Mohini Ekadasi

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Mohini Ekadasi [Vaisaakha - Sukla Ekadashi]

Vaisnava month: Madhusudana

English date: 14th May (depends on your zone)

 

Mohinii EkAdasii

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Mohinii EkAdasii: from the KUrma PurANa

Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh JanArdana, what is the name of the

EkAdasii that occurs during the light fortnight (sukla paksha) of the month

of VaisAkha (April-May) ? What is the process for observing it properly?

Kindly narrate all of these details to me.”

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna replied, “Oh blessed

son of Dharma, what Vasishtha Muni once told to Lord Ramachandra I shall now

describe to you. Please hear Me attentively.

 

“Lord Ramachandra asked Vasishtha Muni, ‘Oh great sage, I would like to hear

about the best of all fasting days – that day which destroys all kinds of

sins and sorrows. I have suffered long enough in separation from My dear

SitA, and so I wish to hear from you about how My suffering can be ended.’

 

“The sage Vasishtha replied, ‘Oh Lord RAma, Oh You whose intelligence is so

keen, simply by remembering Your name one can cross the ocean of the

material world. You have questioned me in order to benefit all of humanity

and fulfill everyone’s desires. I shall now describe that day of fasting

which purifies the whole world.

 

“ ‘Oh Rama, that day is known as VaisAkha-sukla EkAdasii, which falls on

DvAdasii. It removes all sins and is famous as Mohinii EkAdasii. NOTE

..

“ ‘Truly, Oh dear Rama, the merit of this EkAdasii frees the fortunate soul

who observes it from the network of illusion. Therefore, if You want to

relieve Your suffering(s), observe this auspicious EkAdasii perfectly, for

it removes all obstacles from one'’ path and relieves the greatest miseries.

Kindly listen as I describe its glories, because for one who even just hears

about this auspicious EkAdasii, the greatest sins are nullified.

 

“ ‘On the banks of the Sarasvati River there was once a beautiful city named

BhadrAvati, which was ruled by King DyutimAn. Oh RAma, that steadfast,

truthful, and highly intelligent king was born in the dynasty of the Moon

(Chandra-vamsa). In his kingdom was a merchant named DhanapAla, who

possessed a great deal of wealth of food grains and money. He was also very

pious. DhanapAla arranged for lakes to be dug, sacrificial arenas to be

erected, and beautiful gardens to be cultivated for the benefit of all the

citizens of BhadrAvati. He was an excellent devotee of Lord Vishnu and had

five sons: SumAna, DyutimAn, MedhAvii, Sukriti, and Dhrishthabuddhi.

 

“ ‘Unfortunately, his son Dhrishthabuddhi always engaged in greatly sinful

activities, such as sleeping with prostitutes and associating with similar

degraded persons. He enjoyed illicit sex, gambling, and many other varieties

of acts aimed at gratifying the senses. He disrespected the demigods

(devas), the brahmins, the forefathers and other elders of the community, as

well as his family’s guests. The evil-hearted Dhrishthabuddhi spent up his

father’s wealth indiscriminately, always feasting on untouchable foods and

drinking alcohol to excess.

 

“ ‘One day DhanapAla kicked Dhrishthabuddhi out of the house after he saw

him walking along the road arm-in-arm with a known prostitute. From then on

all Dhrishthabuddhi’s relatives were highly critical of him and distanced

themselves from him also. After he had sold all of his inherited ornaments

and become destitute, the prostitute also abandoned him and insulted him

because of his poverty.

 

“ ‘Dhrishthabuddhi was now full of anxiety, and also hungry. He thought,

“What should I do ? Where should I go ? How can I maintain myself ? “ He

then began to steal. The king’s constables arrested him, but when they

learned who it was, and that his father was the famous DhanapAla, they

released him. He was caught and released in this way many times. But at

last, sick of his arrogance and total disrespect for others, and their

property, the ill-mannered Dhrishthabuddhi was apprehended, handcuffed, and

then beaten. After whipping him, the king’s marshals warned him, “Oh evil

minded one ! There is no place for you in this kingdom.!!!”

