Haribodhini Ekadasi or DevotthaaniEkadasi 19-11-2018.
Lord Brahma said to Narada Muni, Dear son, O best of the sages, Ishall narrate to you the glories of Haribodhini Ekadasi, whicheradicates all kinds of sins and bestows great merit, and ultimatelyliberation, upon the wise persons who surrender unto the SupremeLord.
O best of the Brahmanas, the merits acquired by bathing in theGanges remain significant only as long as Haribodhini Ekadasi doesnot come. This Ekadasi, which occurs during the light fortnight ofthe month of Kartika, is much more purifying than a bath in theocean, at a place of pilgrimage, or in a lake. This sacred Ekadasi ismore powerful in nullifying sin than one thousand Asvamedhasacrifices and one hundred Rajasuya sacrifices.
Narada Muni inquired O father, please describe the relative meritsof fasting completely on Ekadasi, eating supper (without grains orbeans), or eating once at midday (without grains or beans).
Lord Brahma replied, If a person eats once at midday on Ekadasi,the sins of his previous birth are erased, if he eats supper, thesins acquired during his previous two births are removed, and if hefasts completely, the sins accumulated during his pervious sevenbirths are eradicated.
O son, whatever is only rarely achieved within the three worlds isobtained by him who strictly observes Haribodhini Ekadasi. A personwhose sins equal Mount Sumeru in volume sees them all reduced tonothing if he simply fasts on Papaharini Ekadasi (another name forHaribodhini Ekadasi). The sins a person has accumulated over athousand previous births are burned to ashes if he not only fasts butalso remains awake throughout Ekadasi night, just as a mountain ofcotton can be burned to ashes if one lights a small fire in it.
O Narada, a person who strictly observes this fast achieves theresults I have mentioned. Even if one does a small amount of piousactivity on this day, following the rules and regulations, one willearn merit to Mount Sumeru in volume; however a person who does notfollow the rules and regulations given in the Scriptures may performpious activity equal to Mount Sumeru in volume, but he will not earneven a small amount of merit. One who does not chant the Gayatrimantra three times a day, who disregards fast days, who does notbelieve in God, who criticizes the Vedic Scriptures, who thinks theVedas bring only ruination to one who follows their injunctions, whoenjoys another's wife, who is utterly foolish and wicked, who doesnot appreciate any service that has been rendered to him, or whocheats others - such a sinful person can never perform any religiousactivity effectively. Be he a Brahman or a shudra, whoever tries toenjoy another man's wife, particularly the wife of a twice-bornperson, is said to be no better than a dog-eater.
O best of the sages, any Brahman who enjoys sex with a widow or aBrahman lady married to another man brings ruin to himself and hisfamily. Any Brahman who enjoys illicit sex will have no children inhis next life, and any past merit he may have earned is ruined.Indeed, if such a person displays any arrogance toward a twice-bornBrahman or a spiritual master, he loses all his spiritual advancementimmediately, as well as his wealth and children.
These three kinds of men ruin their acquired merits: he whosecharacter is immoral, he who has sex with the wife of a dog-eater,and he who appreciates the association of rogues. Whoever associateswith sinful people and visits their homes without a spiritual purposewill go directly to the abode of Lord Yamaraj, the superintendent ofdeath. And if someone eats in such a home, his acquired merit isdestroyed, along with his fame, duration of life, children, andhappiness.
Any sinful person who insults a saintly person soon loses hisreligiosity, economic development, and sense gratification, and he atlast burns in the fire of hell. Anyone who likes to offend saintlypersons, or who does not interrupt someone who is insulting saintlypersons, is considered no better than an ass. Such a wicked man seeshis dynasty destroyed before his very eyes.
A person whose character is unclean, who is a rogue or a swindler,or who always finds fault with others does not achieve a higherdestination after death, even if he gives charity generously orperforms other pious deed. Therefore one should refrain fromperforming inauspicious acts and perform only pious ones, by whichone will acquire merit and avoid suffering. However, the sins of onewho, after due consideration, decides to fast of Haribodhini Ekadasiare erased from one hundred previous lives, and whoever fasts andremains awake overnight on this Ekadasi achieves unlimited merit andafter death goes to the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, and thenthousand of his ancestors, relatives, and descendants also reach thatabode. Even if one's forefathers were implicated in many sins and aresuffering in hell, they still attain beautifully ornamented spiritualbodies and happily go to Vishnu's abode.
