Yogini Ekadashi Vrat Katha

🛶 This Yoginī Ekādaśī fast is like a boat to ferry one across the fearsome ocean of material existence.

⚫ ShriHari Mandir (Porbandar) is celebrating Yoginī Ekādaśī fast on Monday, 5th July, 2021.

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

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

⚫ What is the story of Yoginī Ekādaśī?
○ In the town of Alakāpurī, resided a King named Kubera, who was a firm devotee of Lord Śiva. He used to worship Lord Śiva every day.
○ For the King’s daily worship, his servant, Hemamālī used to go and pick flowers from the Mānasarovara Lake every morning.
○ However, Hemamālī was very attracted to his beautiful wife, Viśālaski. So much so that one day, instead of going to the fulfil his duties after picking the flowers, he spent the day in sensual indulgence (bhoga) with his wife.
○ King Kubera, after having waited for a long time, sent his servants to go check on Hemamālī. 
○ Upon finding out about Hemamālī’s deeds, King Kubera cursed him to be affected by leprosy as well as be separated from his beloved wife, Viśālaski.
○ Although Hemamālī was suppressed by his sins, he never forgot his previous good deeds. The time he had devoted in serving Lord Śiva through King Kubera’s daily worship helped him move forward. 
○ One day while wandering, Hemamālī met Sage Mārkaṇḍeya in the Mount Meru and immediately offered his heartfelt obeisances at the Sage’s feet.
○ When the Sage asked, Hemamālī straightforwardly explained his state to the Sage, asking him for advice on how to get out of his plight.
○ The compassionate Sage Mārkaṇḍeya got pleased when he heard Hemamālī speak his truth with simplicity, and suggested for him to observe this auspiciousness-granting Yoginī Ekādaśī fast.
○ Hemamāli wholeheartedly observed this fast and got cured of the leprosy. His life was once again replete of happiness.

⚫ Why should one observe this Ekādaśī fast?
○  Because this fast is:
– Believed to alleviate one of the greatest of sins;
– A boat that saves all living beings who have drowned in the ocean of material existence (saṃsāra); – Considered to be the essence of all other fasts in the three worlds; that is, one who observes this fast, reaps the fruit of observing all other fasts in the three worlds.

○ The fruit reaped from this fast is akin to that of feeding 88,000 Brāhmaṇas.

⚫ The path to rising from material desires is by abstaining from, rather than entertaining, continual enjoyment.

न जातु कामः कामानामुपभोगेन शाम्यति।
हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते।।
na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena śāṁyati
haviṣā kṛṣṇa-vartmeva bhūya evābhivardhate (SB 9.19.14)
As supplying butter to a fire does not diminish the fire but instead increases it more and more, the endeavor to stop lusty desires by continual enjoyment can never be successful. In fact, one must voluntarily cease from material desires.

⚫ One who reads or listens to this Ekādaśī Kathā gets alleviated from all their sins.

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

#DidYouKnow—“On the path of knowledge, all spiritual practices may fall away after attaining perfection. On the devotional path, spiritual practices remain intact after attaining God. This is why after Shri Krishna came to Gokul, Nand Baba and all continued to observe Ekādaśī fast—develops restraint,” tweets @PPBhaishri.

#FunFact—There are two Ekādaśīs in every month; falling on the eleventh day of every lunar fortnight. The Ekādaśī falling in the bright half of the lunar month (leading up to Pūrṇimā—Full Moon) is known as ’Śukla pakṣa’ Ekādaśī; and the one falling in the dark half of the lunar month (leading up to Amāvāśya—New Moon) is is known as ‘Krṣṇa pakṣa’ Ekādaśī.

#PuraanPrasaad by Rishi Shri Dhavalbhai Joshi

#yoginiekadashi #ekadashi #vrat #fast #fasting #Krishna #Yudhishthira #Jyeshta #Ashada #puraan #padmapuraan #sandipanividyaniketan #shriharimandir