August/Sept

Aja - annada ekadasii, from the Brahma-vaivarta purana.

Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh janardana, protector of all living entities, please tell me the name of the ekadasii that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of bhadrapada (August-September).”

The Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna, then replied, “Oh King, hear me attentively. The name of this sin-removing, sacred ekadasii is aja. Any person who fasts completely on this day and worships Hrishikesha, the master of the senses, becomes free of all reactions to his sins. Even one who simply hears about this ekadasii is freed from his past sins. Oh King, there is no better day than this in all the earthly and heavenly worlds. This is true without a doubt.

“There once lived a famous king named Harishchandra, who was the emperor of the world and a person of great truth and integrity. His wife’s name was Chandramati, and he had a son named lohitashva. By the force of destiny, however, Harishchandra lost his great kingdom and sold his wife and son. The pious king himself became a menial servant of a dog-eater, who made him guard a crematorium. Yet even while doing such menial service, he did not forsake his truthfulness and good character, just as soma-rasa, even when mixed with some other liquid, does not lose its ability to bestow immortality.

“The king passed many years in this condition. Then one day he sadly thought, ‘What shall I do? Where shall I go? How can I be delivered from this plight?’ In this way he drowned in an ocean of anxiety and sorrow.

“One day a great sage happened by, and when the king saw him he happily thought, ‘Ah, Lord brahma has created brahmins just to help others.’ Harishchandra paid his respectful obeisances to the sage, whose name was Gautama Muni. With joined palms the king stood before Gautama Muni and narrated his pitiful story. Gautama Muni was astonished to hear the king’s tale of woe. He thought, ‘How has this mighty king been reduced to collecting clothes from the dead?’ Gautama Muni became very much compassionate toward Harishchandra and instructed him on the process of fasting for purification.

“Gautama Muni said, ‘Oh king, during the dark fortnight of the month of bhadrapada there occurs an especially meritorious ekadasii named aja (annada), which removes all sins. Indeed, this ekadasii is so auspicious that if you simply fast on that day and perform no other austerity, all your sins will be nullified. By your good fortune it is coming in just seven days. So I urge you to fast on this day and remain awake through the night. If you do so, all the reactions of your past sins will come to an end. Oh Harishchandra, I have come here because of your past pious deeds. Now, all good fortune to you in the future!’ So saying, the great sage Sri Gautama Muni immediately disappeared for their vision.

“King Harishchandra followed Gautama Muni’s instructions concerning fasting on the sacred day of aja ekadasii. Oh Maharaja Yudhisthira, because the king fasted on that day, the reactions to his previous sins were completely destroyed at once. Oh lion among kings, just see the influence of this ekadasii fast! It immediately vanquishes whatever miseries one may be suffering as a result of past karmik sinful activities.

Thus all Harishchandra’s miseries were relieved. Just by the power of this wonderful ekadasii, he was reunited with his wife and son, who had died but were now revived. In the heavenly regions the devas (demigods) began beating on their celestial kettledrums and showering down flowers upon Harishchandra, his queen, and their son. By the blessings of the ekadasii fast, he regained his kingdom without difficulty. Moreover, when King Harishchandra left the planet, his relatives and all his subjects too, went with him to the spiritual world.

“Oh pandava, whoever fasts on aja ekadasii is surely freed from all his sins and ascends to the spiritual world. And whosoever hears and studies the glories of this ekadasii achieves the merit gained by performing a horse sacrifice.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of bhadrapada-krishna ekadasii, or aja ekadasii, from the Brahma-vaivarta purana.

Parivartinii or Parsva ekadasi, from the Brahma-vaivarta purana

Sri Yudhishthira maharaja asked of Lord Sri Krishna, “What is the name of that ekadasii that occurs during the light fortnight (shukla paksha) of the month of bhadrapada (August-September “Hrishikesha mase”) ? Who is the worshippable Deity for this ekadasii, and what merit does one attain in observing it? Kindly reveal all of this to me my Lord.”

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna addressed His devoted Yudhishthira as follows, “This ekadasii, Oh Yudhishthira, is called vamana ekadasii, and it bestows upon those who observe it both great merit and ultimate liberation from material bondage. Therefore, because it removes all one’s sinful reactions, it is also called Jayanti ekadasii. Just hearing of its glories frees one from all his past misdeeds. So auspicious is this fast that observing it bestows the same merit as that earned by performing a horse sacrifice. There is no better ekadasii than this, because it awards liberation so easily. Thus if one truly desires freedom from the punishing material world, one should fast on vamana ekadasii.