O Narada, even one who has committed the heinous sin of killing aBrahman is freed of all stains on his character by faster onHaribodhini Ekadasi and remaining awake that night. The merit thatcannot by won by bathing in all the places of pilgrimage, performinga horse sacrifice, or giving cows, gold, or fertile land in charitycan easily be achieved by fasting on this holy day and remainingawake throughout the night.
Anyone who observes Haribodhini Ekadasi is celebrated as highlyqualified and makes his dynasty famous. As Death is certain, solosing one's wealth is also certain. Knowing this, O best of sages,one should observe a fast on this day so dear to Hari - SriHaribodhini Ekadasi.
All places of pilgrimage in the three worlds at once come toreside in the house of a person who fasts on this Ekadasi. Therefore,to please the Lord, who holds a disc in His hand, one should give upall engagements, surrender, and observe this Ekadasi fast. One whofasts on this Haribodhini day is acknowledged as a wise man, a trueyogi, an ascetic, and one whose senses are truly under control. Healone enjoys this world properly, and he will certainly achieveliberation. This Ekadasi is very dear to Lord Vishnu, and thus it isthe very essence of religiosity. Even one observance of it bestowsthe topmost reward in all the three worlds.
O Naradaji, whoever fasts on this Ekadasi will definitely notenter a womb again, and thus faithful devotees of the Supreme Godheadgive up all varieties of religion and simply surrender to fasting onthis Ekadasi. For that great soul who honors this Ekadasi by fastingand remaining awake throu
ghout the night, the Supreme Lord, SriGovinda, personally terminates the sinful reactions that soul hasacquired by the actions of his mind, body, and words
.
O son, for anyone who bathes in a place of pilgrimage, givescharity, chants the holy names of the Supreme Lord, undergoesausterities, and performs sacrifices for God on Haribodhini Ekadasi,the merit thus earned all becomes imperishable. A devotee whoworships Lord Madhava on this day with first-class paraphernaliabecomes free from the great sins of a hundred lifetimes. A person whoobserves this fast and worships Lord Vishnu properly is freed fromgreat danger.
This Ekadasi fast pleases Lord Janardana so much that He takes theperson who observes it back to His abode, and while going there thedevotee illuminates then ten universal directions. Whoever desiresbeauty and happiness should try to honor Haribodhini Ekadasi,especially if it falls on Dvadasi. The sins of one's past hundredbirths - the sins committed during childhood, youth and old age in althose lifetimes, whether those sins are dry or wet - are nullified bythe Supreme Lord Govinda if one fasts on Haribodhini Ekadasi withdevotion.
Haribodhini Ekadasi is the best Ekadasi. Nothing is unobtainableor rare in this world for one who fasts on this day, for it givesfood grains, great wealth, and high merit, as well as eradication ofall sin, the terrible obstacle to liberation. fasting on this Ekadasiis a thousand times better than giving charity on the day of thesolar or lunar eclipse. Again I say to you, O Naradaji, whatevermerit is earned by one who bathes in a place of pilgrimage, performssacrifices, and studies the Vedas is only one then-millionth
the merit earned by the person who fasts but one on HaribodhiniEkadasi. Whatever merit one has acquired in his life by some piousactivities becomes completely fruitless if one does not observe theEkadasi fast and worship Lord Vishnu in the month of Kartika.Therefore, you should always worship the Supreme Lord, Janardana, andrender service to Him. Thus you will attain the desired goal, thehighest perfection.
