Varuthini Ekadashi Vrat Katha | Legends of Varuthini Ekadashi

Varuthini Ekadashi Vrat Katha

Arjuna said, "O Lord! What is the name of Ekadashi of Krishna Paksha of Vaishakh month, what are its rituals and what results are obtained from it, please tell in detail."

Listening to Arjuna, Shri Krishna said, "O Arjuna! The name of Ekadashi of Krishna Paksha of Vaishakh month is Varuthini Ekadashi. It is the one that bestows good fortune. By fasting on it, all the sins of the living being are destroyed. If a virtuous unhappy woman observes this fast, she gets good fortune. King Mandhata attained heaven due to the influence of Varuthini Ekadashi. Similarly, Dhundhumar etc. also went to heaven. The result of fasting on Varuthini Ekadashi is the result of ten thousand years of penance.

The same result that is obtained by donating gold at the time of solar eclipse in Kurukshetra is the same result that is obtained by fasting on Varuthini Ekadashi. By observing this fast, living beings find happiness in both the world and ultimately attain heaven.

Hey king! By fasting on this Ekadashi, a person gets happiness in this world and salvation in the next world. It is said in the scriptures that the donating an elephant is better than donating a horse and donating a land is better than the donating an elephant to someone, the best among these is the donation of sesame seeds. Donating gold is better than donating sesame seeds and donating food is better than donation of gold. There is no better charity in the world than donating food. By donating food, ancestors, gods, humans etc. all are satisfied. Kanyadana is also considered similar to food donation in the scriptures.

By fasting on Varuthini Ekadashi, one gets the results of best donations like Annadana and Kanyadana. Those people who take the daughter's money out of greed or eat the daughter's money due to laziness and torpidity, they continue to suffer in hell till the end of the cataclysm or they have to go to born as a cat in the next life.

Even Chitragupta is unable to write about the virtues of those people who do Kanyadana of their daughters with love and by performing Yajna. Those people who fast on this Varuthini Ekadashi get the equal virtue of Kanyadana. The person observing fast on Varuthini Ekadashi should give up the following things from the day of Dashami -

1. Eating in bronze utensils
2. Nonveg
3. Masur lentils
4. Chickpea
5. Kodo millet
6. Herbs
7. Honey
8. Someone else's food
9. Second meal on Ekadashi

The fasting person should remain completely celibate. One should not sleep at night, but should spend all the time contemplating scriptures and chanting Bhajans and Kirtans etc. One should not criticize others and keep company with lowly sinners. Getting angry or lying is also prohibited. Eating oil and grains is also prohibited during fast.

Hey king! Those people who observe the fast of this Ekadashi as per the rules, attain heaven. Hence one should be afraid of bad deeds. By reading the greatness of this fast one gets the virtue of donating a thousand cows. Its benefits are greater than those of taking a dip in the Ganga.

Synopsis (Katha Saar)

Patience is the foundation of good fortune. Maintaining restraint in every way increases a person's happiness and good fortune. If a living being does not have self-control, then all the penance, sacrifice, devotion and worship done by him becomes useless.