Haribodhini (Prabodhini) Ekadasi in Kartik - 8th November

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> When is Prabodhani Ekadasi ?. I could not find from the Vaishnava Calendar.

 

Thank you for this question.

 

It has four names: Haribodhini - Prabodhini - DevotthAni - Utthana EkAdasii

and it is the second Ekadasi (Kartik Shukla, light fortnight) in the month of

Kartik i.e. on 8th November this year.

 

Haribodhini Ekadasi

 

Lord Brahma said to Narada Muni, "Dear son, O best of the sages, I shall

narrate to you the glories of Haribodhini Ekadasi, which eradicates all kinds

of sins and bestows great merit, and ultimately liberation, upon the wise

persons who surrender unto the Supreme Lord.

"O best of the brahmanas, the merits acquired by bathing in the Ganges remain

significant only as long as Haribodhini Ekadasi does not come. This Ekadasi,

which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Kartika, is much more

purifying than a bath in the ocean, at a place of pilgrimage, or in a lake.

This sacred Ekadasi is more powerful in nullifying sin than one thousand

Asvamedha sacrifices and one hundred Rajasuya sacrifices."

Narada Muni inquired, "O father, please describe the relative merits of

fasting completely on Ekadasi, eating supper (without grains or beans), or

eating once at midday (without grains or beans)."

Lord Brahma replied, "If a person eats once at midday on Ekadasi, the sins of

his previous birth are erased, if he eats supper, the sins acquired during his

previous two births are removed, and if he fasts completely, the sins

accumulated during his pervious seven births are eradicated.

"O son, whatever is only rarely achieved within the three worlds is obtained

by him who strictly observes Haribodhini Ekadasi. A person whose sins equal

Mount Sumeru in volume sees them all reduced to nothing if he simply fasts on

Papaharini Ekadasi (another name for Haribodhini Ekadasi). The sins a person

has accumulated over a thousand previous births are burned to ashes if he not

only fasts but also remains awake throughout Ekadasi night, just as a mountain

of cotton can be burned to ashes if one lights a small fire in it.

O Narada, a person who strictly observes this fast achieves the results I

have mentioned. Even if one does a small amount of pious activity on this day,

following the rules and regulations, one will earn merit to Mount Sumeru in

volume; however a person who does not follow the rules and regulations given in

the Scriptures may perform pious activity equal to Mount Sumeru in volume, but

he will not earn even a small amount of merit. One who does not chant the

Gayatri mantra three times a day, who disregards fast days, who does not

believe in God, who criticises the Vedic Scriptures, who thinks the Vedas bring

only ruination to one who follows their injunctions, who enjoys another's wife,

who is utterly foolish and wicked, who does not appreciate any service that has

been rendered to him, or who cheats others - such a sinful person can never

perform any religious activity effectively. Be he a brahmana or a shudra,

whoever tries to enjoy another man's wife, particularly the wife of a

twice-born person, is said to be no better than a dog-eater.

"O best of the sages, any brahmana who enjoys sex with a widow or a brahmana

lady married to another man brings ruin to himself and his family. Any

brahmana who enjoys illicit sex will have no children in his next life, and any

past merit he may have earned is ruined. Indeed, if such a person displays any

arrogance toward a twice-born brahmana or a spiritual master, he loses all his

spiritual advancement immediately, as well as his wealth and children.

"These three kinds of men ruin their acquired merits: he whose character is

immoral, he who has sex with the wife of a dog-eater, and he who appreciates

the association of rogues. Whoever associates with sinful people and visits

their homes without a spiritual purpose will go directly to the abode of Lord

Yamaraj, the superintendent of death. And if someone eats in such a home, his

acquired merit is destroyed, along with his fame, duration of life, children,

and happiness.

"Any sinful rascal who insults a saintly person soon loses his religiosity,

economic development, and sense gratification, and he at last burns in the fire

of hell. Anyone who likes to offend saintly persons, or who does not interrupt

someone who is insulting saintly persons, is considered no better than an ass.

Such a wicked man sees his dynasty destroyed before his very eyes.

"A person whose character is unclean, who is a rogue or a swindler, or who

always finds fault with others does not achieve a higher destination after

death, even if he gives charity generously or performs other pious deed.

