Amalakii EkAdasii - 6th March

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Amalakii EkAdasii

 

 

 

AMALAKI EKADASI

King MAndhAtA once said to Vasishtha Muni, "O great sage, kindly be merciful to

me and tell me of a holy fast that will benefit me eternally."

Vasishtha Muni replied. "O king, kindly listen as I describe the best

of all fast days, Amalakii EkAdasi. He who faithfully observes a fast on this

EkAdasii obtains enormous wealth, gets free of the effects of all kinds of

sins, and attains liberation. Fasting on this EkAdasii is more purifying than

donating one thousand cows in charity to a pure brAhmana. So please hear me

attentively as I tell you the story of a hunter who, though daily engaged in

killing innocent animals for his living, achieved liberation by observing a

fast on Amalakii EkAdasii and following the prescribed rules and regulations of

worship.

 

"There was once a kingdom named VaidishA, where all the brAhmanas, kshatriyas,

vaishyas, and shudras were equally endowed with Vedic knowledge, great bodily

strength, and fine intelligence. Oh lion among kings, the whole kingdom was

full of Vedic sounds, not a single person was atheistic, and no one sinned.

The ruler of this kingdom was King PAshabinduka, a member of the dynasty of

Soma, the moon. He was also known as Chitraratha and was very religious and

truthful. It is said that King Chitraratha had the strength of ten thousand

elephants and that he was very wealthy and knew the six branches of Vedic

wisdom perfectly.

 

"During the reign of Maharaja Chitraratha, not a single person in his kingdom

attempted to practice another's dharma (duty) so perfectly engaged in their own

dharmas were all the brAhmanas, kshatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras. Neither miser

nor pauper was to be seen throughout the land, not was there every drought or

flood. Indeed, the kingdom was free of disease, and everyone enjoyed good

health. The people rendered loving devotional service to the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, as did the king, who also rendered special

service to Lord Shiva. Moreover, twice a month everyone fasted on EkAdasii.

 

"In this way, O best of kings, the citizens of VaidishA lived many long years

in great happiness and prosperity. Giving up all varieties of materialistic

religion, they completely dedicated themselves to the loving service of the

Supreme Lord, Hari.

 

"Once, in the month of Phalguna (February - March), the holy fast of Amalakii

EkAdasii arrived, conjoined with DvAdasi. King Chitraratha realised that this

particular fast would bestow especially great benefit, and thus he and all the

citizens of VaidishA observed this sacred EkAdasii very strictly, carefully

following all the rules and regulations.

 

"After bathing in the river, the king and all his subjects went to the temple

of Lord Vishnu, where an Amalakii tree grew. First the king and his leading

sages offered the tree a pot filled with water, as well as a fine canopy,

shoes, gold, diamonds, rubies, pearls, sapphires, and aromatic incense. Then

they worshiped Lord ParashurAma with these prayers: 'Oh Lord ParashurAma, Oh

son of RenukA, Oh all-pleasing one, Oh liberator of the worlds, kindly come

beneath this holy Amalakii tree and accept our humble obeisances.'

 

Then they prayed to the Amalakii tree: 'Oh Amalakii, Oh offspring of Lord

BrahmA, you can destroy all kinds of sinful reactions. Please accept our

respectful obeisances and these bumble gifts. O Amalakii, you are actually the

form of Brahman, and you were once worshiped by Lord RAmachandra Himself.

Whoever circumambulates you is therefore immediately freed of all his sins.'

 

"After offering these excellent prayers, King Chitraratha and his subjects

remained awake throughout the night, praying and worshiping according to the

regulations governing a sacred EkAdasii fast. It was during this auspicious

time of fasting and prayer that a very irreligious man approached the assembly,

a man who maintained himself and his family by killing animals. Burdened with

both fatigue and sin, the hunter saw the king and the citizens of VaidishA

observing Amalakii EkAdasii by performing an all-night vigil, fasting, and

worshiping Lord Vishnu in the beautiful forest setting, which was brilliantly

illuminated by many lamps. The hunter hid nearby, wondering what this

extraordinary sight before him was.

