PARAMA EKADASI

[Guest guest]

Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "O Supreme Lord, what is the name of the Ekadasi

that occurs during the dark fortnight of the extra, leap-year month. Also,

O master of all the universes, what is the process for observing it

properly? Kindly narrate all this to me."

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, replied, "O

Yudhisthira, this meritorious day is called Parama Ekadasi. It bestows the

great benediction of an enjoyable life and ultimate liberation from birth

and death. The process for observing it is similar to that for observing

the Ekadasi that occurs during the light part of the month of Kartika. That

is to say, on this Ekadasi one should worship Me, the best of all living

beings, with full love and devotion. In this connection I will now tell you

a wonderful history, just as I heard it from the great sages in the city of

Kampilya.

 

"Once a very pious brahmana name Sumedha resided in Kampilya with his wife,

Pavitra, who was extremely chaste and devoted to her husband. On account of

having committed some sin in his previous life, Sumedha was without any

money or food grains, and even though he begged many people for food, he

could not obtain any substantial amount. He hardly had adequate food,

clothing, or shelter for himself and his beautiful young wife, who was of

such excellent character that she continued to serve Sumedha faithfully

despite their poverty. When guests would come to their home, Pavitra would

give them her own food, and although she often went hungry, her beautiful,

lotuslike face never faded. This fasting made her weak, but her affection

for Sumedha remained unbreakable.

 

"Seeing all this, and lamenting his bad luck, Sumedha one day said to

Pavitra, "My dear wife, O most beautiful one, I beg alms from the rich but

receive scarcely a scrap. What am I to do? What possible relief is there

for our plight? Where should I go for relief? O most obedient and loving

wife, without enough wealth, house hold affairs are never successful.

Therefore please permit me to go abroad and attain some wealth. If I make

such an effort, I shall certainly obtain whatever fortune I am destined to

enjoy. Without making some endeavor a person cannot satisfy his desires or

meet his needs. Thus wise men have said that enthusiastic endeavor is

always auspicious.

 

"Upon hearing her husband speak these words, Pavitra joined her palms and

her eyes brimming with tears, spoke to him with great respect and affection:

I think there is no one greater or more learned than you, my dear. One who,

though in misery, is interested in the welfare of others speaks just as you

have. However, the scriptures state that whatever wealth a person attains

in this life is due to his having given charity in previous lives, and that

if one has not given any charity in previous lives, then even though he may

sit atop a mound of gold as big as Mount Sumeru, he will remain poor.

Whatever charity a person gives in the form of education, money, fertile

land, and the like is returned to him in a future lifetime. We gain what we

have given. Indeed, whatever the Lord of destiny, the creator, has written

as one's fortune will certainly come to pass. No one attains any wealth

without having given charity in his previous life. O best of the brahmanas,

since we are now poor, in our previous lives neither you nor I must have

given any charity to worthy persons. Therefore, O gracious husband, you

should remain here with me. Without you I cannot live even for a moment.

 

"Bereft of her husband, a woman is not welcomed by her father, mother,

brother, father-in-law, or any other family members. Everyone will say,

"You have lost your husband; you are bad luck!" In this way I shall be

criticized severely! Please, therefore, stay here with me and be satisfied

with whatever wealth we get. Whatever is destined, we shall obtain in due

course of time and enjoy here in perfect happiness.

 

"Hearing these plaintive words from his wife, Sumedha decided to remain in

their native village. One day the great sage Kaundinya arrived at their

place, and upon seeing him the brahmana Sumedha and his wife stood up before

him and then offered him their respectful obeisances. With his head bowed,

Sumedha welcomed him: "We are very fortunate to behold you here today, O

wisest of sages. My life has become successful, and I am much obliged to

you."

 

"Sumedha offered Kaundiya Muni a comfortable seat and highly praised his

austerities and learning. "Just by having your darsana today," said Sumedha,

"I have become very fortunate." The poor brahmana couple fed the sage as

sumptuously as they could afford to, and afterwards Pavitra asked the

mendicant, "O most learned one, what process can we follow to be relieved of

our poverty? How can a person who has not given anything in charity in his

previous life get a good family, much wealth, and a fine education in this

life? My husband wants to leave me here and go abroad to beg alms, but I

have earnestly prayed to him to stay here with me. I humbly told him that

if one lacks wealth in the present life, it is because of not having given

sufficient charity in previous lifetimes. And so he has consented to remain

here. It is only due to my great fortune that you have mercifully come here

today. Now we are certain to see the end of our poverty very soon.

 

"O best of the brahmanas, please tell us how we can be free of this

perpetual misery brought on by poverty. O merciful one, kindly describe some

means - a place of pilgrimage we may visit, a day of fasting we may observe,

or an austerity we may perform - by which our ill fortune will end forever."

 

"Hearing this sincere supplication from that patient lady, the great sage

Kaundiya reflected silently for a moment and then said, "There is a fast day

very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Hari. Fasting on this

day nullifies all kinds of sins and removes all miseries caused by poverty.

