About Vijaya Ekadasi from the Skanda Purana

[Guest guest]

Jaya Jagannatha

Dear List members, Namaste

With tomorrow being Vijaya Ekadasi,

I found this beautiful story which apparently is from the Skanda Purana.

Best Wishes

Bipin

Ps: I havnt verified the

reference, but the story is worth reading anyway

 

Phalguna-Krishna

Ekadasi or Vijaya Ekadasi

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, Oh Lord Sri Krishna, O glorious son of

Vasudeva, please be merciful to me and describe the Ekadasi that occurs during

the dark fortnight of the month of Phalguna (February-March).

Lord Sri Krishna replied, Oh

Yudhisthira, Oh king of kings, gladly I shall tell you about this great fast,

known as Vijaya Ekadasi. Whoever observes it certainly achieves success in this

life and the next. All the sins of one who fasts on this Ekadasi and hears its

sublime glories are eradicated.

Narada Muni once asked lord

Brahma, who sits on a lotus flower about the Vijaya Ekadasi. Sri Narada said,

Oh best of all the demigods, kindly tell me the merit one can achieve by

faithfully observing Vijaya Ekadasi.

Narada’s great father

then replied, My dear son, this oldest of fasting days is pure, and it

nullifies all sins. I have never revealed this to anyone until today, but you

can understand beyond any doubt that this Ekadasi bestows the result indicated

by its name… (Vijaya meaning Victory).

When Lord Rama was exiled to

the forest for fourteen years, He, the Goddess Sita, and His divine brother

Lakshmana stayed at Panchavati as mendicants. Mother Sita was then kidnapped by

the demon Ravana, and Lord Rama seemingly became bewildered like an ordinary

man by distress. While searching for His beloved consort, the Lord came upon

the dying Jatayu. The great devotee-vulture Jatayu returned to Vaikuntha after

telling Rama how His dear Sita had been abducted by Ravana. Little ahead

he met Sugriva.

Later, Lord Rama and Sugriva,

the king of the monkeys, became friends and Bali

who was killed. Shri Hanumanji went to Sri Lanka, where he was able to see

Janaki (Srimati Sita devi) in an Ashoka grove garden. He delivered Lord

Rama’s message and showed the ring proving his authenticity for rendering

such great service to the Supreme Lord Sri Rama. With the help of Sugriva, Lord

Rama proceeded toward Sri

Lanka. Upon arriving at the shore of the

ocean with the army of monkeys, He could understand that the water was

uncommonly deep and hostile. Thus He said to Lakshmana, Oh son of Sumitra, how

can We earn enough merit to be able to cross this vast ocean, the unfathomable

abode of Varuna deva? I can see no easy way to cross it, teeming as it is with

sharks and other ferocious aquatics.

Lakshmana replied, Oh best of

all beings, Oh origin of all the devas, Oh primal personality, the great sage

Bakadalbhya lives on an island just four miles from here. Let us go to him,

take his darshan (audience) and ask him how We can safely reach Our goal.

So Rama and Lakshmana

proceeded to the humble Ashram of the incomparable Bakadalbhya Muni.

Approaching him, the two Lords paid their respectful obeisances to him as if he

were a second Vishnu. Bakadalbhya could immediately understand, however, that

Sri Rama was actually the Supreme Lord, who for His own reasons had appeared on

the Earth and was enacting just like a human being.

Sri Rama, said Bakadalbhya, Oh

best of the beings, why have You come to my lowly abode?

The Lord replied, Oh great,

twice born Brahmin, I have come here to the ocean shore with My army of monkey

and bear warriors in order to cross the sea and conquer Lanka and its demon

horde headed by Ravana. Oh greatest of sages, please be merciful unto Me and

please tell Me how I can cross this vast ocean. That is why I have come to your

Ashram today.

The sage said, Oh Lord Sri

Rama, I shall tell you of the most exalted of all fasts, observing which You

will surely conquer Ravana and be eternally glorified. Kindly now listen with

full attention.

On the day before Ekadasi,

fashion a water pot of gold or silver, or even copper. Even clay will do if

these metals are unavailable. Fill the pot with pure water and then decorate it

nicely with mango leaves. Cover it and place it near a holy altar upon a mound

of seven grains (the seven grains are barley, wheat, rice, corn, chickpeas,

kukani, and dahi or peas). Now take Your morning bath, decorate the water pot

with flower garlands and sandalwood paste, and in the concave lid atop the pot

place there the barley, pomegranate, and coconut. Now with great love and

devotion worship the water pot Deity form and offer Him incense, sandalwood

paste, flowers, a ghee lamp, and a plate of sumptuous foods. Remain there awake

that night beside this sacred pot. On top of the lid filled with barley, etc.,

place a golden murthy of Lord Sri Narayana. When Ekadasi dawns, take Your

morning bath and then decorate the water pot with fine sandalwood paste and garlands.

Then worship the pot again with first class incense, lamps, sandalwood paste

and flowers dipped in sandalwood paste, and then devoutly place many kinds of

cooked food, pomegranate, and coconut before the water pot. Then remain awake

over night.

When the Dwadasi dawns, take

the waterpot to the bank of a holy river, or even to the shore of a small pond.

After worshipping it again properly, Oh King of kings, offer it with all the

aforementioned ingredients to a pure hearted Brahmin, expert in the Vedic sciences.

If You and Your military commanders observe the Vijaya Ekadasi in this way, You

will surely be victorious in every way.

Lord Sri Ramachandra Bhagawan,

the Supreme Lord, did just as Bakadalbhya Muni instructed, and thus He

conquered all demoniac forces. Similarly, anyone who observes the Vijaya

Ekadasi in this way will always be victorious in this mortal world, and after

leaving this world he/she will reside forever in the anxiety free realm of the Kingdom of God known as the Vaikunthas.

Oh Narada, my son, from this

history you can understand why one should observe this Ekadasi fast properly,

strictly following the rules and regulations. This fast is powerful enough to

eradicate all one’s sinful reactions, even the most abominable

ones.

Lord Sri Krishna concluded, Oh

Yudhisthira, anyone who reads or hears this history will attain the same great

merit as that which is earned by performing a horse sacrifice on days of

yore.

Thus ends the narration of the

glories of Phalguna-krishna Ekadasi or Vijaya Ekadasi, from the Skanda Purana.

Extracted from

http://www.s-a-i.info/assoc_change/ekadasi3_7.html