Apara Ekadasi!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krsna!

 

Apara Ekadasi!

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The topics of Apara Ekadasi which occurs during the wanning moon in the

month of May/June, are described in the Brahmanda Purana in the

conversation between Lord Krsna and Maharaja Yudhisthira.

 

Once Maharaja Yudisthira asked of Lord Krsna, "O Lord Krsna, O Janardana,

what is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the waning moon in the

month of May/june and what are its glories? Please describe all this to Me"

 

Lord Krsna replied, "O Maharaja Yudhisthira, you have asked Me an

intelligent question that is actually beneficial for everyone.

 

The name of this Ekadasi is Apara. Oking! This Ekadasi awards a tremendous

amount of piety to those who observe it and destroys all their sinful

reactions. By observing this Apara Ekadasi many grave sinful activities are

destroyed such as killing a brahmana, killing a cow, killing an embryo

through abortion, criticizing others, illicit sex life, speaking lies,

giving false witness, bragging to others, reciting or teaching the Vedas

for the sake of money, and concocting one's own scripture.

 

A cheater, a pseudo astrologer, and a cheating physician are also sinful as

those who give false witness. All these sinful activities are totally

eradicated by observing this Apara Ekadasi.Any ksatriya who gives up his

proffession and runs away from the battlefield certainly falls down from

his occupational duties and goes to hell. If such a person observes this

Ekadasi with faith he also attains the heavenly planet.

 

Lord Krsna continued, OKing! A disciple who after receiving knowledge from

his spiritual master engages in blaspheming his spiritual master certainly

accumulates great sins. Such a condemned sinful person can be relieved from

his sinful reactions by following the Apara Ekadasi and can attain the

supreme destination.

 

Oking of Kings! The result one obtains by taking one accumulates by taking

bath at Prayaga in the month of January when the sun enters Capricon, the

results one obtains by observing the vow of Sivarati at Kasi,and by

offering oblations at the lotus feet of Visnu at gaya, and the auspicious

results one obtains by taking bath in the river Gautami when the planet

Jupiter enters leo, by visiting Kedarnatha during Kumba-mela, by visiting

and worshipping Badrinatha, by taking bath at Kuruksetra during a solare

eclipse, and by giving elephants, horses, cows, gold and land in charity

are all obtained easily by observing the vow of Apara Ekadasi.

 

It is like the sharp axe for cutting down the tree of sinful activities to

ashes. It is like the brilliant sun for dissapating the darkness born of

sinful activities and like the lion to a deer in the forest of sinful

activities. OKing! By observing this Apara Ekadasi and worhsipping Lord

Visnu in His form as Trivikram, a person attains the all-auspicious abode

of Lord Visnu.

 

Anyone who hears or reads the glories of this Ekadasi, that i have

described to you for the benefit of everyone, is relieved of all his sinful

activities."

 

(Source Ekadasi Mahatmya)