Therefore one should refrain from performing inauspicious acts and perform only

pious ones, by which one will acquire merit and avoid suffering. "However, the

sins of one who, after due consideration, decides to fast of Haribodhini

Ekadasi are erased from one hundred previous lives, and whoever fasts and

remains awake overnight on this Ekadasi achieves unlimited merit and after

death goes to the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, and then thousand of his

ancestors, relatives, and descendants also reach that abode. Even if one's

forefathers were implicated in many sins and are suffering in hell, they still

attain beautifully ornamented spiritual bodies and happily go to Vishnu's

abode.

O Narada, even one who has committed the heinous sin of killing a brahmana is

freed of all stains on his character by faster on Haribodhini Ekadasi and

remaining awake that night. The merit that cannot by won by bathing in all the

places of pilgrimage, performing a horse sacrifice, or giving cows, gold, or

fertile land in charity can easily be achieved by fasting on this holy day and

remaining awake throughout the night.

"Anyone who observes Haribodhini Ekadasi is celebrated as highly qualified

and makes his dynasty famous. As Death is certain, so losing one's wealth is

also certain. Knowing this, O best of sages, one should observe a fast on this

day so dear to Hari - Sri Haribodhini Ekadasi.

"All places of pilgrimage in the three worlds at once come to reside in the

house of a person who fasts on this Ekadasi. Therefore, to please the Lord,

who holds a disc in His hand, one should give up all engagements, surrender,

and observe this Ekadasi fast. One who fasts on this Haribodhini day is

acknowledged as a wise man, a true yogi, an ascetic, and one whose senses are

truly under control. He alone enjoys this world properly, and he will

certainly achieve liberation. This Ekadasi is very dear to Lord Vishnu, and

thus it is the very essence of religiosity. Even one observance of it bestows

the topmost reward in all the three worlds.

"O Naradaji, whoever fasts on this Ekadasi will definitely not enter a womb

again, and thus faithful devotees of the Supreme Godhead give up all varieties

of religion and simply surrender to fasting on this Ekadasi. For that great

soul who honours this Ekadasi by fasting and remaining awake throughout the

night, the Supreme Lord, Sri Govinda, personally terminates the sinful

reactions that soul has acquired by the actions of his mind, body, and words.

"O son, for anyone who bathes in a place of pilgrimage, gives charity, chants

the holy names of the Supreme Lord, undergoes austerities, and performs

sacrifices for God on Haribodhini Ekadasi, the merit thus earned all becomes

imperishable. A devotee who worships Lord Madhava on this day with first-class

paraphernalia becomes free from the great sins of a hundred lifetimes. A

person who observes this fast and worships Lord Vishnu properly is freed from

great danger.

"This Ekadasi fast pleases Lord Janardana so much that He takes the person

who observes it back to His abode, and while going there the devotee

illuminates then ten universal directions. Whoever desires beauty and

happiness should try to honour Haribodhini Ekadasi, especially if it falls on

Dvadasi. The sins of one's past hundred births - the sins committed during

childhood, youth and old age in al those lifetimes, whether those sins are dry

or wet - are nullified by the Supreme Lord Govinda if one fasts on Haribodhini

Ekadasi with devotion.

Haribodhini Ekadasi is the best Ekadasi. Nothing is unobtainable or rare in

this world for one who fasts on this day, for it gives food grains, great

wealth, and high merit, as well as eradication of all sin, the terrible

obstacle to liberation. fasting on this Ekadasi is a thousand times better

than giving charity on the day of the solar or lunar eclipse. Again I say to

you, O Naradaji, whatever merit is earned by one who bathes in a place of

pilgrimage, performs sacrifices, and studies the Vedas is only one

then-millionth the merit earned by the person who fasts but one on Haribodhini

Ekadasi. Whatever merit one has acquired in his life by some pious activities

becomes completely fruitless if one does not observe the Ekadasi fast and

worship Lord Vishnu in the month of Kartika. Therefore, you should always

worship the Supreme Lord, Janardana, and render service to Him. Thus you will

attain the desired goal, the highest perfection.

"On Haribodhini Ekadasi, a devotee of the Lord should not eat in another's

house or eat food cooked by a non devotee. If he does so, he achieves only the

merit of fasting on a full moon day. Philosophical discussion of Scriptures in

the month of Kartika pleases Sri Vishnu more than if one gives elephants and

horses in charity or performs a costly sacrifice. Whoever chants or hears

descriptions of Lord Vishnu's qualities and pastimes, even if but a half or

even a fourth of a verse, attains the wonderful merit derived from giving away

a hundred cows to a brahmana. O Narada, during the month of Kartika one should

give up all kinds or ordinary duties and devote one's full time and energy

especially while fasting, to discussing the transcendental pastimes of the

Supreme Lord. Such glorification of Sri Hari on the day so dear to the Lord,

Ekadasi, liberates a hundred previous generations. One who spends his time

enjoying such discussions, especially in the month of Kartika, achieves the

results of performing ten thousand fire sacrifices and burns all his sins to

ashes.

"He who hears the wonderful narrations concerning Lord Vishnu, particularly

during the month of Kartika, automatically earns the same merit as that

bestowed upon someone who donates a hundred cows in charity. O great sage, a

person who chants the glories of Lord Hari on Ekadasi achieves the merit earned

by donating seven islands."

Narada Muni asked his glorious father, "O universal sire, I best of all

demigods, please tell me how to observe this most sacred Ekadasi. What kind of

merit does it bestow upon the faithful?"

Lord Brahma replied, "O son, a person who wants to observe this Ekadasi

should rise early on Ekadasi morning, during the brahma-muhurta hour (an hour

and a half before sunrise until fifty minutes before sunrise). He should then

clean his teeth and bathe in a lake, river, pond, or well, or in his own home,

as the situation warrants. After worshipping Lord Sri Keshava, he should

listen carefully to the sacred descriptions of the Lord. He should pray to the

Lord thus: 'O Lord Keshava, I shall fast on this day, which is so dear to You,

and tomorrow I shall honour Your sacred prasadam. O lotus-eyed Lord, O

infallible one, You are my only shelter. Kindly protect me.'

"Having spoken this solemn prayer before the Lord with great love and

devotion, one should fast cheerfully. O Narada, whoever remains awake all

night on this Ekadasi, singing beautiful songs glorifying the Lord, dancing in

ecstasy, playing delightful instrumental music for His transcendental pleasure,

and reciting the pastimes of Lord Krishna as records in bona-fide Vedic

literature - such a person will most assuredly reside far beyond the three

worlds, in the eternal, spiritual realm of God.

"On Haribodhini Ekadasi one should worship Sri Krishna with camphor, fruits,

and aromatic flowers, especially the yellow agaru flower. One should not

absorb oneself in making money on this important day. In other words, greed

should be exchanged for charity. This is the process for turning loss into

unlimited merit. One should offer many kinds of fruits to the Lord and bathe

Him with water from a conchshell. Each of these devotional practices, when

performed on Haribodhini Ekadasi, is ten million times more beneficial than

bathing in all the places of pilgrimage and giving all forms of charity.

"Even Lord Indra joins his palm and offers his obeisances to a devotee who

worships Lord Janardana with first-class agastya flowers of this day. The

supreme Lord Hari is very pleased when he is decorated with nice agastya

flowers. O Narada, I give liberation to one who devotedly worships Lord

Krishna on this Ekadasi in the month of Kartika with leaves of the bel tree.

And for one who worships Lord Janardana with fresh tulasi leaves and fragrant

flowers during this month, O son, I personally burn to ashes all the sins he

has committed for then thousand births.

"One who merely sees Tulasi Maharani, touches her, mediates on her, narrates

her history, offers obeisances to her, prays to her for her grace, plants her,

worships her, or waters her lives in the abode of Lord Hari eternally. O

Narada, one who serves Tulasi-devi in these nine ways achieves happiness in the

higher world for as many thousands of yugas as there are roots and subroots

growing from a mature tulasi plant. When a full grown tulasi plant produces

seeds, many plants grow from those seeds and spread their branches, twigs, and

flowers, and these flowers also produce numerous seeds. For as many thousands

of kalpas as there are seeds produced in this way, the forefathers of one who

serves tulasi in these nine ways will live in the abode of Lord Hari.

"Those who worship Lord Keshava with kadamba flowers, which are very pleasing

to Him, get is mercy and do not see the abode of Yamaraj, death personified.

What is the use of worshipping someone else if all desires can be fulfilled by

pleasing Lord Hari? For example, a devotee who offers Him bakula, ashoka, and

patali flowers is freed from misery and distress for as long as the sun and

moon exist in this universe, and at last he achieves liberation. O best of the

brahmanas, an offering of kannera flowers to Lord Jagannatha brings as much

mercy upon the devotee as that earned by worshipping Lord Keshava for four

yugas. One who offers tulasi flowers (manjaris) to Sri Krishna during the

month of Kartika receives more merit than can be obtained by donating ten

million cows. Even a devotional offering of newly grown sprouts of grass

brings with it a hundred times the benefit obtained by ordinary ritualistic

worship of the Supreme Lord.

