Ekadasi Alert: Sat, 7th Mar, 2009

March 4, 2009

Amalaki

Ekadasi

from Brahmanda PuranDate - Sat, 7th Mar, 2009Breakfast: 06:32 AM - 10:31 AM Next day

***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

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

ever a 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 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

Sri Vishnu, and in forgiveness like the Earth itself. Very charitable

and every truthful, King VasUratha always rendered loving devotional

service to the Supreme Lord,

Sri 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

Sri 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. "

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

Purana. --

*** Date and breakfast timing is mentioned for Bangalore city (India).

Please visit http://vcal.iskcongbc.org/ for other places.

-- Take advantage of this rare opportunity of this human form of life. There are 8,400,000 different species of life through which we are rotating lifetime after lifetime. So getting a human body is not an every day affair. This most auspicious opportunity only comes after many millions of lifetimes in the lower species. Anyone who does not utilize their human life for self-realization is making the greatest mistake. When this happens it is the greatest tragedy, and unfortunately today this neglect of the human form has become the standard behavior for the entire human society. What can be done? We must first ourselves become solidly situated in Krishna consciousness and then do the highest welfare activity of spreading to everyone else all over the world.

Chant:Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare