Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, "O Viṣṇu, master of all, O delight of the three worlds, O Lord of the entire Universe, O creator of the world, O oldest personality, O best of all beings,
I offer my most respectful obeisances unto You.
"O Lord of lords, for the benefit of all living entities, kindly answer some questions that I have.
What is the name of the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Mārgaśirṣa
(November-December) and removes all sins? How does one observe it properly, and which
Deity is worshipped on that holiest of days? O my Lord please explain this to me in full."
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa replied, "O dear Yudhiṣṭhira, your enquiry is very auspicious in itself and will
bring you fame. Just as I previously explained to you about the dearest Utpannā Mahā-Dvādaś ī -
which occurs during the dark part of the month of Mārgaśirṣa, which is the day when Ekādaśī-
devi appeared from My body to kill the demon Mura, and which benefits everything animate and
inanimate in the three worlds - so I shall now relate to you regarding this Ekādaśī that occurs
during the light part of the month of Mārgaśirṣa. This Ekādaśī is famous as Mokṣadā because it
purifies the faithful devotee of all sinful reactions and bestows liberation upon him. The
worshippable Deity of this all auspicious day is Lord Dāmodara. With full attention one should
worship Him with incense, a ghee lamp, fragrant flowers, and Tulasi manjaris (buds).
"O best of saintly kings, please listen as I narrate to you the ancient and auspicious history of this
wonderful Ekādaśī. Simply by hearing this history one can attain the merit earned by performing
a horse sacrifice. By the influence of this merit, one's forefathers, mothers, sons, and other
relatives who have gone to hell can turn around and go to the heavenly kingdom. For this reason
alone, O king, you should listen with rapt attention to this narration. "There once was a beautiful
city named Campaka- nagara, which was decorated with devoted Vaiṣṇavas. There the best of
saintly kings Mahārāja Vaikhānasa, ruled over his subjects as if they were his very own dear
sons and daughters. The brāhmaṇas in that capital city were all expert in four kinds of Vedic
knowledge. The king, while ruling properly, had a dream one night in which his father was seen
to be suffering the pangs of hellish torture in one of the hellish planets ruled over by the
Yamarāja. The king was overwhelmed with compassion for his father and shed tears. The next
morning, Mahārāja Vaikhānasa described what he had seen in his dream to his council of twice
born learned brāhmaṇas.
" ' O brāhmaṇas,' the king said, 'in a dream last night I saw my father suffering on a hellish
planet. He was crying out in anguish, "O son, please deliver me from this torment of this hellish
condition !" Now I have no peace in my mind, and even this beautiful kingdom has become
unbearable to me. Not even my horses, elephants, and chariots and my vast wealth in my
treasury that formerly brought so much pleasure, gives me no pleasure at all.
" 'Everything, O best of the brāhmaṇas, even my own wife and sons, have become a source of
unhappiness since I beheld my father suffering the tortures of that hellish condition so. Where
can I go, and what can I do, O brāhmaṇas, to alleviate this misery? My body is burning with fear
and sorrow! Please tell me what kind of charity, what mode of fasting, what austerity, or what
deep meditation, and in service upon which Deity I may have to perform to deliver my father
Yfrom that agony and bestow upon liberation upon my forefathers. O best among the brāhmaṇas,
what is the use of one's being a powerful son if one's father must suffer on a hellish planet?
Truly, such a son's life is utterly useless, to him and to his forefathers.
"The twice born brāhmaṇas replied, 'O king, in the mountainous forest not far from here is the
ashram where a great saint Parvata Muni resides. Please go to him, for he knows the past, the
present, and the future of everything and can surely help you in your gaining relief from your
misery.'
"Upon hearing this advise, the distressed king immediately set out on a journey to the ashram of
the famous sage Parvata Muni. The ashram was indeed very big and housed many learned sages
expert in chanting the sacred hymns of the four Vedas. Approaching the holy ashram, the king
beheld Parvata Muni seated among the assembly of sages like another Lord Brahmā.