"One who worships Lord Vishnu with the leaves of the samika tree is freed

from the clutches of Yamaraja, the lord of death. One who worships Vishnu

during the rainy season with champaka or jasmine flowers never returns to the

planet earth again. One who worships the Lord with but a single kumbhi flower

achieves the boon of donating a pala of gold (two hundred grams). If a devotee

offers a single yellow flower of the ketaki, or wood-apple, tree to Lord

Vishnu, who rides on Garuda, he is freed from the sins of ten million births.

Furthermore, one who offers Lord Jagannatha flowers and also a hundred leaves

anointed with red and yellow sandalwood paste will certainly come to reside in

Svetadvipa, far beyond the coverings of this material creation.

"O greatest of brahmanas, Sri Narada, after thus worshipping Lord Keshava,

the bestower of all material and spiritual happiness, on Haribodhini Ekadasi,

one should rise early the next day, bathe in a rive, chant japa of Krishna's

holy names, and render loving devotional service to the Lord at home to the

nest of one's ability. To break the fast, the devotee should first offer some

prasadam to brahmanas and only then, with their permission, eat some grains.

Thereafter, to please the Supreme Lord, the devotee should worship his

spiritual master, the purest of the Lord's devotees, and offer him sumptuous

food, nice cloth, gold, and cows, according to the devotee's means. this will

certainly please the Supreme Lord, the holder of the disc.

"Next the devotee should donate a cow to a brahmana, and if the devotee has

neglected some rules and regulation of spiritual life, he should confess them

before brahmana devotees of the Lord. Then the devotee should offer them some

dakshina (money). O king, those who have eaten supper on Ekadasi should feed a

brahmana the next day. That is very pleasing to the Supreme Personality of

Godhead.

"O son, if a man has fasted without asking the permission of his priest, or

if a woman has fasted without asking her husband's permission, he or she should

donate a bull to a brahmana. Honey and yoghurt are also proper gifts for a

brahmana. Someone who has fasted from ghee should donate milk, one who has

fasted from grains should donate rice, one who has slept on the floor should

donate a bedstead with a quilt, one who has eaten on a leaf plate should donate

a pot of ghee, one who as remained silent should donate a bell, and one who has

fasted from sesame should give gold in charity and feed a brahmana couple with

sumptuous food. A man who wants to prevent baldness should donate a mirror to

a brahmana, one who has second-hand shoes should donate shoes, and one who has

fasted from salt should donate some sugar to a brahmana. During this month

everyone should regularly offer a ghee lamp to Lord Vishnu or to Srimati

Tulasidevi in a temple.

"An Ekadasi fast is complete when one offers a qualified brahmana a gold or

copper pot filled with ghee and ghee wicks, along with eight waterpots

containing some gold and covered by cloths. One who cannot afford these gifts

should at least offer a brahmana some sweet words. One who does so will surely

attain the full benefit of fasting on Ekadasi.

"After offering his obeisances and begging permission, the devotee should eat

his meal. On this Ekadasi, Chaturmasya ends, so whatever one gave up during

Chaturmasya should now be donated to brahmanas. One who follows this process

of Chaturmasya receives unlimited merit, O king of kings, and goes to the abode

of Lord Vasudeva after death. O king, anyone who observes the complete

Chaturmasya without a break attains eternal happiness and does not receive

another birth. But if someone breaks the fast, he becomes either a blind man

or a leper.

"Thus I have narrated to you the complete process for observing Haribodhini

Ekadasi. Someone who reads or hears about this achieves the merit earned by

donating cows to a qualified brahmana."

 

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Karttika-sukla Ekadasi - also known

as Haribodhini Ekadasi or Devotthaani Ekadasi - from the Skanda Purana.

 

>From Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa:

 

PRABODHINIM UPOSYA EVA NA GARBHE VISATE NARAH

SARVA DHARMAN PARITYAJYA TASMAT KURVITA NARADA

 

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/289 from SKANDA PURANA spoken by Lord Brahma)

 

Oh Narada Muni, one who fasts on Prabodhini (when the Lord gets up) Ekadasi,

does not enter again into the womb of another mother. Therefore, a person

should give up all varieties of occupation and fast on this particular Ekadasi

day.