On Haribodhini Ekadasi, a devotee of the Lord should not eat inanother's house or eat food cooked by a non devotee. If he does so,he achieves only the merit of fasting on a full moon day.Philosophical discussion of Scriptures in the month of Kartikapleases Sri Vishnu more than if one gives elephants and horses incharity or performs a costly
sacrifice. Whoever chants or hears descriptions of Lord Vishnu'squalities and pastimes, even if but a half or even a fourth of averse, attains the wonderful merit derived from giving away a hundredcows to a Brahman. O Narada, during the month of Kartika one shouldgive up all kinds or ordinary duties and devote one's full time andenergy especially while fasting, to discussing the transcendentalpastimes of the Supreme Lord. Such glorification of Sri Hari on theday so dear to the Lord, Ekadasi, liberates a hundred previousgenerations. One who spends his time enjoying such discussions,especially in the month of Kartika, achieves the results ofperforming ten thousand fire sacrifices and burns all his sins toashes.
He who hears the wonderful narrations concerning Lord Vishnu,particularly during the month of Kartika, automatically earns thesame merit as that bestowed upon someone who donates a hundred cowsin charity. O great sage, a person who chants the glories of LordHari on Ekadasi achieves the merit earned by donating seven islands.
Narada Muni asked his glorious father, O universal sire, best ofall demigods, please tell me how to observe this most sacred Ekadasi.What kind of merit does it bestow upon the faithful
Lord Brahma replied, O son, a person who wants to observe thisEkadasi should rise early on Ekadasi morning, during theBrahmamuhurta hour (an hour and a half before sunrise until fiftyminutes before sunrise). He should then clean his teeth and bathe ina lake, river, pond, or well, or in his own home, as the situationwarrants. After worshipping Lord Sri Keshava, he should listencarefully to the sacred descriptions of the Lord. He should pray tothe Lord thus: O
Lord Keshava, I shall fast on this day, which is so dear to You,and tomorrow I shall honor Your sacred prasadam. O lotus-eyed Lord, Oinfallible one; You are my only shelter. Kindly protect me.’
Having spoken this solemn prayer before the Lord with great loveand devotion, one should fast cheerfully. O Narada, whoever remainsawake all night on this Ekadasi, singing beautiful songs glorifyingthe Lord, dancing in ecstasy, playing delightful instrumental musicfor His transcendental pleasure, and reciting the pastimes of LordKrishna as records in bona-fide Vedic literature - such a person willmost assuredly reside far beyond the three worlds, in the eternal,spiritual realm of God.
On Haribodhini Ekadasi one should worship Sri Krishna withcamphor, fruits, and aromatic flowers, especially the yellow agaruflower. One should not absorb oneself in making money on thisimportant day. In other words, greed should be exchanged for charity.This is the process for turning loss into unlimited merit.
One should offer many kinds of fruits to the Lord and bathe Himwith water from a conchshell. Each of these devotional practices,when performed on Haribodhini Ekadasi, is ten million times morebeneficial than bathing in all the places of pilgrimage and givingall forms of charity.
Even Lord Indra joins his palm and offers his obeisances to adevotee who worships Lord Janardana with first-class agastya flowersof this day. The supreme Lord Hari is very pleased when he isdecorated with nice agastya flowers.
O Narada, I give liberation to one who devotedly worships LordKrishna on this Ekadasi in the month of Kartika with leaves of thebel tree. And for one who worships Lord Janardana with fresh tulasileaves and fragrant flowers during this month, O son, I personallyburn to ashes all the sins he has committed for then thousand births.
One who merely sees Tulasi Maharani, touches her, mediates on her,narrates her history, offers obeisances to her, prays to her for hergrace, plants her, worships her, or waters her lives in the abode ofLord Hari eternally. O Narada, one who serves Tulasi-devi in thesenine ways achieves happiness in the higher world for as manythousands of yugas as there are roots and subroots growing from amature tulasi plant.
When a full grown tulasi plant produces seeds, many plants growfrom those seeds and spread their branches, twigs, and flowers, andthese flowers also produce numerous seeds. For as many thousands ofkalpas as there are seeds produced in this
way, the forefathers of one who serves tulasi in these nine wayswill live in the abode of Lord Hari.
Those who worship Lord Keshava with kadamba flowers, which arevery pleasing to Him, get his mercy and do not see the abode ofYamaraj, death personified. What is the use of worshipping someoneelse if all desires can be fulfilled by pleasing Lord Hari? Forexample, a devotee who offers Him bakula, ashoka, and patali flowersis freed from misery and distress for as long as the sun and moonexist in this universe, and at last he achieves liberation.
