Apara Ekadasi
AparA EkAdasii: from the BrahmANDa PurANa
Sri Yudhishthira MahArAj said, “Oh JanArdana, what is the name of the EkAdasii
that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the month of Jyeshtha
(May-June) ? I wish to hear from You the glories of this sacred day of Hari.
Please narrate everything to me”
Lord Sri Krishna said, “Oh king, your inquiry is wonderful because the answer
will benefit the whole human society. This EkAdasii is so sublime and
meritorious that even the greatest sins can be erased by its purity.
“Oh great saintly king, the name of this unlimitedly meritorious EkAdasii is
AparA EkAdasii. Whoever fasts on this holy day becomes famous all over the
universe. Even such sins as killing a brAhmana, a cow, or an embryo; blasphemy;
or having sex with another man’s wife are completely eradicated by observing
AparA EkAdasii.
“Oh king people who bear false witness are most sinful. A person who falsely or
sarcastically glorifies another; one who cheats while weighing something on a
scale; one who fails to execute the duties of his varna or Ashrama (an
unqualified man’s posing as a brahmin, for example, or a person’s reciting the
Vedas wrongly); one who invents his own scriptures; one who cheats others; one
who is a charlatan astrologer, a cheating accountant, or a false Ayurvedik
doctor – all these are surely as bad as persons who bears false witness, and
they are all destined for hellish punishments. But simply by observing AparA
EkAdasii, all such sinners become completely free of their sinful reactions.
“Warriors who fall from their kshatriya-dharma and flee the battlefield go to a
ferocious hell. But, Oh Yudhishthira, even such a fallen kshatriya, if he
observes fasting on the AparA EkAdasii, is freed of that great sinful reaction
and goes to heaven.
“That disciple is the greatest sinner who, after receiving a proper spiritual
education from his spiritual master, turns around and blasphemes him. Such a
so-called disciple suffers unlimitedly. But even he, rascal though he be, if he
simply observes AparA EkAdasii, can attain to the spiritual world. Listen, Oh
king, as I describe to you further glories of this amazing EkAdasii.
“The merit attained by one who performs all of the following acts of piety is
equal to the merit achieved by one who observes AparA EkAdasii: bathing three
times daily in Pushkara-kshetra during Kartika (October-November); bathing at
Prayag in the month of Magh (January-February) when the sun is in the zodiac of
Capricorn; rendering service to Lord Shiva at VarANasi (Benares) during Shiva-ratri;
offering oblations to one’s forefathers at GayA; bathing in the sacred Gautami
River when Jupiter transits Leo (Simha); having darshan of Lord Shiva at
KedArnAtha; seeing Lord BadrinAth when the Sun transits the sign of Aquarius (Kumbha);
and bathing at the time of a solar eclipse at Kurukshetra and giving cows,
elephants, and gold there in charity. All the merit one gets from performing
these pious acts is gained by a person who observes the AparA EkAdasii fast.
Also, the merit attained by one who donates a pregnant cow, along with gold and
fertile land, is attained by one who fasts on this day.
“In other words, AparA EkAdasii is an axe that cuts down the fully matured
forest full of trees of sinful deeds, it is a forest fire that burns sins as if
they were kindling firewood, it is the sun blazing before one’s dark misdeeds,
and it is a lion stalking the meek deer of impiety.
“Therefore, Oh Yudhishthira, whoever truly fears his past and present sins must
observe AparA EkAdasii very strictly. One who does not observe this fast must be
born again in the material world, like one bubble among millions in a huge body
of water, or like a small ant among all other species. NOTE
“Therefore one must faithfully observe the sacred AparA EkAdasii and worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Trivikrama. One who does so is freed of all
his sins and promoted to the abode of Lord Vishnu.
“Oh BhArata, for the benefit of all humanity I have thus described to you this
the importance of the holy AparA EkAdasii.
“Anyone who hears or reads this description is certainly freed from all kinds of
sins, oh best of saintly kings, Yudhishthira.
Note: Special thanks to Jaya Tirtha Caran prabhu from NZ for allowing us to use some of the content from his site to compile these pages - http://www.hknet.org.nz
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