Putrada Ekadashi

Yudhishthira asked, ‘’what is the name of the Ekadashi that falls in the bright half of the month of Shravana? O Madhusudana, please favour me and be scribe it to me.’’

Lord Sri Krishna said, ‘’O king! Listen attentively to this ancient tale. At the beginning of the Dwapara Yuga, a king named Mahijit ruled over Mahismatipur. But he was not happy with his royal life, as he had no son. Worried about his advancing age, the king expressed his anguish before the assembly of subjects in these words,

’O my beloved people! In this life of mine, I have committed no sin. I have not put any unjustly earned money into my treasury. I have never taken money from a Brahmin or deity. I have looked after the people like my own children and have conquered Iands righteously. I have punished the wicked even if they were dear to me as my friend or son. I have always honoured respectable persons and have never hated anybody. Please contemplate and find out the reason why a son is not born to me.

The Brahmins, along with the subjects and priests, desiring the wellbeing of the king, went into a dense forest in search of the hermitages of Sages. Finally they chanced upon the excellent sage Lomasha

Lomashaji had imbibed the esoteric meaning of Dharma, was proficient in all sacred texts, had lived a long life and was magnanimous. This great omniscient Sage was named Lomasha as he had hair all over his body. Interestingly with the passage of a kalpa (a day in life of Lord Brahma, equal to 4.32 billion human years), one hair of body would fall off. Was effulgent and lustrous as Lord Brahma Himself

Everyone was very glad to see him. The excellent sage asked them, ‘’what bring here. I shall certainly do what is good for you.’’

The people said, ‘’O excellent among Brahmins! King Mahijit who rules over Mahishmatipur has no son. We are his subjects, whom he has looked after like his own children. We cannot just bear his grief of being without son and hence have come here with the firm determination to practice penance. O excellent among Brahmin! By virtue of the good fortune of king Mahijit we have been blessed with your holy Darshan, which in itself is enough to accomplish all tasks. O sage! Please tell us the means to accomplish our objective of helping the king have a son.’’

Maharshi Lomasha sat down in meditation for while. He took a cursory overview of the King’s previous births and then said, ‘’in his previous birth, your king was a poor Vaishya who fleeced people. Engaged in trade, he roamed from village to village. One day scorching noon of the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Jyeshtha, when the Sun had reached the centre of the sky, he saw a pond on the outskirts of a village. As he approached it order to satisfy his thirst, a cow with her calf also came to the pond. Oppressed by thirst and heat, the cow started drinking water from the pond. The Vaishya drove cow away and drank water himself. Due to that sinful act, in his present life the king is without a son. The religious merits from his other previous births have endowed him with this trouble-free kingdom.’’

The people said, ‘’O sage! We have learnt from the puranas sins can be washed away by the merits of virtuous deeds. Therefore please prescribe us the virtuous deed through which this sin of the king can be atoned.’’

Lomasha said, ‘’O men! Observe a fast Putrada Ekadashi, which falls in the bright half of the month of Shravana. This will give the desired results.’’

The people then bowed before the Sage and went back to the city. They me ticulously observed a fast on Putrada Ekadashi as per the prescribed procedure. They kept awake throughout the night and gave The merits of this religious observance the king. Soon the queen conceived. In dut course of time she gave birth to a lustrous son.

One who listens to the importance of this pious observance is delivered from sins, bestowed with happiness in this world and attains to heaven after death.’’

1. He was a great Muni practicing terrible penance and a great man of sacrifice. He was such a donor that he offered even his body. Indra made his formidable weapon, the thunderbolt, with his bones. The thunderbolt, with his bones. Who was that ascetic whose penance defeated the entire demon force

2. He was a great founder of Hindu Swaraj. A protector of Dharma and the nation he was, the pride of mother India. A mighty commander who fought for independence and self esteem, Who was that brave warrior, a worshipper of Mother Bhavani?

3. He gave the clarion call to the nation for freedom in the Iand of Rajasthan. Never did he bow his head before the Mughal emperors. A descendent of Rana Sanga, self-esteem. Who was that great patriot whose immortal story is imprinted in the valley called Haldi Ghaati?

4. The tales of valour of these Great Heroes will forever be sung. They have attained God Realization, the most heroic of heroic of heroic feats. After attaining Self- realization, nothing more remains to be accomplished. Attachment cant cannot delude him and desires do not arise in His mind. He was blessed with the grace and knowledge of the absolute Guru and thus He became ‘Asharam’, the master from Asumal. What is that Supreme State, these Great Heroes

Attained? Answers of ‘Self study’ Rp lssue: 221

(1) Sadguru (2) God-Contemplation(3) Senses(4) Desire(5)Gurumukh(6)Ekadashi (7) patience (8) Wellbeing