O best of the Brahmanas, an offering of kannera flowers to LordJagannatha brings as much mercy upon the devotee as that earned byworshipping Lord Keshava for four yugas. One who offers tulasiflowers (manjaris) to Sri Krishna during the month of Kartikareceives more merit than can be obtained by donating ten millioncows. Even a devotional offering of newly grown sprouts of grassbrings with it a hundred times the benefit obtained by ordinaryritualistic worship of the Supreme Lord.
One who worships Lord Vishnu with the leaves of the samika tree isfreed from the clutches of Yamaraja, the lord of death. One whoworships Vishnu during the rainy season with champaka or jasmineflowers never returns to the planet earth again. One who worships theLord with but a single kumbhi flower achieves the boon of donating apala of gold (two hundred grams). If a devotee offers a single yellowflower of the ketaki, or wood-apple, tree to Lord Vishnu, who rideson Garuda, he is freed from the sins of ten million births.Furthermore, one who offers Lord Jagannatha flowers and also ahundred leaves anointed with red and yellow sandalwood paste willcertainly come to reside in Svetadvipa, far beyond the coverings ofthis material creation.
O greatest of Brahmanas, Sri Narada, after thus worshipping LordKeshava, the bestower of all material and spiritual happiness, onHaribodhini Ekadasi, one should rise early the next day, bathe in ariver, chant japa of Krishna's holy names, and render lovingdevotional service to the Lord at home to the best of one's ability.
To break the fast, the devotee should first offer some prasadamto Brahmanas and only then, with their permission, eat some grains.Thereafter, to please the Supreme Lord, the devotee should worshiphis spiritual master, the purest of the Lord's devotees, and offerhim sumptuous food, nice cloth, gold, and cows, according to thedevotee's means. This will certainly please the Supreme Lord, theholder of the disc.
Next the devotee should donate a cow to a Brahman, and if thedevotee has neglected some rules and regulation of spiritual life, heshould confess them before Brahman devotees of the Lord. Then thedevotee should offer them some dakshina (money). O king, those whohave eaten supper on Ekadasi should feed a Brahman the next day. Thatis very pleasing to the Supreme Lord.
O son, if a man has fasted without asking the permission of hispriest, or if a woman has fasted without asking her husband'spermission, he or she should donate a bull to a Brahman. Honey andyogurt are also proper gifts for a Brahman. Someone who has fastedfrom ghee should donate milk, one who has fasted from grains shoulddonate rice, one who has slept on the floor should donate a bedsteadwith a quilt,
one who has eaten on a leaf plate should donate a pot of ghee, onewho has remained silent should donate a bell, and one who has fastedfrom sesame should give gold in charity and feed a Brahman couplewith sumptuous food. A man who wants to prevent baldness shoulddonate a mirror to a Brahman, one who has second-hand shoes shoulddonate shoes, and one who has fasted from salt should donate somesugar to a Brahman. During this month everyone should regularly offera ghee lamp to Lord Vishnu or to Srimati Tulasidevi in a temple.
An Ekadasi fast is complete when one offers a qualified Brahman agold or copper pot filled with ghee and ghee wicks, along with eightwaterpots containing some gold and covered by cloths. One who cannotafford these gifts should at least offer a Brahman some sweet words.One who does so will surely attain the full benefit of fasting onEkadasi.
After offering his obeisance and begging permission, the devoteeshould eat his meal. On this Ekadasi, Chaturmasya ends, so whateverone gave up during Chaturmasya should now be donated to Brahmanas.One who follows this process of Chaturmasya receives unlimited merit,O king of kings, and goes to the abode of Lord Vasudeva after death.O king, anyone who observes the complete Chaturmasya without a breakattains eternal happiness and does not receive another birth. But ifsomeone breaks the fast, he becomes either a blind man or a leper.
Thus I have narrated to you the complete process for observingHaribodhini Ekadasi. Someone who reads or hears about this achievesthe merit earned by donating cows to a qualified Brahman. Thus endsthe narration of the glories of Karttika-sukla Ekadasi -
also known as Haribodhini Ekadasi or Devotthaani Ekadasi - fromthe bavishyothra purana. Also known as kaisika aekaadasi.
