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Vrat & Vrat Katha
Apara Ekadashi Vrat Katha
Apara Ekadashi falls in the month of Jayestha (May-June). It is also known as ‘Jayestha Krishna Ekadashi’. Apara Ekadashi is the giver of good deeds, destroyer of sins and one who observes the vrat with a full fast on this day attains great esteem and honor in this world.
Once Yudhishthira Maharaja said, ‘Oh Lord Krishna, Oh Vasudeva, please accept my humble obeisance’s. Please describe to me the Ekadashi that occurs during krishna paksha of the month of Jyeshtha (May-June). Please narrate to me everything like its name, importance etc. about this Ekadashi.
Lord Sri Krishna said, “Oh great king ! the name of this meritorious Ekadashi is Apara Ekadashi. Whoever fasts on this holy day becomes famous all over the universe. Even such sins as killing a brahman, a cow, or an embryo, blasphemy, or having sex with another man’s wife are completely eradicated by observing Apara Ekadashi. People who bear false witness, a person who falsely or sarcastically glorifies another, one who cheats while weighing something on a scale, one who invents his own scripture, one who cheats others, one who is a false astrologer, a cheating accountant, or a false Ayurvedic doctor. All these are surely as bad as persons who bears false witness, and they are all destined for hellish punishments. But simply by observing Apara Ekadashi, all such sinners become completely free of their sinful reactions. Warriors who fall from their kshatriya-dharma and flee the battlefield go to a ferocious hell. Even such a fallen kshatriya, if he observes fasting on the Apara Ekadashi, is freed of that great sinful reaction and goes to heaven. That disciple is the greatest sinner who, after receiving a proper spiritual education from his spiritual master, turns around and blasphemes him. Such a so-called disciple suffers unlimitedly. But even he simply observes Apara Ekadashi, can attain to the spiritual world.
The merit attained by one who performs all of the following acts of piety is equal to the merit achieved by one who observes Apara Ekadashi: bathing three times daily in Pushkara-kshetra during Kartika,bathing at the time of a solar eclipse at Kurukshetra, bathing at Prayag in the month of Magh when the sun is in the zodiac of Capricorn; rendering service to Lord Shiva during Shivratri, offering oblations to one’s forefathers , bathing in the sacred Gomti River when Jupiter transits Leo (Singha); and and giving cows, elephants, and gold in charity. All the merit one gets from performing these pious acts is gained by a person who observes the Apara Ekadashi fast. Also, the merit attained by one who donates a pregnant cow, along with gold and fertile land, is attained by one who fasts on this day. This Ekadashi is an axe that cuts down the fully matured forest full of trees of sinful deeds, it is a forest fire that burns sins as if they were kindling firewood, it is the sun blazing before one’s dark misdeeds. Therefore one who faithfully observes the Apara Ekadashi and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Trivikrama. One who does so is freed of all his sins and promoted to the abode of Lord Vishnu.
“Oh King ! for the benefit of all humanity I have thus described to you this the importance of the Apara Ekadashi. Anyone who hears or reads this description is freed from all kinds of sins.