<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Yudhisthira Maharaj said, \u201cOh Lord Sri\u00a0Krishna<\/span>, O glorious son of Vasudeva, please be merciful to me and describe the Ekadasii that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Phalguna (February-March)”<\/p>\n Lord Sri Krishna replied, \u201cOh Yudhisthira, Oh king of kings, gladly I shall tell you about this great fast, known as Vijaya Ekadasii. Whoever observes it certainly achieves success in this life and the next. All the sins of one who fasts on this Ekadasii and hears its sublime glories are eradicated.<\/p>\n \u201cNarada Muni once asked lord\u00a0Brahma<\/span>, who sits on a\u00a0lotus flower<\/span>\u00a0about the Vijaya Ekadasii. Sri Narada said, \u2018Oh best of all the demigods, kindly tell me the merit one can achieve by faithfully observing Vijaya Ekadasii.\u2019 \u201cWhen Lord Rama was exiled to the forest for fourteen years, He, the goddess Sita, and His divine brother Lakshmana stayed at Panchavati as mendicants. Mother Sita was then kidnapped by the demon Ravana, and Lord Rama seemingly became bewildered like an ordinary man by distress. While searching for His beloved consort, the Lord came upon the dying Jatayu and thereafter killed His enemy Kabandha.. The great devotee-vulture Jatayu returned to Vaikuntha after telling Rama how His dear Sita had been abducted by Ravana.<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018Later, Lord Rama and Sugriva, the king of the monkeys, became friends. Together they amassed a grand army of monkeys and bears and sent HanumAnji his minister to Sri LankA, where he was able to see Janaki (Srimati Sita devi) in an Ashoka grove garden. He delivered Lord Rama\u2019s message and showed the ring proving his authenticity for rendering such great service to the Supreme Lord Sri Rama.\u201c \u2018With the help of Sugriva, Lord Rama proceeded toward Sri Lanka. Upon arriving at the shore of the ocean with the army of monkeys, He could understand that the water was uncommonly deep and hostile. Thus He said to Lakshmana, \u201cOh son of Sumitra, how can We earn enough merit to be able to cross this vast ocean, the unfathomable abode of Varuna deva? I can see no easy way to cross it, teeming as it is with sharks and other ferocious aquatics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018Lakshmana replied, \u201cOh best of all beings, Oh origin of all the devas, Oh primal personality, the great sage Bakad Albhya lives on an island just four miles from here. Oh Raghava, he has seen many BrahmAs come and go, so aged and wise is he. Let us go to him, take his darshan (audience) and ask him how We can safely reach Our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018So Rama and Lakshmana proceeded to the humble Ashrama of the incomparable Bakad Albhya Muni. Approaching him, the two Lords paid Their respectful obeisances to him as if he were a second Vishnu. Bakad Albhya could immediately understand, however, that Sri Rama was actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who for His own reasons had appeared on the Earth and was enacting just like a human being. \u201c \u2018 \u201cOn the day before Ekadasii, fashion a water pot of gold or silver, or even copper. Even clay will do if these metals are unavailable. Fill the pot with\u00a0pure water<\/span>\u00a0and then decorate it nicely with mango leaves. Cover it and place it near a holy altar upon a\u00a0mound<\/span>\u00a0of seven grains (the seven grains are barley, wheat, rice, corn, chickpeas, kukani, and dahl or peas). Now take Your morning bath, decorate the water pot with flower garlands and sandalwood paste,\u00a0and inn<\/span>\u00a0the concave lid atop the pot place there the barley, pomegranate, and coconut. Now with great love and devotion worship the water pot Deity form and offer Him\u00a0incense<\/span>, sandalwood paste, flowers, a ghee lamp, and a plate of sumptuous foods. Remain there awake that night beside this sacred pot. On top of the lid filled with barley, etc., place a golden murthy of Lord Sri Narayana. \u201c \u2018 \u201cWhen the Dwadasi dawns, take the water pot to the bank of a holy river, or even to the shore of a small pond. After worshipping it again properly, Oh King of kings, offer it with all the aforementioned ingredients to a pure hearted brahmin, expert in the Vedic sciences. If You and Your military commanders observe the Vijaya Ekadasii in this way, You will surely be victorious in every way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u201d \u2018Lord Sri Ramachandra Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, did just as Bakad Albhya Muni instructed, and thus He conquered all demoniac forces. Similarly, anyone who observes the Vijaya Ekadasii in this way will always be victorious in this mortal world, and after leaving this world he\/she will reside forever in the anxiety free realm of the Kingdom of God known as the Vaikunthas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018Oh Narada, my son, from this history you can understand why one should observe this Ekadasii fast properly, strictly following the rules and regulations. This fast is powerful enough to eradicate all one\u2019s sinful reactions, even the most abominable ones.\u201d<\/p>\n Lord Sri Krishna concluded, \u201cOh Yudhisthira, anyone who reads or hears this history will attain the same great merit as that which is earned by performing a horse sacrifice on days of yore.\u201d<\/p>\n Thus ends the narration of the glories of Phalguna-krsna Ekadasii or Vijaya Ekadasii, from the Skanda Purana.<\/p>\n These stories have been summarized and slightly changed, abbreviated or added to from how they are found in the celebrated book, „Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari” 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"evge_event_cat":[13],"evge_event_tag":[],"class_list":["post-595","evge_event","type-evge_event","status-publish","hentry","evge_event_cat-ekadashi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.govardhan.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/evge_event\/595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.govardhan.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/evge_event"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.govardhan.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/evge_event"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.govardhan.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.govardhan.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"evge_event_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.govardhan.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/evge_event_cat?post=595"},{"taxonomy":"evge_event_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.govardhan.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/evge_event_tag?post=595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u201cNarada\u2019s great father then replied, \u2018My dear son, this oldest of\u00a0fasting days<\/span>\u00a0is pure, and it nullifies all sins. I have never revealed this to anyone until today, but you can understand beyond any doubt that this Ekadasii bestows the result indicated by its name\u2026 (Vijaya meaning Victory).<\/p>\n
\n\u201c \u2018 \u201cRama, \u201c said BakadAlbhya, \u201cOh best of the human beings, why have You come to my lowly abode?\u201d
\n\u201c \u2018The Lord replied, \u201cOh great, twice born\u00a0brahmin<\/span>, I have come here to the ocean shore with My phalanx of monkey and bear warriors in order to cross the sea and conquer LankA and its demon horde headed by Ravana. Oh greatest of\u00a0sages<\/span>, please be merciful unto Me and please tell Me how I can cross this vast ocean. That is why I have come to your Ashrama today.\u201d
\n\u201c \u2018The sage said, \u201cOh Lord Sri Rama, I shall tell you of the most exalted of all fasts, observing which You will surely conquer Ravana and be eternally glorified. Kindly now listen with full attention.<\/p>\n
\n\u201c \u2018 \u201cWhen Ekadasii dawns, take Your morning bath and then decorate the water pot with fine sandalwood paste and garlands. Then worship the pot again with first class incense,\u00a0lamps<\/span>, sandalwood paste and flowers dipped in sandalwood paste, and then devoutly\/devotedly place many kinds of cooked food, pomegranate, and coconut before the water pot. Then remain awake over night.<\/p>\n