"My Lord, You have so kindly
explained to me the auspicious day known as Sat-tila Ekadashi, which
occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Magha
[January-February]. Now please explain the Ekadashi, that occurs during
the light fortnight of this month. By what name is it known, and what is
the process for observing it? Who is the Deity that is worshiped on
this sublime day, which is so very dear to You?"
Lord Shri
Krishna replied, "0 Yudhisthira, I shall gladly tell you about the
Ekadashi, that occurs during the light half of the month of Magha. This
Ekadashi, obliterates all kinds of sinful reactions and demoniac
influences affecting the spirit soul. It is known as Jay& Ekadashi,
and the fortunate soul who observes a fast on this sacred day is
relieved of the great burden of ghostly existence. Thus there is no
better Ekadashi, than this, for it truly bestows freedom from birth and
death. It is to be honored very carefully and diligently. So I ask you
to listen to Me very attentively, 0 Pandava, as I explain a wonderful
historical episode regarding this Ekadashi, an episode I have already
related in the Padma Purana
"Long, long ago in the heavenly
planets, Lord Indra ruled his celestial kingdom very nicely, and all the
demigods living there were very happy and content. In Nandana Forest,
which was beautifully graced with parijata flowers, Indra drank ambrosia
whenever he liked and enjoyed the service of fifty million celestial
maidens, the Apsaras, who danced in ecstasy for his pleasure.
"Many
singers, led by Puspadanta, sang in voices sweet beyond compare.
Citrasena, Indra's chief musician, was there in the company of his wife
Malini and his beautiful son Malyavan. An Apsara named Puspavati became
very much attracted to Malyavan; indeed, Cupid's sharp arrows pierced
the core of her heart. Her beautiful body and complexion, along with the
enchanting movements of her eyebrows, captivated Malyavan.
"0
king, listen as I describe the splendid beauty of Puspavati: She had
incomparably graceful arms with which to embrace a man like a fine
silken noose; her face resembled the moon; her lotus eyes reached almost
to her lovely ears, which were adorned with wonderful earrings; her
thin, ornamented neck looked like a conch; her waist was very slender,
the size of a fist; her hips were broad, and her thighs like the trunks
of banana trees; her naturally beautiful features were complemented by
gorgeous ornaments and garments; her breasts were highly raised; and to
look upon her feet was to behold newly grown red lotuses.
"Seeing
Puspavati in all her heavenly beauty, Malyavan was bewitched at once.
They had come with other performers to please Lord Indra by singing and
dancing enchantingly, but because they had become so enamored of each
other, pierced through the heart by the arrows of Cupid, lust
personified, they were utterly unable to sing or dance properly before
the lord and master of the heavenly realms.' Their pronunciation was
wrong and their rhythm careless. Lord Indra understood the source of the
errors at once. Offended at the discord in the musical performance, he
became very angry and screamed, 'You useless fools! You pretend to sing
for me while in a stupor of infatuation with each other! You are mocking
me! I curse you both to suffer henceforth as pisacas [hobgoblins]. As
husband and wife, go to the earthly regions and reap the reactions of
your offenses.'
"Struck dumb by these harsh words, Malyavan and
Puspavati at once became morose and fell from the beautiful Nandana
Forest in the kingdom of heaven to a Himalayan peak here on planet
earth. Immeasurably distressed, and their celestial intelligence vastly
diminished by the effects of Indra's fierce curse, they lost their
senses of taste and smell, and even their sense of touch. It was so cold
and miserable high on the Himalayan wastes of snow and ice that they
could not even enjoy the oblivion of sleep.
"Roaming aimlessly
hither and thither in those harsh altitudes, Malyavan and Puspavati
suffered more and more, from one moment to the next. Even though they
were situated in a cave, because of the snowfall and cold their teeth
chattered ceaselessly, and their hair stood on end because of their
fright and bewilderment.
"In this utterly desperate situation,
Malyavan said to Puspavati, 'What abominable sins did we commit to have
to suffer in these pisaca bodies, in this impossible environment? This
is absolutely hellish! Though hell is very ferocious, the suffering we
are undergoing here is even more abominable. Therefore it is abundantly
clear that one should never commit any sin.'
"And so the forlorn
lovers trudged onward in the snow and ice. By their great good fortune,
however, it so happened that that very day was Jaya Ekadashi, the
Ekadashi of the light fortnight of the month of Magha. Because in their
misery they neglected to drink any water, kill any game, or even eat
whatever fruits and leaves were available at that altitude, they
unknowingly observed Ekadashi by fasting completely from all food and
drink. Sunk in misery, Malyavan and Puspavati collapsed beneath a pipal
tree and did not even try to get up. The sun had set by this time.
"The
night was even colder and more miserable than the day. They shivered in
the frigid snowfall as their teeth chattered in unison, and when they
became numb, they embraced just to keep warm. Locked in each other's
arms, they could enjoy neither sleep nor sex. Thus they suffered through
the whole night under the powerful curse of Indra.
"Still, 0
Yudhisthira, by the mercy of the fast they had by chance observed on
Jaya Ekadashi, and because they had remained awake all night, they were
blessed. Please hear what happened on the next day. As Dvadasi dawned,
Malyavan and Puspavati had given up their demoniac forms and were once
again beautiful heavenly beings wearing lustrous ornaments and exquisite
garments. As they looked at each other in amazement, a celestial
airplane [vimana] arrived on the spot. A chorus of heavenly denizens
sang their praises as the couple stepped into the beautiful aircraft and
proceeded directly to the heavenly regions, buoyed up by the good
wishes of everyone. Soon Malyavan and Puspavati arrived at Amaravati,
Lord Indra's capital city, and then they immediately went before their
lord and offered him their cheerful obeisances.
"Lord Indra was
astonished to see that they had been restored to their original status
and forms so soon after he had cursed them to suffer as demons far, far
below his celestial kingdom. Indra asked them, 'What extraordinary
meritorious deeds have you performed so that you could give up your
pisaca bodies so quickly after I had cursed you? Who released you from
my irresistible curse?'
"Malyavan replied, '0 lord, it was by the
mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vasudeva, and also by
the powerful influence of Jaya Ekadashi, that we were released from our
suffering condition as pisacas. This is the truth, 0 master: Because we
executed devotional service to Lord Vishnu by observing Jaya Ekadashi,
the day most dear to Him, we have happily been restored to our former
status.'
"Indra said, 'Because you served the Supreme Lord Kesava
by observing Ekadashi, you have become worshipable even by me, and I
can see that you are now completely purified of sin. Whoever engages in
devotional service to Lord Shri Hari or Lord diva becomes praiseworthy
and worshipable even by me. Of this there is no doubt.' Lord Indra then
gave Malyavan and Puspavati free rein to enjoy each other and wander
about his heavenly planet.
"Therefore, 0 Yudhisthira, one should
strictly observe a fast on the day of Lord Hari, especially on Jaya
Ekadashi, which frees one from the sin of killing even a twice-born
brahmana. A great soul who observes this fast with full faith and
devotion has in effect given all kinds of charity, performed all kinds
of sacrifice, and bathed in all the holy places of pilgrimage. Fasting
on Jaya Ekadashi, qualifies one to reside in Vaikuntha and enjoy
unending happiness for billions of yugas-indeed, forever. 0 great king,
one who even hears or reads these glories of Jaya Ekadashi, achieves the
blessed merit attained by performing an Agnistoma sacrifice, during
which hymns from the Sama-veda are recited."
Thus ends the narration of the glories of MAgha-shukla EkAdasii, or JayA EkAdasii, from the Bhavishya-uttara Purana