Lord Brahma said to Narada Muni, Dear son, O best of the sages, Ishall narrate to you the glories of Haribodhini Ekadasi, whicheradicates all kinds of sins and bestows great merit, and ultimatelyliberation, upon the wise persons who surrender unto the SupremeLord.
O best of the Brahmanas, the merits acquired by bathing in theGanges remain significant only as long as Haribodhini Ekadasi doesnot come. This Ekadasi, which occurs during the light fortnight ofthe month of Kartika, is much more purifying than a bath in theocean, at a place of pilgrimage, or in a lake. This sacred Ekadasi ismore powerful in nullifying sin than one thousand Asvamedhasacrifices and one hundred Rajasuya sacrifices.
Narada Muni inquired O father, please describe the relative meritsof fasting completely on Ekadasi, eating supper (without grains orbeans), or eating once at midday (without grains or beans).
Lord Brahma replied, If a person eats once at midday on Ekadasi,the sins of his previous birth are erased, if he eats supper, thesins acquired during his previous two births are removed, and if hefasts completely, the sins accumulated during his pervious sevenbirths are eradicated.
O son, whatever is only rarely achieved within the three worlds isobtained by him who strictly observes Haribodhini Ekadasi. A personwhose sins equal Mount Sumeru in volume sees them all reduced tonothing if he simply fasts on Papaharini Ekadasi (another name forHaribodhini Ekadasi). The sins a person has accumulated over athousand previous births are burned to ashes if he not only fasts butalso remains awake throughout Ekadasi night, just as a mountain ofcotton can be burned to ashes if one lights a small fire in it.
O Narada, a person who strictly observes this fast achieves theresults I have mentioned. Even if one does a small amount of piousactivity on this day, following the rules and regulations, one willearn merit to Mount Sumeru in volume; however a person who does notfollow the rules and regulations given in the Scriptures may performpious activity equal to Mount Sumeru in volume, but he will not earneven a small amount of merit. One who does not chant the Gayatrimantra three times a day, who disregards fast days, who does notbelieve in God, who criticizes the Vedic Scriptures, who thinks theVedas bring only ruination to one who follows their injunctions, whoenjoys another's wife, who is utterly foolish and wicked, who doesnot appreciate any service that has been rendered to him, or whocheats others - such a sinful person can never perform any religiousactivity effectively. Be he a Brahman or a shudra, whoever tries toenjoy another man's wife, particularly the wife of a twice-bornperson, is said to be no better than a dog-eater.
O best of the sages, any Brahman who enjoys sex with a widow or aBrahman lady married to another man brings ruin to himself and hisfamily. Any Brahman who enjoys illicit sex will have no children inhis next life, and any past merit he may have earned is ruined.Indeed, if such a person displays any arrogance toward a twice-bornBrahman or a spiritual master, he loses all his spiritual advancementimmediately, as well as his wealth and children.
These three kinds of men ruin their acquired merits: he whosecharacter is immoral, he who has sex with the wife of a dog-eater,and he who appreciates the association of rogues. Whoever associateswith sinful people and visits their homes without a spiritual purposewill go directly to the abode of Lord Yamaraj, the superintendent ofdeath. And if someone eats in such a home, his acquired merit isdestroyed, along with his fame, duration of life, children, andhappiness.
Any sinful person who insults a saintly person soon loses hisreligiosity, economic development, and sense gratification, and he atlast burns in the fire of hell. Anyone who likes to offend saintlypersons, or who does not interrupt someone who is insulting saintlypersons, is considered no better than an ass. Such a wicked man seeshis dynasty destroyed before his very eyes.
A person whose character is unclean, who is a rogue or a swindler,or who always finds fault with others does not achieve a higherdestination after death, even if he gives charity generously orperforms other pious deed. Therefore one should refrain fromperforming inauspicious acts and perform only pious ones, by whichone will acquire merit and avoid suffering. However, the sins of onewho, after due consideration, decides to fast of Haribodhini Ekadasiare erased from one hundred previous lives, and whoever fasts andremains awake overnight on this Ekadasi achieves unlimited merit andafter death goes to the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, and thenthousand of his ancestors, relatives, and descendants also reach thatabode. Even if one's forefathers were implicated in many sins and aresuffering in hell, they still attain beautifully ornamented spiritualbodies and happily go to Vishnu's abode.