 

“ ‘However, Dhrishthabuddhi was freed from his tribulation by his father and

immediately thereafter entered the dense forest. He wandered here and there,

hungry and thirsty and suffering greatly. Eventually he began killing the

jungle animals, the lions, deer, boars, and even wolves for food. Always

ready in his hand was his bow, always on his shoulder was his quiver full of

arrows. He also killed many birds, such as chakoras, peacocks, kankas, doves

and pigeons. He unhesitatingly slaughtered many species of birds and animals

to maintain his sinful way of life, the sinful results accumulating more and

more each day. On account of his previous sins, he was now immersed in an

ocean of great sin that was so relentless that it appeared that he could not

get out.

 

“ ‘Dhrishthabuddhi was always miserable and anxious, but one day, during the

month of VaisAkha, by the force of some of his past merit he chanced upon

the sacred Ashrama of KauNDinya Muni. The great sage had just finished

bathing in the Ganges River, and water was dripping from him still.

Dhrishthabuddhi had the great good fortune to touch some of those droplets

of water that were falling from the great sage’s wet clothing. Instantly

Dhrishthabuddhi was freed of his ignorance, and his sinful reactions were

reduced. Offering his humble obeisances to KauNDinya Muni, Dhrishthabuddhi

prayed to him with joined palms; ”Oh great brAhmana, please describe to me

some of the atonement I may perform without too much endeavour. I have

committed so many sins in my life, and these have now made me very poor.”

 

“ ‘The great rishi replied, “Oh son, listen with great attention, for by

hearing me your life will change, and you will become free of all your

remaining sins. In the light fortnight of this very month, VaisAkha

(April-May) there occurs the sacred Mohinii EkAdasii, which has the power to

nullify sins as vast and weighty as Mount Sumeru. If you follow my advice

and faithfully observe a fast on this EkAdasii, which is so dear to Lord

Hari, you will be freed from all the sinful reactions of many, many births.”

 

“ ‘Hearing these words with great joy, Dhrishthabuddhi promised to observe a

fast on Mohinii EkAdasii according to the sage’s instructions and direction.

Oh best of kings, Oh RAmachandra Bhagavan, by fasting completely on Mohinii

EkAdasii, the once sinful Dhrishthabuddhi, the prodigal son of the merchant

DhanapAla, became sinless. Afterwards he achieved a beautiful transcendental

form and, free at last of all obstacles, rode upon the carrier of Lord

Vishnu, Garuda, to the Supreme abode of the Lord.

 

“ ‘Oh RAmachandra, the fast day of Mohinii EkAdasii removes the darkest

illusory attachments to material existence. There is thus no better fast day

in all the three worlds than this.’ ”

 

Lord Sri Krishna concluded, “and so, Oh Yudhishthira, there is no place of

pilgrimage, no sacrifice, and no charity that can bestow merit equal to even

one sixteenth of the merit a faithful devotee of Mine obtains by observing

the Mohinii EkAdasii. And He who hears and studies the glories of Mohinii

EkAdasii achieves the merit of giving away one thousand cows in charity.

 

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Thus ends the narration of the glories of VaisAkha-sukla EkAdasii, or

Mohinii EkAdasii, from the Kurma PurANa.

These stories have been summarised and slightly changed or abbreviated from

how they are found in the book, "Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" 1986.

Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press., Pages 77-81

 

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NOTE:

If the holy fast falls on DvAdasii, it is still called EkAdasii in the Vedik

literature. Furthermore, in Garuda Purana (1:125.6), Lord BrahmA states to

Narada Muni: “Oh brAhmana, this fast should be observed when there is a full

EkAdasii, a mixture of EkAdasii and DwAdasii, or a mixture of three

(EkAdasii, DwAdasii, and Trayodasii) but never on the day when there is a

mixture of Dashami and EkAdasii.”

 

This is also upheld in the Hari Bhakti Vilas, Vaishnava smriti shastra, and

upheld by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupad in his Navadwip

Panjika introduction.

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