"Mahārāja Vaikhānasa offered his humble obeisances to the muni, bowing his head and then
prostrating his entire body before him. After the king had seated himself among the assembly
Parvata Muni asked him about the welfare of the seven limbs of his extensive kingdom. The
muni also asked him if his kingdom was free of troubles and whether everyone was peaceful,
happy and satisfied. To these enquiries the king replied, 'By your mercy O glorious and great
sage, all seven limbs of my kingdom are doing very well. Yet there is a problem that has recently
arisen and to solve it I have come to you, O brāhmaṇa for your expert help and guidance'.
"Then Parvata Muni, the best of all sages, closed his eyes and meditated on the king's past,
present and future. After a few moments he opened his eyes and said, 'Your father is suffering
the results of committing a great sin and I have discovered what it is. In his previous life he
quarrelled with his wife and forcibly enjoyed her sexually during her menstrual period. She tried
to protest and resist his advances and even yelled out, "Someone please save me! Please, O
husband, do not interrupt my monthly period in this way!" Still he did not stop or leave her
alone. It is on account of this grievous sin that your father now has fallen into such a hellish
condition of suffering.'
"King Vaikhānasa then said, 'O greatest among sages, by what process of fasting or charity may I
liberate my dear father from such a condition? Please tell me how I can relieve and remove the
burden of his sinful reactions, which are a great obstacle to his progress toward ultimate
liberation.'
"Parvata Muni replied, 'During the light fortnight of the month of Mārgaśirṣa there occurs an
Ekādaśī called Mokṣadā. If you observe this sacred Ekādaśī strictly, with a full fast, and give
directly to your suffering father the merit you thus attain/obtain, he will be freed from his pain
and instantly liberated'.
"Hearing this, Mahārāja Vaikhānasa profusely thanked the great sage and then returned to his
palace. O Yudhiṣṭhira, when the light part of the month of Mārgaśirṣa at last arrived, Mahārāja
Vaikhānasa faithfully waited for the Ekādaśī tithi to arrive. He then perfectly and with full faith
observed the Ekādaśī fast with his wife, children, and other relatives. He dutifully gave the merit
from this fast to his father, and as he made the offering, beautiful flower petals showered down from the devas who peered out from behind the clouds in the sky. The king's father was then
praised by the messengers of the demigods (devas) and escorted to the celestial region. As he
passed his son, as he traversed the lower to middle to higher planets, the father said to the king,
'My dear son, all auspiciousness unto you!' At last he reached the heavenly realm.
"O son of Pandu, who so ever strictly observes the sacred Mokṣadā Ekādaśī, following the
established rules and regulations, achieves full and perfect liberation after death. There is no
better fasting day than this Ekādaśī of the light fortnight of the month of Mārgaśirṣa, O
Yudhiṣṭhira, for it is a crystal-clear and sinless day. Whoever faithfully observes this Ekādaśī
fast, which is like cintā-mani (a gem that yields all desires), obtains special merit that is very
hard to calculate, for this day can elevate one from hellish life to the heavenly planets, and for
one who observes Ekādaśī for his own spiritual benefit, this elevates one to go back to God,
never to return to this material world."
Thus ends the Vṛjavāsī narration of the glories of Mārgaśirṣa-shukla Ekādaśī or Mokṣada
Ekādaśī, from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa.
Notes
The four Vedas are Rg, Yajur, Sama and Arthava
The seven limbs of a king‟s domain are the king himself, his ministers, his treasury, his military forces, his allies, the
brāhmaṇas, the sacrificial offerings performed and the needs of his subjects.
Mokshada Ekādaśī is a special Ekādaśī in two regards; It was the auspicious day on which Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke the
Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, at the place now known as Jyotisar Tirtha.
Anyone who gifts a Bhagavad Gītā away to a deserving person on this day is bestowed profuse blessings by the Śrī
Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare|
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare||
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