O Narada, even one who has committed the heinous sin of killing aBrahman is freed of all stains on his character by faster onHaribodhini Ekadasi and remaining awake that night. The merit thatcannot by won by bathing in all the places of pilgrimage, performinga horse sacrifice, or giving cows, gold, or fertile land in charitycan easily be achieved by fasting on this holy day and remainingawake throughout the night.
Anyone who observes Haribodhini Ekadasi is celebrated as highlyqualified and makes his dynasty famous. As Death is certain, solosing one's wealth is also certain. Knowing this, O best of sages,one should observe a fast on this day so dear to Hari - SriHaribodhini Ekadasi.
All places of pilgrimage in the three worlds at once come toreside in the house of a person who fasts on this Ekadasi. Therefore,to please the Lord, who holds a disc in His hand, one should give upall engagements, surrender, and observe this Ekadasi fast. One whofasts on this Haribodhini day is acknowledged as a wise man, a trueyogi, an ascetic, and one whose senses are truly under control. Healone enjoys this world properly, and he will certainly achieveliberation. This Ekadasi is very dear to Lord Vishnu, and thus it isthe very essence of religiosity. Even one observance of it bestowsthe topmost reward in all the three worlds.
O Naradaji, whoever fasts on this Ekadasi will definitely notenter a womb again, and thus faithful devotees of the Supreme Godheadgive up all varieties of religion and simply surrender to fasting onthis Ekadasi. For that great soul who honors this Ekadasi by fastingand remaining awake throu
ghout the night, the Supreme Lord, SriGovinda, personally terminates the sinful reactions that soul hasacquired by the actions of his mind, body, and words
.
O son, for anyone who bathes in a place of pilgrimage, givescharity, chants the holy names of the Supreme Lord, undergoesausterities, and performs sacrifices for God on Haribodhini Ekadasi,the merit thus earned all becomes imperishable. A devotee whoworships Lord Madhava on this day with first-class paraphernaliabecomes free from the great sins of a hundred lifetimes. A person whoobserves this fast and worships Lord Vishnu properly is freed fromgreat danger.
This Ekadasi fast pleases Lord Janardana so much that He takes theperson who observes it back to His abode, and while going there thedevotee illuminates then ten universal directions. Whoever desiresbeauty and happiness should try to honor Haribodhini Ekadasi,especially if it falls on Dvadasi. The sins of one's past hundredbirths - the sins committed during childhood, youth and old age in althose lifetimes, whether those sins are dry or wet - are nullified bythe Supreme Lord Govinda if one fasts on Haribodhini Ekadasi withdevotion.
Haribodhini Ekadasi is the best Ekadasi. Nothing is unobtainableor rare in this world for one who fasts on this day, for it givesfood grains, great wealth, and high merit, as well as eradication ofall sin, the terrible obstacle to liberation. fasting on this Ekadasiis a thousand times better than giving charity on the day of thesolar or lunar eclipse. Again I say to you, O Naradaji, whatevermerit is earned by one who bathes in a place of pilgrimage, performssacrifices, and studies the Vedas is only one then-millionth
the merit earned by the person who fasts but one on HaribodhiniEkadasi. Whatever merit one has acquired in his life by some piousactivities becomes completely fruitless if one does not observe theEkadasi fast and worship Lord Vishnu in the month of Kartika.Therefore, you should always worship the Supreme Lord, Janardana, andrender service to Him. Thus you will attain the desired goal, thehighest perfection.
On Haribodhini Ekadasi, a devotee of the Lord should not eat inanother's house or eat food cooked by a non devotee. If he does so,he achieves only the merit of fasting on a full moon day.Philosophical discussion of Scriptures in the month of Kartikapleases Sri Vishnu more than if one gives elephants and horses incharity or performs a costly
sacrifice. Whoever chants or hears descriptions of Lord Vishnu'squalities and pastimes, even if but a half or even a fourth of averse, attains the wonderful merit derived from giving away a hundredcows to a Brahman. O Narada, during the month of Kartika one shouldgive up all kinds or ordinary duties and devote one's full time andenergy especially while fasting, to discussing the transcendentalpastimes of the Supreme Lord. Such glorification of Sri Hari on theday so dear to the Lord, Ekadasi, liberates a hundred previousgenerations. One who spends his time enjoying such discussions,especially in the month of Kartika, achieves the results ofperforming ten thousand fire sacrifices and burns all his sins toashes.
