Aja - Annada Ekadasi Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh
Janardana, protector of all living entities, please tell me the
name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the
month of Bhadrapada (August-September)." The Supreme Lord, Sri
Krishna, then replied, "Oh King, hear Me attentively. The name of
this sin-removing, sacred Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi named Aja (Annada), which removes all sins.
Indeed, this Ekadasi 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 from his
vision. "King Harishchandra followed Gautama Muni's instructions
concerning fasting on the sacred day of Aja Ekadasi. 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 Ekadasi fast! It immediately
vanquishes whatever miseries one may be suffering as a result of
past karmic sinful activities. Thus all Harishchandra's miseries
were relieved. Just by the power of this wonderful Ekadasi, 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
Ekadasi 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 Ekadasi is surely freed from all his sins and
ascends to the spiritual world. And whosoever hears and studies the
glories of this Ekadasi achieves the merit gained by performing a
horse sacrifice." Thus ends the narration of the glories of
Bhadrapada-krishna Ekadasi, or Aja Ekadasi, from the
Brahma-vaivarta Purana.