'What is going on here?' he thought. What he saw in that lovely forest

beneath the holy Amalakii tree was the Deity of Lord DAmodara being worshiped

upon the Asana of a waterpot, and what he heard were devotees singing sacred

songs describing Lord Shri Krishna's transcendental forms and pastimes.

Despite himself, that staunchly irreligious killer of innocent birds and

animals spent the entire night in great amazement as he watched the EkAdasii

celebration and listened to the glorification of the Lord.

 

"Soon after sunrise, the king and his royal retinue - including the court sages

and all the citizens - completed their observance of EkAdasii and returned to

the city of VaidishA. The hunter then returned to his hut and happily ate his

meal. In due time the hunter died, but the merit he had gained by fasting on

Amalakii Ekadasii and hearing the glorification of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, as well as by being forced to stay awake all night, made him eligible

to be reborn as a great king endowed with may chariots, elephants, horses, and

soldiers. His name was VasUratha, the son of King VidUratha, and he ruled over

the kingdom of Jayanti.

 

"King VasUratha was strong and fearless, as effulgent as the Sun, and as

handsome as the Moon. In strength he was like Shri Vishnu, and in forgiveness

like the Earth itself. Very charitable and every truthful, King VasUratha

always rendered loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Shri Vishnu. He

therefore became very well versed in Vedic knowledge. Always active in the

affairs of state, he enjoyed taking excellent care of his subjects, as though

they were his own children. He disliked pride in anyone and would smash it

when he saw it. He performed many kinds of sacrifices, and he always made

certain that the needy in his kingdom received enough charity.

 

"One day, while hunting in the jungle, King VasUratha strayed from the footpath

and lost his way. Wandering for some time and eventually growing weary, he

paused beneath a tree and, using his arms as a pillow, fell asleep. As he

slept, some barbarian tribesmen came upon him and, remembering their

longstanding enmity toward the king, began discussing among themselves various

ways to kill him. 'It is because he killed our fathers, mothers,

brothers-in-law, grandsons, nephews, and uncles that we are forced to aimlessly

wander like so many madmen in the forest.' So saying, they prepared to kill

King VasUratha with various weapons, including spears, swords, arrows, and

mystic ropes.

 

"But none of these deadly weapons could even touch the sleeping king, and soon

the uncivilised, dog-eating tribesmen grew frightened. Their fear sapped their

strength, and before long they lost what little intelligence they had and

became almost unconscious with bewilderment and weakness. Suddenly a beautiful

woman appeared from the king's body, startling the aborigines. Decorated with

many ornaments, emitting a wonderful fragrance, wearing an excellent garland

around her neck, her eyebrows drawn in a mood of fierce anger, and her fiery

red eyes ablaze, she looked like death personified. With her blazing chakra

discus she quickly killed all the tribal hunters, who had tried to slay the

sleeping king.

 

"Just then the king awoke, and seeing all the dead tribesmen lying around him,

he was astonished. He wondered, 'These are all great enemies of mine! Who has

slain them so violently? Who is my great benefactor?'

 

"At that very moment he heard a voice from the sky: 'You ask who helped you.

Well, who is that person who alone can help anyone is distress? He is none

other than Sri Keshava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He who saves all

who take shelter of Him without any selfish motive.'

 

"Upon hearing these words, King VasUratha became over-whelmed with love for the

Personality of Godhead Shri Keshava (Krishna). He returned to his capital city

and ruled there like a second lord Indra (king of the heavenly regions),

without any obstacles at all.

 

"Therefore, Oh King Mandhata," the venerable Vasishtha Muni concluded,

"...anyone who observes this holy Amalakii EkAdasii will undoubtedly attain the

supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, so great is the religious merit earned from the

observance of this most sacred fast day."

 

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Thus ends the narration of the glories of Phalguna-sukla Ekadasi, or Amalaki

Ekadasi, from the Brahmanda Purana.

 

Breakfast time for Juhu, Mumbai: 06:54 - 09:14 am