Bhaimi Ekadasi

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February 12th, 2003, Wednesday (Suddha Ekadasi)

 

BHAIMI or JAYA EKADASI

(from Bhavishya-uttara Purana)

 

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, "Oh Lord of the lords, Sri Krishna, all

glories unto You! Oh Master of the universe, You alone are the source of the

four types of living entities - those born from eggs, those born from

perspiration, those born from seeds and those born from embryos. You alone

are the root cause of all, Oh Lord, and therefore You are the creator,

maintainer and destroyer.

 

"My Lord, You have so kindly explained to me the auspicious day

known as Sat-tilA EkAdasi, which occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna

paksha) of the month of MAgha (January - February). Now please explain to me

the EkAdasii that occurs in the light fortnight (shukla or Gaura paksha) of

this month. By what name is it known, and what is the process for observing

it? Who is the presiding Deity that is to be worshipped on this sublime day,

which is so very dear to You?

 

Lord Sri Krishna replied, "Oh Yudhisthira, I shall gladly tell you

about the EkAdasii that occurs during the light half of this month of MAgha.

This EkAdasii obliterates all kinds of sinful reactions and demoniac

influences that may be affecting the spirit soul. It is known as JayA

Ekaadasii, and the fortunate soul who observes a fast on this sacred day is

relieved of the great burden of ghostly existence. Thus there is no better

Ekaadasii than this, for it truly bestows freedom from birth and death. It

is to be honoured very carefully and diligently. So I as you to listen to Me

very attentively, Oh Pandava, as I explain a wonderful historic episode

regarding this Ekaadasii, an episode that I have already related in the

Padma Purana.

 

"Long, long ago in the heavenly planets, Lord Indra ruled his

celestial kingdom very nicely, and all the devas (demigods) living there

were very happy and content. In Nandana Forest, which was beautifully graced

with Parijata Flowers, Indra drank ambrosia whenever he liked and enjoyed

the service of fifty million celestial maidens, the Apsaras, who danced in

ecstasy for his pleasure.

 

"Many singers, led by Pushpadanta, sang in sweet voices beyond

compare. Chitrasena, Indra's chief musician was there in the company of his

wife MAlini and his handsome son MAlyavAn. An Apsara named Pushpavati became

very much attracted to MAlyavAn; indeed Cupid's sharp arrows pierced the

core of her heart. Her beautiful body and complexion, along with the

enchanting movements of her eyebrows, captivated MAlayavAn.

 

"Oh King, listen as I describe the splendid beauty of Pushpavati:

She has incomparably graceful arms with which to embrace a man like a fine

silken noose; her face resembles the Moon; her lotus eyes reached almost to

her lovely ears, which were adorned with wonderful and costly ear-rings; her

thin, ornamented neck looked like a conch, having three lines; her waist was

very slender, the size of a fist; her hips were broad, and her thighs like

the trunks of banana trees; her naturally beautiful features were

complemented by gorgeous ornaments and garments; her breasts were highly

raised emphasizing her prime of youth; and to look upon her feet was to

behold newly grown red lotuses.

 

"Seeing Pushpavati in all her heavenly beauty, MAlyavAn was

bewitched at once. They had come with the other performers to please Lord

Indra by singing and dancing enchantingly, but because they had become so

enamored of each other, pierced through the heart by the arrows of Cupid,

lust personified, they were utterly unable to sing or dance properly before

the lord and master of the heavenly realms.

 

Their pronunciation was wrong and their rhythm careless. Lord Indra

understood the source of the errors at once. Offended at the discord in the

musical performance, he became very angry and screamed, "You useless fools!

You pretend to sing for me while in a stupour of infatuation with each

other! You are mocking me! I curse you both to suffer henceforth as pisAchas

(hobgoblins). As husband and wife, go to the earthly regions and reap the

reactions of your offenses.'

 

"Struck dumb by these harsh words, MAlyavAn and Pushpavati at once

became morose and fell from the beautiful Nandana Forest in the kingdom of

heaven to a Himalayan peak here on planet Earth. Immeasurably distressed,

and their celestial intelligence vastly diminished by the effects of lord

Indra’s fierce curse, they lost their sense of taste and smell, and even

their sense of touch. It was so cold and miserable high on the Himalayan

wastes of snow and ice that they could not even enjoy the oblivion of sleep.

 

"Roaming aimlessly hither and thither in those harsh altitudes,

MAlyavAn and Pushpavati suffered more and more, from one moment to the next.

Even though they were situated in a cave, because of the snowfall and cold

their teeth chattered ceaselessly, and their hair stood on end because of

their fright and bewilderment.

 

"In this utterly desperate situation, MAlyavAn said to Pushpavati,

'What abominable sins did we commit to have to suffer in these pisAcha

bodies, in this impossible environment? This is absolutely hellish! Though

hell is very ferocious, the suffering we are undergoing here is even more

abominable. Therefore it is abundantly clear that one should never commit

sins".

 

"And so the forlorn lovers trudged onward in the snow and ice. By

their great good fortune, however, it so happened that very day was the all

auspicious JayA Ekaadasii, the Ekaadasii of the light fortnight of the month

of MAgha. Because of their misery they neglected to drink any water, kill

any game, or even eat whatever fruits and leaves were available at that

altitude, they unknowingly observed Ekaadasii by fasting completely from all

food and drink. Sunk in misery MAlyavAn and Pushpavati collapsed beneath a

Pipal tree and did not even try to get up. The Sun had set by that time.

