Aparā Ekādaśī

⚫ ShriHari Mandir (Porbandar) is celebrating this Aparā Ekādaśī fast on Sunday, 6th June, 2021.

⚫ This fast is observed on the eleventh day of the second fortnight (Krṣṇa pakṣa) of the month of ‘Jyeṣṭha’ in the Northern part of India, and of the month of ‘Vaiśākha’ in the Gujarat region.

⚫ Śrī Krṣṇa explains the unique significance of each Ekādaśī Kathā to Dharmarāja Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira Māhārāja, in the ‘Uttara Khaṇḍa’ of the Padma Purāṇa.

⚫ This fast is:
– Extremely meritorious
– Allows one to attain salvation
– And rids one of the greatest and otherwise unforgivable sins of those who are eligible to reside in Hell.

⚫ Sins such as—
– Killing a Brāhmaṇa (Brahmahatyā)
– Killing one’s own clan or betraying the principles of one’s lineage (Gotra hatyā)
– Foeticide (Garbha hatyā)
– Bad-mouthing, criticising others
– Lusting after other women (that one does not have the right to desire)
– Perjury
– Deceptive measurement practices
– Calculating constellations (Nakśatra) without having the appropriate (Vedic) astronomical knowledge.
– Deceitfully parading as a Doctor; dispensing Ayurvedic remedies

⚫ Aparā Ekādaśī redeems –
– A Kṣatriya who abdicates his Warrior code of conduct, and instead runs away from duty and battle.
– A student who obtains Knowledge, yet himself, criticises or condemns the very Guru who taught him/her.

⚫ The merit earned from observing this fast is akin to that earned from the following virtuous deeds:
– One who bathes in Prayāga, during the month of Māgha—when the Sun is in the House of Capricorn;
– One who observes the fast of Śivarātri in Kāśī;
– One who offers oblations in the sacred land of Gayā to satiate their ancestors;
– One who takes a holy bath in the River Godāvari, during the period when the planet Jupiter enters the zodiac house of Leo;
– One who enjoys the divine sight (darśana) of Lord Kedāra during the pilgrimage and worship of the site of Badrikāśrama;
– One who donates an Elephant, Horse or Gold after having performed a Yagya and offered the Brāhmaṇas their due dakṣiṇā in the land of Kurukṣetra, during a Solar Eclipse.

⚫ What is the fruit of observing Aparā Ekādaśī?
– One who observes this Ekādaśī and who specifically worships the Lord as ‘Vāmana’ (i.e. by Ātmanivedana Bhakti, as with King Balī), is freed of all sins.
Such a person is established in the higher realms of Vaikunṭa (Viṣṇu Loka).
– One who reads or listens to this narration of the significance of this fast (Ekādaśī Māhātmya Kathā), reaps the fruit of performing charity of 1000 cows.

⚫ To reap the immense merits associated with this fast, including the donation of 1000 cows, do listen to this episode.

🌐 Stay tuned to know more about the respective significance of, rituals involved in, and fruits reaped from, each Ekādaśī Kathā!

Did-You-Know—“On auspicious days such as Ekādaśī, we observe fasts and self-restraint (Yama); and perform added pious deeds (Nīyama) etc; and through this process, we slightly disconnect ourselves from the material world, and connect ourselves with Supreme Consciousness. Purity of speech and interaction is self-restraint,” tweets @PPBhaishri.

FunFact—There are two Ekādaśīs in every month; falling on the eleventh day of every lunar fortnight. These are the days that the digestive system is the weakest, due to the placement of the moon, and thus, the self-restraint exercised in genuine fasting is seen to have physical, mental as well as spiritual benefits.

PuraanPrasaad by Rishi Dhavalbhai Joshi

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