 

DUGDHABDHIH BHOGI SAYANE BHAGAVAN ANANTO

YASMIN DINE SVAPITI CA ATHA VIBHUDHYATE CA

TASMINN ANANYA MANASAM UPAVASA BHAJAM

KAMAM DADATY ABHIMATAM GARUDANKA SAYI

 

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/293 from PADMA PURANA)

 

One who fasts with one pointed intelligence on the day when the Supreme Lord

Sri Hari, Who sleeps on a bed of the enemy of Garuda (snake) goes to take rest

in the Milk ocean on the bed of Ananta Sesa and also the day He gets up, gets

all of his desires fulfilled.

 

BHAKTIPRADA HAREH SATU NAMNA KSATA PRAVODHINI

YASA VISNOH PARA MURTIR AVYAKTA ANEKA RUPINI

SA KSIPTA MANUSE LOKE DVADADI MUNI PUNGAVA

 

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/301 from VARAHA PURANA conversation between Yamaraja

and Narada Muni)

 

This Prabodhini Ekadasi is famous for rewarding devotion to Lord Sri Hari. Oh

best of the sages (Narada Muni), the personality of Ekadasi is present on this

earthly planet in an unmanifested form of Lord Hari.

 

Srila Sanatana Gosvami remarks in his Digdarsini-tika that one who exactly

observes the Ekadasi fast by observing this, he directly worships Lord Sri

Hari. This is the meaning of this verse. Therefore, Ekadasi is said to be

equal to Lord Sri Hari Himself.

 

CATUR DHA GRAHYA VAI CIRNAM CATUR MASYA VRATAM NARAH

KARTIKE SUKLAPAKSE TU DVADASYAM TAT SAMACARET

 

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/412 from MAHABHARATA)

 

A person who observed Caturmasya fast stated in four different ways should

end his fast on the Dvadasi day on the light fortnight of the month of

Karttika.(Ofcourse in ISKCON we do Caturmasya & Kartika-vrata from Purnima to

Purnima.)

 

EKADASYAM PARER DATTAM DIPAM PRAJVALYA MUSIKA

MANUSYAM DURLABHAM PRAPYA PARAM GATIM AVAPA SA

 

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/129 from SKANDA PURANA)

 

One rat (female mouse) had once burnt a ghee lamp which was offered by

someone else on Ekadasi day. By doing so, she achieved a rarely achievable

human form and at last attained the topmost destination.

 

Srila Sanatana Gosvami writes in his Digdarsini-tika, "In this verse it is

found that it is possible to attain the results of directly offering a lamp on

Ekadasi. This history of the mouse is very famous in the Padma Purana, Kartika

Mahatmya. (In a temple of Lord Visnu, there was a mouse living who was eating

the ghee from the extinguished ghee lamps which had been offered by others to

Him. One day when she felt hungry to eat ghee, she tried to eat the ghee from

a lamp which was not yet extinguished. While eating ghee from the lamp, the

cotton wick got stuck in her teeth. Since the ghee wick had a flame, the mouse

started jumping in front of the Lord's Deity form and thus died due to fire.

But Lord Sri Visnu accepted the jumping of that mouse with a lit ghee wick in

her mouth as His aratik. In the end He gave her liberation, the topmost

destination.)

 

Glories of Remaining Awake on the night of Prabodhini Ekadasi:

(Padma Purana, Kartika Mahatmya)

 

The sins accumulated in thousands of previous births burn like a mass of cotton

for someone who remains awake during Prabodhani-ekadasi. Even if guilty of the

most heinous sins, such as killing a brahmana, O sage a person shakes away his

sins by remaining awake in Visnu's honour throughout Prabodhani-ekadasi. All

his mental, vocal, and physical sins will be washed away by Sri

Govinda.(388-390)

 

Results that are difficult to obtain even with great yajnas, such as Asvamedha,

effortlessly accrue to those who remain awake during Prabodhani-ekadasi.(391)

 

The Lord should be taken out on a grand Ratha-yatra festival on this day after

awakening Him from His sleep for the four months of Caturmasya i.e from Sayani

Ekadasi when the Lord had taken rest on the Milk Ocean. This festival has been

elaborately described in the Padma Purana.

 

Vaisnava dasabhas,

Nayana-ranjana das