Annada Ekadasi

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AnnadA EkAdasii

Story source: Brahma-vaivarta Puran

 

 

Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh JanArdana, protector of all living

entities,

please tell me the name of the EkAdasii that occurs during the dark

fortnight

of the month of BhAdrapada (August-September)."

 

The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, then replied, "Oh King, hear Me attentively.

The

name of this sin-removing, sacred EkAdasii is AjA. Any person who fasts

completely on this day and worships Hrishikesha, the master of the senses,

becomes free of all reactions to his sins. Even one who simply hears about

this

EkAdasii is freed from his past sins. Oh King, there is no better day than

this

in all the earthly and heavenly worlds. This is true without a doubt.

 

"There once lived a famous king named Harishchandra, who was the emperor of

the

world and a person of great truth and integrity. His wife's name was

Chandramati, and he had a son named LohitAshva. By the force of destiny,

however, Harishchandra lost his great kingdom and sold his wife and son. The

pious king himself became a menial servant of a dog-eater, who made him

guard a

crematorium. Yet even while doing such menial service, he did not forsake

his

truthfulness and good character, just as soma-rasa, even when mixed with

some

other liquid, does not lose its ability to bestow immortality.

 

"The king passed many years in this condition. Then one day he sadly

thought,

‘What shall I do? Where shall I go? How can I be delivered from this

plight?' In this way he drowned in an ocean of anxiety and sorrow.

 

"One day a great sage happened by, and when the king saw him he happily

thought, ‘Ah, Lord BrahmA has created brahmins just to help others.'

Harishchandra paid his respectful obeisances to the sage, whose name was

Gautama Muni. With joined palms the king stood before Gautama Muni and

narrated

his pitiful story. Gautama Muni was astonished to hear the king's tale of

woe.

He thought, ‘How has this mighty king been reduced to collecting

clothes

from the dead?' Gautama Muni became very much compassionate toward

Harishchandra and instructed him on the process of fasting for purification.

 

"Gautama Muni said, 'Oh king, during the dark fortnight of the month of

BhAdrapada there occurs an especially meritorious EkAdasii named AjA

(AnnadA),

which removes all sins. Indeed, this EkAdasii is so auspicious that if you

simply fast on that day and perform no other austerity, all your sins will

be

nullified. By your good fortune it is coming in just seven days. So I urge

you

to fast on this day and remain awake through the night. If you do so, all

the

reactions of your past sins will come to an end. Oh Harishchandra, I have

come

here because of your past pious deeds. Now, all good fortune to you in the

future!' So saying, the great sage Sri Gautama Muni immediately disappeared

from his vision.

 

"King Harishchandra followed Gautama Muni's instructions concerning fasting

on

the sacred day of AjA EkAdasii. Oh Maharaja Yudhisthira, because the king

fasted on that day, the reactions to his previous sins were completely

destroyed at once. Oh lion among kings, just see the influence of this

EkAdasii

fast! It immediately vanquishes whatever miseries one may be suffering as a

result of past karmic sinful activities.

 

Thus all Harishchandra's miseries were relieved. Just by the power of this

wonderful EkAdasii, he was reunited with his wife and son, who had died but

were now revived. In the heavenly regions the devas (demigods) began beating

on

their celestial kettledrums and showering down flowers upon Harishchandra,

his

queen, and their son. By the blessings of the EkAdasii fast, he regained his

kingdom without difficulty. Moreover, when King Harishchandra left the

planet,

his relatives and all his subjects too, went with him to the spiritual

world.

 

"Oh PANDava, whoever fasts on AjA EkAdasii is surely freed from all his sins

and ascends to the spiritual world. And whosoever hears and studies the

glories

of this EkAdasii achieves the merit gained by performing a horse sacrifice."

 

Thus ends the narration of the glories of BhAdrapada-krishna EkAdasii, or

AjA

EkAdasii, from the Brahma-vaivarta PurANa.