Parsva Ekadashi ----- from Brahma-vaivarta Puran

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Parsva Ekadashi ----- from Brahma-vaivarta Puran

 

Sri Yudhishthira MahArAja asked of Lord Sri Krishna,

"What is the name

of

that EkAdasii that occurs during the light fortnight

(shukla paksha) of

the

month of BhAdrapada (August-September "Hrishikesha

mase") ? Who is the

worshipable Deity for this EkAdasii, and what merit

does one attain in

observing it? Kindly reveal all of this to me my

Lord."

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna

addressed His

devoted

Yudhishthira as follows, "This EkAdasii, Oh

Yudhishthira, is called

VAmana

EkAdasii, and it bestows upon those who observe it

both great merit and

ultimate liberation from material bondage. Therefore,

because it

removes all

one's sinful reactions, it is also called Jayanti

EkAdasii. Just

hearing of

its glories frees one from all his past misdeeds. So

auspicious is this

fast

that observing it bestows the same merit as that

earned by performing a

horse sacrifice. There is no better EkAdasii than

this, because it

awards

liberation so easily. Thus if one truly desires

freedom from the

punishing

material world, one should fast on VAmana EkAdasii.

 

"While observing this holy fast, a Vaishnava should

lovingly worship

the

Supreme Lord in His form as VAmandev, the dwarf

incarnation, whose eyes

are

like lotus petals. By doing so, he worships all other

Deities as well,

including BrahmA, Vishnu, and Shiva, and at death he

undoubtedly goes

to

that abode of Sri Hari. In all the three worlds there

is no fast that

is

more important to observe. The reason this EkAdasii is

so auspicious is

that

it celebrates the day when the sleeping Lord Vishnu

turns over on His

other

side; thus it is also known as Parivartinii EkAdasii."

 

MahArAja Yudhishthira then asked of the Lord, "Oh

JanArdana, please

clear up

a question I have. How is it that the Supreme Lord

sleeps and then

turns

over on His side? Oh Lord, when You are asleep what

happens to all the

other

living entities? Please also tell me how You bound the

king of the

demons,

Bali DaityarAj (Bali MahArAja), as well as how one may

please the

brAhmaNas.

How does one observe ChAturmAsya, which You mention in

the

ChAturmAsya-mahAtmya of the Bhavishya PurANa? Kindly

be merciful to me

and

answer these questions."

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna

replied, "Oh

Yudhishthira,

lion among Kings, I will gladly narrate to you an

historical event

that,

simply by hearing, eradicates all one's sinful

reactions. "In the

TretA-yuga

there once was a king of the name Bali. Though born in

a family dynasty

of

demons (daityas), he was very devoted to Me. He sang

many Vedic hymns

to Me

and performed the homa rituals (fire sacrifices) just

to satisfy Me. He

respected the twice-born brahmins and engaged them in

performing

sacrifices

daily. This great soul had a quarrel with Indra,

however, and

eventually

defeated him in battle. Bali took over his entire

celestial kingdom,

which I

Myself had given to Indra. Therefore Indra and all the

other devas

(demigods), along with many great sages, approached Me

and complained

about

Bali MahArAja. Bowing their heads to the ground and

offering many

sacred

prayers from the Vedas, they worshipped Me along with

their spiritual

master, Brihaspati. Thus I agreed to appear on their

behalf as a dwarf

VAmanadev, My fifth incarnation."

 

King Yudhishthira further enquired, "Oh Lord, how was

it possible for

You to

conquer such a powerful demon, and only by coming in

the form of a

dwarf

brahmin? Please explain this clearly, for I am Your

faithful devotee."

The

Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna replied, "Though a dwarf, I

was a brAhmaNa,

and I

approached that pious king Bali to ask him for alms in

the form of

land. I

said, `Oh DaityrAj Bali, please give Me just three

steps of land in

charity.

Such a small piece of land will be good as all the

three worlds for

Me.'

Bali agreed to grant My request without lengthy

consideration. But as

soon

as he vowed to give Me the land, My body began to

expand into a

gigantic

transcendental form. I covered the entire Earth with

My feet, all the

Bhuvarloka with My thighs, the Swarga heavens with My

waist, Maharloka

with

My stomach, Janaloka with My chest, Tapoloka with My

neck, and

Satyaloka

with My head and face. I covered the entire material

creation. Indeed,

all

the planets of the universe, including the Sun and the

Moon, were

encompassed by My gigantic form."

 

"Seeing this astonishing pastime of Mine, all the

demigods, including

Indra

and Shesha, the king of the snakes, began to sing

Vedic hymns and offer

prayers to Me. Then I took Bali by the hand and said

to him, `Oh

sinless

one, I have covered the whole Earth with one step and

all the heavenly

planets with the second. Now where shall I place My

foot to measure the

third step of land you promised Me?'

 

"Upon hearing this, Bali MahArAja bowed down in

humility and offered Me

his

head to place My third step. Oh Yudhishthira, I placed

My foot on his

head

and sent him all the way to PAtAlaloka. Seeing him

thus humbled, I

became

very pleased and told Bali that henceforth I would

permanently reside

in his

palace. Thereafter, on Parivartinii EkAdasii, which

occurs during the

light

part of the month of BhAdra (August-September), Bali,

the son of

Virochana,

grandson of Prahlad, installed a Deity form of Me in

his residence. "Oh

king, until Haribodhinii EkAdasii, which occurs during

the light part

of the

month of Karttika, I continue to sleep in the ocean of

milk. The merit

one

accumulates during this period is particularly

powerful. One should

therefore observe Parivartinii EkAdasii carefully.

Indeed, it is

especially

purifying and thus cleanses one of all sinful

reactions. On this day

the

faithful devotee should worship Lord Trivikrama,

VAmanadeva, who is the

supreme father, because on this day I turn over to

sleep on My other

side.

"If possible, on this day one should give a qualified

person some

yogurt

mixed with rice, as well as some silver, and then

remain awake

throughout

the night. This simple observance will free one of all

material

conditioning. One who observes this sacred

Parivartinii EkAdasii in the

way

I have described will surely attain all kinds of

happiness in this

world and

the kingdom of God in the hereafter. One who simply

hears this

narration

with devotion will go to the abode of the demigods and

shine there like

the

Moon itself, so powerful is observance of this

EkAdasii. Indeed, this

observance is as powerful as the performance of a

thousand horse

sacrifices."

 

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Parivartinii

EkAdasii, or

VAmana

EkAdasii, which occurs during the light part of the

month of

BhAdrapada,

from the Brahma-vaivarta PurANa.

 

NOTE: The next day after Ekadashi is Sri Vamana

Dvadashi: Appearance

day of

Lord Vamanadev. Ekadashi fast is observed till nooni.

The fast is

broken

after noon with Ekadashi prasadam. Next day (Sri

Vamana Dvadashi),

observe

Lord Vamanadev's appearance by again fasting till noon

and by chanting

extra

Mahamantra japa praying to the Lord for His shelter.

Break this fast

with

joyful feasting of Lord Vamanadev's appearance day

mahaprasadam!

 

Hare Krishna

 

Your humble Servant

 

radhabhava gaur das

 

 

 

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