He who hears the wonderful narrations concerning Lord Vishnu,particularly during the month of Kartika, automatically earns thesame merit as that bestowed upon someone who donates a hundred cowsin charity. O great sage, a person who chants the glories of LordHari on Ekadasi achieves the merit earned by donating seven islands.
Narada Muni asked his glorious father, O universal sire, best ofall demigods, please tell me how to observe this most sacred Ekadasi.What kind of merit does it bestow upon the faithful
Lord Brahma replied, O son, a person who wants to observe thisEkadasi should rise early on Ekadasi morning, during theBrahmamuhurta hour (an hour and a half before sunrise until fiftyminutes before sunrise). He should then clean his teeth and bathe ina lake, river, pond, or well, or in his own home, as the situationwarrants. After worshipping Lord Sri Keshava, he should listencarefully to the sacred descriptions of the Lord. He should pray tothe Lord thus: O
Lord Keshava, I shall fast on this day, which is so dear to You,and tomorrow I shall honor Your sacred prasadam. O lotus-eyed Lord, Oinfallible one; You are my only shelter. Kindly protect me.’
Having spoken this solemn prayer before the Lord with great loveand devotion, one should fast cheerfully. O Narada, whoever remainsawake all night on this Ekadasi, singing beautiful songs glorifyingthe Lord, dancing in ecstasy, playing delightful instrumental musicfor His transcendental pleasure, and reciting the pastimes of LordKrishna as records in bona-fide Vedic literature - such a person willmost assuredly reside far beyond the three worlds, in the eternal,spiritual realm of God.
On Haribodhini Ekadasi one should worship Sri Krishna withcamphor, fruits, and aromatic flowers, especially the yellow agaruflower. One should not absorb oneself in making money on thisimportant day. In other words, greed should be exchanged for charity.This is the process for turning loss into unlimited merit.
One should offer many kinds of fruits to the Lord and bathe Himwith water from a conchshell. Each of these devotional practices,when performed on Haribodhini Ekadasi, is ten million times morebeneficial than bathing in all the places of pilgrimage and givingall forms of charity.
Even Lord Indra joins his palm and offers his obeisances to adevotee who worships Lord Janardana with first-class agastya flowersof this day. The supreme Lord Hari is very pleased when he isdecorated with nice agastya flowers.
O Narada, I give liberation to one who devotedly worships LordKrishna on this Ekadasi in the month of Kartika with leaves of thebel tree. And for one who worships Lord Janardana with fresh tulasileaves and fragrant flowers during this month, O son, I personallyburn to ashes all the sins he has committed for then thousand births.
One who merely sees Tulasi Maharani, touches her, mediates on her,narrates her history, offers obeisances to her, prays to her for hergrace, plants her, worships her, or waters her lives in the abode ofLord Hari eternally. O Narada, one who serves Tulasi-devi in thesenine ways achieves happiness in the higher world for as manythousands of yugas as there are roots and subroots growing from amature tulasi plant.
When a full grown tulasi plant produces seeds, many plants growfrom those seeds and spread their branches, twigs, and flowers, andthese flowers also produce numerous seeds. For as many thousands ofkalpas as there are seeds produced in this
way, the forefathers of one who serves tulasi in these nine wayswill live in the abode of Lord Hari.
Those who worship Lord Keshava with kadamba flowers, which arevery pleasing to Him, get his mercy and do not see the abode ofYamaraj, death personified. What is the use of worshipping someoneelse if all desires can be fulfilled by pleasing Lord Hari? Forexample, a devotee who offers Him bakula, ashoka, and patali flowersis freed from misery and distress for as long as the sun and moonexist in this universe, and at last he achieves liberation.
