiritual progress and grant him the perfection of life.

"'Thus, 0 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.

Lord Krishna is so kind that He beacame almost defeated so 'we' could benefit from Ekadasi...Haribol!

This extract is from the story of Vijaya Ekadasi /images/graemlins/smile.gif