“While observing this holy fast, a Vaishnava should lovingly worship the Supreme Lord in His form as vamandeva, the dwarf incarnation, whose eyes are like lotus petals. By doing so, he worships all other Deities as well, including brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and at death he undoubtedly goes to that abode of Sri Hari. In all the three worlds there is no fast that is more important to observe. The reason this ekadasii is so auspicious is that it celebrates the day when the sleeping Lord Vishnu turns over on His other side; thus it is also known as Parivartinii ekadasii.”

Maharaja Yudhishthira then asked of the Lord, “Oh janardana, please clear up a question I have. How is it that the Supreme Lord sleeps and then turns over on His side? Oh Lord, when You are asleep what happens to all the other living entities? Please also tell me how You bound the king of the demons, Bali daityaraj (Bali maharaja), as well as how one may please the brahmanas. How does one observe chaturmasya, which You mention in the chaturmasya-mahatmya of the Bhavishya purana? Kindly be merciful to me and answer these questions.”

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna replied, “Oh Yudhishthira, lion among Kings, I will gladly narrate to you an historical event that, simply by hearing, eradicates all one’s sinful reactions.
 “In the treta-yuga there once was a king of the name Bali. Though born in a family dynasty of demons (daityas), he was very devoted to Me. He sang many Vedik hymns to Me and performed the homa rituals (fire sacrifices) just to satisfy Me. He respected the twice-born brahmins and engaged them in performing sacrifices daily. This great soul had a quarrel with Indra, however, and eventually defeated him in battle. Bali took over his entire celestial kingdom, which I Myself had given to Indra. Therefore Indra and all the other devas (demigods), along with many great sages, approached Me and complained about Bali maharaja. Bowing their heads to the ground and offering many sacred prayers from the Vedas, they worshipped Me along with their spiritual master, Brihaspati. Thus I agreed to appear on their behalf as a dwarf vamanadeva, My fifth incarnation.”

King Yudhishthira further enquired, “Oh Lord, how was it possible for You to conquer such a powerful demon, and only by coming in the form of a dwarf brahmin? Please explain this clearly, for I am Your faithful devotee.”
 “The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna replied, “Though a dwarf, I was a brahmana, and I approached that pious king Bali to ask him for alms in the form of land. I said, ‘Oh daityraj Bali, please give Me just three steps of land in charity. Such a small piece of land will be good as all the three worlds for Me.’ Bali agreed to grant My request without lengthy consideration. But as soon as he vowed to give Me the land, My body began to expand into a gigantic transcendental form. I covered the entire Earth with My feet, all the Bhuvarloka with My thighs, the Swarga heavens with My waist, Maharloka with My stomach, Janaloka with My chest, Tapoloka with My neck, and Satyaloka with My head and face. I covered the entire material creation. Indeed, all the planets of the universe, including the Sun and the Moon, were encompassed by My gigantic form.”

“Seeing this astonishing pastime of Mine, all the demigods, including Indra and Shesha, the king of the snakes, began to sing Vedik hymns and offer prayers to Me. Then I took Bali by the hand and said to him, ‘Oh sinless one, I have covered the whole Earth with one step and all the heavenly planets with the second. Now where shall I place My foot to measure the third step of land you promised Me?’

“Upon hearing this, Bali maharaja bowed down in humility and offered Me his head to place My third step. Oh Yudhishthira, I placed My foot on his head and sent him all the way to patalaloka. Seeing him thus humbled, I became very pleased and told Bali that henceforth I would permanently reside in his palace. Thereafter, on Parivartinii ekadasii, which occurs during the light part of the month of bhadra (August-September), Bali, the son of Virochana, grandson of Prahlad, installed a Deity form of Me in his residence.
 “Oh king, until Haribodhinii ekadasii, which occurs during the light part of the month of Karttika, I continue to sleep in the ocean of milk. The merit one accumulates during this period is particularly powerful. One should therefore observe Parivartinii ekadasii carefully. Indeed, it is especially purifying and thus cleanses one of all sinful reactions. On this day the faithful devotee should worship Lord Trivikrama, vamanadeva, who is the supreme father, because on this day I turn over to sleep on My other side.
 “If possible, on this day one should give a qualified person some yogurt mixed with rice, as well as some silver, and then remain awake throughout the night. This simple observance will free one of all material conditioning. One who observes this sacred Parivartinii ekadasii in the way I have described will surely attain all kinds of happiness in this world and the kingdom of God in the hereafter. One who simply hears this narration with devotion will go to the abode of the demigods and shine there like the Moon itself, so powerful is observance of this ekadasii. Indeed, this observance is as powerful as the performance of a thousand horse sacrifices.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Parivartinii ekadasii, or vamana ekadasii, which occurs during the light
part of the month of bhadrapada, from the Brahma-vaivarta purana.