Fasting for Apara Ekadasi
Apara Ekadasi
AparA EkAdasii: from the BrahmANDa PurANa
Sri Yudhishthira MahArAj said, “Oh JanArdana, what is the name of the
EkAdasii that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the
month of Jyeshtha (May-June) ? I wish to hear from You the glories of this
sacred day of Hari. Please narrate everything to me”
Lord Sri Krishna said, “Oh king, your inquiry is wonderful because the
answer will benefit the whole human society. This EkAdasii is so sublime
and meritorious that even the greatest sins can be erased by its purity.
“Oh great saintly king, the name of this unlimitedly meritorious EkAdasii
is AparA EkAdasii. Whoever fasts on this holy day becomes famous all over
the universe. Even such sins as killing a brAhmana, a cow, or an embryo;
blasphemy; or having sex with another man’s wife are completely eradicated
by observing AparA EkAdasii.
“Oh king people who bear false witness are most sinful. A person who
falsely or sarcastically glorifies another; one who cheats while weighing
something on a scale; one who fails to execute the duties of his varna or
Ashrama (an unqualified man’s posing as a brahmin, for example, or a
person’s reciting the Vedas wrongly); one who invents his own scriptures;
one who cheats others; one who is a charlatan astrologer, a cheating
accountant, or a false Ayurvedik doctor – all these are surely as bad as
persons who bears false witness, and they are all destined for hellish
punishments. But simply by observing AparA EkAdasii, all such sinners
become completely free of their sinful reactions.
“Warriors who fall from their kshatriya-dharma and flee the battlefield go
to a ferocious hell. But, Oh Yudhishthira, even such a fallen kshatriya,
if he observes fasting on the AparA EkAdasii, is freed of that great
sinful reaction and goes to heaven.
“That disciple is the greatest sinner who, after receiving a proper
spiritual education from his spiritual master, turns around and blasphemes
him. Such a so-called disciple suffers unlimitedly. But even he, rascal
though he be, if he simply observes AparA EkAdasii, can attain to the
spiritual world. Listen, Oh king, as I describe to you further glories of
this amazing EkAdasii.
“The merit attained by one who performs all of the following acts of piety
is equal to the merit achieved by one who observes AparA EkAdasii: bathing
three times daily in Pushkara-kshetra during Kartika (October-November);
bathing at Prayag in the month of Magh (January-February) when the sun is
in the zodiac of Capricorn; rendering service to Lord Shiva at VarANasi
(Benares) during Shiva-ratri; offering oblations to one’s forefathers at
GayA; bathing in the sacred Gautami River when Jupiter transits Leo
(Simha); having darshan of Lord Shiva at KedArnAtha; seeing Lord BadrinAth
when the Sun transits the sign of Aquarius (Kumbha); and bathing at the
time of a solar eclipse at Kurukshetra and giving cows, elephants, and
gold there in charity. All the merit one gets from performing these pious
acts is gained by a person who observes the AparA EkAdasii fast. Also, the
merit attained by one who donates a pregnant cow, along with gold and
fertile land, is attained by one who fasts on this day.
“In other words, AparA EkAdasii is an axe that cuts down the fully matured
forest full of trees of sinful deeds, it is a forest fire that burns sins
as if they were kindling firewood, it is the sun blazing before one’s dark
misdeeds, and it is a lion stalking the meek deer of impiety.
“Therefore, Oh Yudhishthira, whoever truly fears his past and present sins
must observe AparA EkAdasii very strictly. One who does not observe this
fast must be born again in the material world, like one bubble among
millions in a huge body of water, or like a small ant among all other
species. NOTE
“Therefore one must faithfully observe the sacred AparA EkAdasii and
worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Trivikrama. One who does
so is freed of all his sins and promoted to the abode of Lord Vishnu.
“Oh BhArata, for the benefit of all humanity I have thus described to you
this the importance of the holy AparA EkAdasii.
“Anyone who hears or reads this description is certainly freed from all
kinds of sins, oh best of saintly kings, Yudhishthira.
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