O best of the Brahmanas, an offering of kannera flowers to LordJagannatha brings as much mercy upon the devotee as that earned byworshipping Lord Keshava for four yugas. One who offers tulasiflowers (manjaris) to Sri Krishna during the month of Kartikareceives more merit than can be obtained by donating ten millioncows. Even a devotional offering of newly grown sprouts of grassbrings with it a hundred times the benefit obtained by ordinaryritualistic worship of the Supreme Lord.
One who worships Lord Vishnu with the leaves of the samika tree isfreed from the clutches of Yamaraja, the lord of death. One whoworships Vishnu during the rainy season with champaka or jasmineflowers never returns to the planet earth again. One who worships theLord with but a single kumbhi flower achieves the boon of donating apala of gold (two hundred grams). If a devotee offers a single yellowflower of the ketaki, or wood-apple, tree to Lord Vishnu, who rideson Garuda, he is freed from the sins of ten million births.Furthermore, one who offers Lord Jagannatha flowers and also ahundred leaves anointed with red and yellow sandalwood paste willcertainly come to reside in Svetadvipa, far beyond the coverings ofthis material creation.
O greatest of Brahmanas, Sri Narada, after thus worshipping LordKeshava, the bestower of all material and spiritual happiness, onHaribodhini Ekadasi, one should rise early the next day, bathe in ariver, chant japa of Krishna's holy names, and render lovingdevotional service to the Lord at home to the best of one's ability.
To break the fast, the devotee should first offer some prasadamto Brahmanas and only then, with their permission, eat some grains.Thereafter, to please the Supreme Lord, the devotee should worshiphis spiritual master, the purest of the Lord's devotees, and offerhim sumptuous food, nice cloth, gold, and cows, according to thedevotee's means. This will certainly please the Supreme Lord, theholder of the disc.
Next the devotee should donate a cow to a Brahman, and if thedevotee has neglected some rules and regulation of spiritual life, heshould confess them before Brahman devotees of the Lord. Then thedevotee should offer them some dakshina (money). O king, those whohave eaten supper on Ekadasi should feed a Brahman the next day. Thatis very pleasing to the Supreme Lord.
O son, if a man has fasted without asking the permission of hispriest, or if a woman has fasted without asking her husband'spermission, he or she should donate a bull to a Brahman. Honey andyogurt are also proper gifts for a Brahman. Someone who has fastedfrom ghee should donate milk, one who has fasted from grains shoulddonate rice, one who has slept on the floor should donate a bedsteadwith a quilt,
one who has eaten on a leaf plate should donate a pot of ghee, onewho has remained silent should donate a bell, and one who has fastedfrom sesame should give gold in charity and feed a Brahman couplewith sumptuous food. A man who wants to prevent baldness shoulddonate a mirror to a Brahman, one who has second-hand shoes shoulddonate shoes, and one who has fasted from salt should donate somesugar to a Brahman. During this month everyone should regularly offera ghee lamp to Lord Vishnu or to Srimati Tulasidevi in a temple.
An Ekadasi fast is complete when one offers a qualified Brahman agold or copper pot filled with ghee and ghee wicks, along with eightwaterpots containing some gold and covered by cloths. One who cannotafford these gifts should at least offer a Brahman some sweet words.One who does so will surely attain the full benefit of fasting onEkadasi.
After offering his obeisance and begging permission, the devoteeshould eat his meal. On this Ekadasi, Chaturmasya ends, so whateverone gave up during Chaturmasya should now be donated to Brahmanas.One who follows this process of Chaturmasya receives unlimited merit,O king of kings, and goes to the abode of Lord Vasudeva after death.O king, anyone who observes the complete Chaturmasya without a breakattains eternal happiness and does not receive another birth. But ifsomeone breaks the fast, he becomes either a blind man or a leper.
Thus I have narrated to you the complete process for observingHaribodhini Ekadasi. Someone who reads or hears about this achievesthe merit earned by donating cows to a qualified Brahman. Thus endsthe narration of the glories of Karttika-sukla Ekadasi -
also known as Haribodhini Ekadasi or Devotthaani Ekadasi - fromthe bavishyothra purana. Also known as kaisika aekaadasi.
