Nirajala Ekadashi : Sunday, 12 June 2011
निर्जला एकादशी का व्रत आयु, आरोग्यवृद्धि एवं पुण्य लाभ की दृष्टि से विशेष माना गया है।
व्यासजी के अनुसार अगर एक वर्ष की पच्चीस एकादशी न की जा सके तो केवल निर्जला एकादशी का व्रत करने से ही पुण्य लाभ हो जाता है।
Without drinking even water, one should fast on the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (May-June) when the sun travels in the sign of Taurus (Vrishabh) and Gemini (Mithun), According to learned personalities, on this day one may bathe and perform Achamana for pratiprokshana purification. But while performing Achamana one may drink only that amount of water equal to a drop of gold, or that amount it takes to immerse a single mustard seed. Only this amount of water should be placed in the right palm for sipping, which one should form to resemble a cow’s ear. If one drinks more water than this, he might as well have drunk wine – despite the soaring heat of summer (in the northern hemisphere and cold in the southern hemisphere).
Pray to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna in this way making your sankalpa declaration, `Oh Lord of all the devas (demigods), Oh Supreme Personality of Godhead, today I shall observe Ekadashi without taking any water. Oh unlimited Anantadev, I shall break fast on the next day, Dwadashi.’ Thereafter, to remove all his sins, the devotee should honour this Ekadashi fast with full faith in the Lord and with full control over his senses. Whether his sins are equal in volume to Mount Sumeru or to MandarAchala Hill, if he or she observes this Ekadashi, the sins that have been accumulated all become nullified and are burned to ashes. Such is the great power of this Ekadashi.
One must certainly not eat anything, for if he does so he breaks his fast. This rigid fast is in effect from sunrise on the Ekadashi day to sunrise on the Dwadashi day. If a person endeavours to observe this great fast very strictly, he easily achieves the result of observing all twenty-five other Ekadashi fasts throughout the entire year.
On Dwadashi the devotee should bathe early in the morning. Then, according to the prescribed rules, guidelines and regulative injunctions, and of course depending on his ability, he should give some gold and water to worthy brahmanas. Finally, he should cheerfully honour prasadam with a brahmana.
Although a person should also give water and cows in charity during this Ekadashi, if for some reason or other he cannot, then he should give a qualified brahman some cloth or a pot filled with water. Indeed, the merit achieved by giving water alone equals that gained by giving gold ten million times a day.
One who on this day gives a brahmana a waterpot, an umbrella, or shoes surely goes to the heavenly planets. Indeed, he who simply hears these glories also attains to the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord, Shri Vishnu. Whoever performs the Shraddha ceremony to the forefathers on the dark-moon day called amavasya, particularly if it occurs at the time of a solar eclipse undoubtedly achieves great merit. But this same merit is achieved by him who simply hears this sacred narration – so powerful and so dear to the Lord is this Ekadashi.
Anyone who does not fast on this particular Ekadashi (Nirjala Ekadashi), they should be understood to be sinful, corrupted and suicidal person without a doubt.
Remember, whosoever eats any grains on Ekadashi becomes contaminated by sin and verily eats only sin. In effect, he has already become a dog-eater, and after death he suffers a hellish existence. But he who observes this sacred Jyeshtha-shukla Ekadashi and gives something in charity certainly achieves liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death and attains to the supreme abode. Observing this Ekadashi, which is merged with Dwadashi, frees one from the horrible sin of killing a brahmana, drinking liquor and wine, becoming envious of one’s spiritual master and ignoring his instructions, and continually telling lies.
- Vyasadeva speaks to Bhimasena
(from Brahma-Vaivarta Purana & Padma Purana)
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