The Story of Ekadasi / http://www.salagram.net/ekadasi-page.htm#Story%20of%20ekadasi

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Many devotees are very inquisitive about the appearance of Sri Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi and the appearance of Ekadasi.

kasmad ekadasi 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 Ekadasi take birth and from whom did

she appear? What are the rules of fasting on the Ekadasi? Please describe the

benefits of following this vow and when it should be followed. Who is the

utmost worshippable presiding deity of Sri Ekadasi? What are the faults in not

following Ekadasi 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

Ekadasi 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 ekadasi 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 Ekadasi.'

Afterwards the different sinful living entities began to follow the vow of

Ekadasi and were then elevated quickly to the abode of Vaikuntha. Oh my child

Jaimini, therefore the lunar day of Ekadasi is the selfsame form of the Supreme

Lord, Vishnu, and the Supersoul within the heart of the living entities. Sri

Ekadasi is the utmost pios activity and is situated as the haed among all vows.

"Following the ascension of Sri Ekadasi, 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

Ekadasi, 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 Ekadasi. No type of pious activity can bind me. But Ekadasi only, being

Yourown manifested form, can impede me. Out of fear of Sri Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi. 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 Ekadasi. On the day of Ekadasi, 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 Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi is freed from all sins and never

enters into hellish regions. If one doesn't follow Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi. I very strongly say again and again, 'On Ekadasi, 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 Ekadasi. From this

the perfection of varna and ashram will be attained. Especially since even if

one by trickery follows Ekadasi, all of his sin become destroyed and he very

easily attains the supreme goal, the abode of Vaikuntha." -- "...always look at

the positive side of things... " sri sathya sai

dorisdv