This fast day, which occurs during the dark part of the extra, leap-year

month, is known as Param Ekadasi. It is the topmost day Lord Visnu. This

extra month, dark fortnight Ekadasi bestows all the necessities of life,

such as money and food grains, and at last gives liberation. When the

evening of this day comes, one should begin singing the glories of the Lord

and dancing in ecstasy, and one should continue through the entire night.

 

"This holy fast was once observed faithfully by Lord Kuvera. When Lord Siva

saw how strictly he had fasted, Siva became very pleased and made Kuvera the

treasurer of heaven. Also, King Hariscandra fasted on this Ekadasi after

his dear wife and son had been sold, and the King was able to get them back.

Thereafter he ruled his kingdom with no further impediments. Therefore, O

broad-eyed lady, you also should observe the sacred fast of Parama Ekadasi,

following all the appropriate rules and regulations and remaining awake all

night."

 

Lord Krishna continued, "O Yudhisthira, son of Pandu, in this was Kaundiya

Muni mercifully and affectionately instructed Pavitra about the Parama

Ekadasi fast. Then he said to Sumedha, "On Dvadasi, the day after Ekadasi,

you should vow to observe Pancaratrika fasting according to all the rules

and regulations. After taking a bath early in the morning, you and your

good wife, along with both your parents and hers, should fast for five days

according to your ability. Then you will all become eligible to return

home, to the abode of Lord Visnu.

 

"A person who simply makes use of only one seat during these five days goes

to the heavenly planets. Whoever feeds qualified brahmanas nicely on these

five days has in effect fed all the demigods, all human beings, and even all

the demons. Whoever donates a pot of drinking water to a twice born

brahmana during this five day fasting period will gain merit equal to that

gained by donating the entire planet earth in charity. Anyone who gives a

learned person a pot filled with sesame seeds resides in heaven for as many

years as there are seeds in the pot. One who donates a pot filled with

golden ghee will surely go to the abode of the sun god after fully enjoying

the pleasures of this earthly planet. Whoever remains celibate during these

five days will attain celestial happiness and enjoy with the maidens of

Indraloka. Therefore both of you - Sumedha and Pavitra - should fast during

these five days of Pancaratrika in order to be rewarded with ample grains

and wealth for the rest of your lives on this planet. The spiritual world

will be your abode thereafter."

 

"Hearing this sublime advice, the brahmana couple, Sumedha and Pavitra,

properly observed Parama Ekadasi and the fast of Pancaratrika and very soon

thereafter they beheld a handsome prince approaching them from the royal

palace. On the orders of Lord Brahma, the prince gave them a beautiful,

exquisitely furnished house and invited them to live in it. Praising their

austerity and patience, he also gave them an entire village for their

livelihood. Then he returned to the palace. Thus Sumedha and his wife

enjoyed all kinds of facilities in this world and at last went to the abode

of Visnu.

 

"Anyone who observes a fast on Parama Ekadasi and also the fast of

Pancaratrika is freed from all his sins, and after enjoying life here he

returns to Visnuloka, as did the brahmana Sumedha and his faithful wife,

Pavitra. It is impossible, O Yudhisthira, to calculate the extent of the

merit one obtains by fasting on Parama Ekadasi, for such an observance is

equal to bathing in places of pilgrimage such as Puskara Lake and the Ganges

River, giving cows in Charity, and performing all sorts of other religious

activities. One who fasts on this day has also completed the offerings of

oblations to his forefathers in Gaya. He has, in effect, fasted on all

auspicious days.

 

"As in the social order the brahmana is considered the best, as among four

legged creatures the cow is best, and as among demigods Lord Indra is the

best, so among all months the extra month of leap year is the best. The

Pancaratrika fast - the fast of five days in the extra, leap year month - is

said to remove all kinds of abominable sins. But the Pancaratrika fast,

together with the fasts on Parama and Padmini Ekadasi, destroys all a

person's sins. If a person is unable to fast on all these days, he should

observe the fasts during the extra month according to his ability. A person

who, received a human birth, does not take a proper bath during this extra

month and then observe these Ekadasis, which are very dear to Lord Hari,

commits suicide and suffers in the cycle of 8,400,000 species. The rare

human birth is meant for accumulating merit and at last achieving

liberation. Therefore one should by all means observe fasting on this

auspicious Parama Ekadasi.

 

Lord Sri Krishna concluded, "O sinless Yudhisthira, as you have requested, I

have described to you the wonderful merit one can attain by fasting on the

Ekadasi named Parama, which occurs during the dark part of extra, leap-year

month. You should observe this fast if at all possible."

 

King Yudhisthira did exactly as Lord Krishna had instructed, and so did all

his brothers and their wife, Draupadi. After enjoying pleasures rarely

achieved in the material world, they returned home, back to Godhead.

Whoever, after taking a proper bath, observes a fast on these two extra

month Ekadasis will go to heaven and finally attain to the abode of Sri

Visnu, and as he travels there he will be praised and prayed to by all the

demigods.

 

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Parama Ekadasi, the Ekadasi that

occurs during the dark fortnight of the extra, leap year month, from the

Skanda Purana.