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Arjuna said - "O Pundarikaksha! Kindly tell me about the Ekadashi of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. What is the name of this Ekadashi and what is the procedure for its observance? What are the benefits of observing this fast?"
Lord Krishna said - "O Son of Kunti! The Ekadashi that falls in the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month is known as Aja Ekadashi. Observing this fast eliminates all sins. Those who sincerely worship the Lord on this day will have all their sins forgiven. In this world and the next, there is no other fast as significant as this Ekadashi, which benefits both realms.
Listen carefully to the significance of this Ekadashi - In ancient times, there was an emperor named Harishchandra who ruled the city of Ayodhya. He was known for being extremely brave, powerful and truthful. By the will of the Lord, he donated his kingdom to a sage in a dream. As a result of his circumstances, he was forced to sell his wife and son and eventually became a servant to a Chandala. He collected fees for performing final rites for the deceased at the Chandala's place. Despite facing such dire situations, he never deviated from the path of truth. Years went by and he became increasingly distressed by this lowly work and sought a way to free himself from it. He was constantly troubled by thoughts of how to get rid of this evil deed. One day, while in deep distress, sage Gautam approached him. Harishchandra greeted him and began to narrate his sorrowful tale.
Upon hearing the sorrowful tale of King Harishchandra, sage Gautam felt a deep sadness. He said to the king - "O King, the Ekadashi that falls in the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month is known as Aja. Observe the fast of this Ekadashi with the proper rituals and stay awake throughout the night. By doing so, all your sins will be erased."
After saying this, sage Gautam disappeared. On Aja Ekadashi, King Harishchandra observed a fast and performed Jagarana by staying awake throughout the night, as instructed by the sage. As a result of this fast, all his sins were erased. At that moment, drums began to play in heaven and flowers started to rain down. He saw Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Mahesha and Lord Indra, along with other deities, standing before him. To his astonishment, he found his deceased son alive and his wife adorned in royal clothing and jewelery.
Due to the power of the fast, the king regained his kingdom. In reality, a sage had created this entire situation to test the king. However, the influence of the Aja Ekadashi fast dispelled all the illusions created by the sage. In the end, Harishchandra, along with his family, ascended to heaven.
O King! This was all a result of the effects of the Aja Ekadashi fast.
Those who observe this fast with devotion and remain awake during the night will have all their sins erased and will ultimately attain heaven. Simply listening to the story of this Ekadashi Vrat provides the same merit as performing an Ashwamedha Yajna."
One must have complete faith in God. Even in difficult circumstances, those who do not abandon the path of truth ultimately attain heaven. The test of truth occurs in the most challenging situations.
Aarti is one of the most important rituals of worshipping any deity. Ekadashi Aarti is a prayer dedicated to Goddess Ekadashi. This Aarti can be sung during Ekadashi fasting and on various occasions related to Ekadashi.
Here we have listed Ekadashi Timings and all the important FAQs related to the Ekadashi fasting so that devotees can avoid the most common mistakes made while observing Ekadashi Vrat.
Learn about the food during Ekadashi Fasting. Being careful while eating anything during the Ekadashi fast is highly important. Devotees can know here what they can eat and what they should avoid eating during Ekadashi fasting.
A complete list of Ekadashi dates is given here. Go through the Ekadashi fasting dates list here so that you never miss fasting on Ekadashi. Ekadashi fast is observed with great enthusiasm by the devotees of Lord Vishnu.
Goddess Ekadashi is considered as the Yoga Maya of Lord Vishnu. Utpanna Ekadashi is the greatest Ekadashi of all. On this day, Goddess Ekadashi was manifested to kill demon named Mura.
It is believed that Vaikuntha Dwaram is opened on this day and devotees who observe fast on Vaikuntha Ekadashi attain salvation. This is a popular Ekadashi in Tamil calendar.
Nirjala Ekadashi is one of the twenty four Ekadashi Vrats which are observed to receive the special grace and blessings of Lord Vishnu. Consumption of water is prohibited during this fast.
Devutthana Ekadashi is one of the twenty four Ekadashi Vrats which are observed to receive special grace and blessings of Lord Vishnu. According to Hindu beliefs, on this day Lord Vishnu wakes up from four months of Yogic sleep.
Utpanna Ekadashi is one of the twenty four Ekadashi Vrats which are observed to receive special grace and blessings of Lord Vishnu. Ekadashi fasting is started from Utpanna Ekadashi.
ISKCON devotees can get the complete list of ISKCON Ekadashi fasting dates here. This list will prove highly informative and useful to those who observe the fast of Ekadashi as per the ISKCON.