 

"The night was even colder and more miserable than the day. They

shivered in the frigid snowfall as their teeth chattered in unison, and when

they became numb, they embraced just to keep warm. Locked in each other’s

arms, they could enjoy neither sleep nor sex. Thus they suffered through the

whole night under the powerful curse of the deva Indra.

 

“ Still, Oh Yudhisthira, by the mercy of the fast they had by chance

(unknowingly) observed on JayA EkAdasii, and because they had remained awake

all night, they were blessed.

 

Please hear what happened on the next day. As DwAdasii dawned,

MAlyavAn and Pushpavati had given up their demoniac forms and were once

again beautiful heavenly beings wearing lustrous ornaments and exquisite

garments. As they both looked at each other in amazement, a celestial

airplane (vimana) arrived on the spot for them. A chorus of heavenly

denizens sang their praises as the reformed couple stepped into the

beautiful aircraft and proceeded directly to the heavenly regions, buoyed up

by the good wishes of everyone. Soon MAlyavAn and Pushpavati arrived at

AmarAvati, Lord Indra’s capital city, and then they immediately went before

their lord (Indradev) and offered him their cheerful obeisances.

 

“Lord Indra was astonished to see that they had been transformed,

restored to their original status and forms so soon after he had cursed them

to suffer as demons far, far below his celestial kingdom. Indradev ask of

them, ‘What extraordinary meritorious deeds have you performed so that you

could give up your pisAcha bodies so quickly after I cursed you? Who

released you from my irresistible curse?

 

“MAlyavAn replied, ‘Oh lord, it was by the extreme mercy of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna (VAsudeva) and also by the

powerful influence of the JayA EkAdasii, that we were released from our

suffering condition as pisAchas. This is the truth, Oh master: Because we

executed devotional service to Lord Vishnu (even performed unknowingly – by

ajnAta sukriti) by observing the day most dear to Him, we have happily been

restored to our former status.”

 

“Indradev then said, ‘Because you served the Supreme Lord Sri

Keshava by observing EkAdasii, you have become worshippable even by me, and

I can see that you are now completely purified of sin. Whosoever engages in

devotional service to Lord Sri Hari or Lord Shiva becomes praiseworthy and

worshippable even by me. Of this there is no doubt.’ Lord Indradev then gave

MAlyavAn and Pushpavati free rein to enjoy each other and wander about his

heavenly planet as they wished.

 

“Therefore, Oh Maharaj Yudhisthira, one should strictly observe a

fast on the sacred day of Lord Hari, especially on this JayA EkAdasii, which

frees one from the sin of killing even a twice born brahmin. A great soul

who observes this fast with full faith and devotion has in effect given all

kinds of charity, performed all kinds of sacrifice, and bathed in all the

Holy places of pilgrimage. Fasting on JayA EkAdasii qualifies one to reside

in Vaikuntha and enjoy unending happiness for billions of yugas – indeed,

forever as the soul is eternal. Oh great king, Lord Sri Krishna continued,

one who even hears or reads these wonderful glories of JayA EkAdasii

achieves the blessed merit attained by performing an Agnistoma fire

sacrifice, during which the hymns from the Sama-veda are recited.”

 

 

 

Notes:

 

KAmadeva, lust personified, has five names according to the Amara-kosha

dictionary: kandarpa darpako ‘nanga kAmah pancha-sharaih smarah “Cupid has

five names; (1) Cupid; (2) Darpaka, ‘he who prevents future events’; (3)

Ananga, ‘he who has no physical body’; (4) KAma, ‘lust personified’; and (5)

Pancha-sharaih, ‘he who holds five arrows’ “.

 

Kandarpa:

In the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita (BG 10:28.) Lord Sri Krishna says,

prajanash cAsmi kandarpah; “Of causes for procreation, I am Kandarpa”. The

word Kandarpa also means “very beautiful”. Kandarpa appeared as Lord

Krishna’s son Pradyumna in DwArakA.

 

Darpaka:

This name indicates that Cupid can perceive what is to take place and

prevent it from happening. Specifically, he tries to impede pure spiritual

activity by alluring one’s mind and forcibly engaging one in material sense

enjoyment.

 

Ananga:

Once, when Cupid disturbed the meditation of Lord Shiva, that powerful deva

(demigod) burned him (Cupid) to ashes. Still, Shiva gave Cupid the

benediction that he would act in the world even without a physical body -

like a ghost.

 

KAma:

In Bhagavad Gita BG 7:11.) Lord Sri Krishna says, dharmAviruddho bhuteshu

kAmo’smi: “I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles.”

 

Pancha-sharaih:

The five arrows with which Cupid pierces the mind of the living entities are

taste, touch, sound, smell, and sight.

 

These are the five names of the empowered deva Cupid, who enchants

all living entities and makes them do whatever he wants. Without receiving

the mercy of Guru and Krishna one cannot resist his power.

 

 

(These Ekadasi stories have been summarised and slightly changed,

abbreviated or added to from how they are found in the celebrated book,

"Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari" by HH Krishna Balaram Swami, Bhaktivedanta

Institute Press 1986)