Sri Garga Samhita
BY: SUN STAFF
Feb 25, CANADA (SUN) —
Canto Four, Volume Two
Chapter Nine
Sri Ekadasi-mahatmya
The Glories of Sri Ekadasi
Text 1
sri-gopya ucuh
vrishabhanu-sute su-bhru
sarva-sastrartha-para-ge
vidambayanti tvam vaca
vacam vacaspater muneh
The gopis said: O beautiful-eyebrowed daughter of King
Vrishabhanu, O girl who has traveled to the farther shore of the
deep meanings of all the scriptures, Your words are like
Brihaspati Muni's words.
Text 2
ekadasi-vratam radhe
kena kena pura kritam
tad bruhi no viseshena
tvam sakshaj jnana-sevadhih
O Radha, what great souls followed ekadasi in ancient times?
Please tell us. You know all this.
Texts 3
sri-radhovaca
adau devaih kritam gopyo
varam ekadasi-vratam
bhrashta-rajyasya labhartham
daityanam nasanaya ca
Sri Radha said: O gopis, in the beginning of creation the
demigods followed ekadasi to destroy the demons and regain their
lost kingdom.
Text 4
vaisantena pura rajna
kritam ekadasi-vratam
sva-pitus taranarthaya
yamaloka-gatasya ca
In ancient times King Visanta followed ekadasi to rescue his
father from the world of Yamaraja.
Text 5
akasmal lumpakenapi
jnati-tyaktena papina
ekadasi krita yena
rajyam lebhe sa lumpakah
A sinner named Lumpaka, who abandoned his relatives,
followed ekadasi and attained a great kingdom.
Text 6
bhadravatyam ketumata
kritam ekadasi-vratam
putra-hinena sad-vakyat
putram lebhe sa manavah
In the city of Bhadravati, King Ketuman was sonless.
Following ekadasi on a great saint's advice, he obtained a son.
Text 7
brahmanyai deva-patnibhir
dattam ekadasi-vratam
tena lebhe svarga-saukhyam
dhana-dhanyam ca manushi
Once the demigoddesses gave ekadasi to a brahmani. By
following ekadasi that brahmani attained great wealth and
happiness like that on Svargaloka.
Text 8
pushpadanti-malyavantau
sakra-sapat pisacatam
praptam kritam vratam tabhyam
punar gandharvatam gatau
Cursed by Indra, Pushpadanti and Malyavan became demons, but
by following ekadasi they again became Gandharvas.
Text 9
pura sri-ramacandrena
kritam ekadasi-vratam
samudre setubandhartham
ravanasya vadhaya ca
To build a bridge on the ocean and kill Ravana, in ancient
times even Lord Ramacandra followed ekadasi.
Text 10
layante ca samutpanna
dhatri-vriksha-tale surah
ekadasi-vratam cakruh
sarva-kalyana-hetave
When, after the period of cosmic devastation had ended, the
demigods were again manifested from the tree of creation, they
followed ekadasi to attain all auspiciousness.
Text 11
vratam cakara medhavi
dvadasyah pitri-vakyatah
apsarah-sparsa-doshena
mukto 'bhun nirmala-dyutih
Following ekadasi on Pita's advice, Medhavi became free from
the sin of touching an apsara and became pure and splendid again.
Text 12
gandharvo lalitah patnya
gatah sapat sa rakshatam
ekadasi-vratenapi
punar gandharvatam gatah
Transformed into demons by a curse, Lalita and his wife
followed ekadasi and became Gandharvas again.
Text 13
ekadasi-vratenapi
mandhata svar-gatim gatah
sagaras ca kakutsthas ca
mucukundo maha-matih
By following ekadasi, Mandhata, Sagara, Kakutstha, and
noble-hearted Mucukunda attained Svargaloka.
Text 14
dhundhumaradayas canye
rajano bahavas tatha
brahma-kapala-nirmukto
babhuva bhagavan bhavah
By following ekadasi Dhundhumara and many other kings also
attained Svargaloka. By following ekadasi Lord Siva was able to
put down his necklace of brahmanas' skulls.
Text 15
dhrishtabuddhir vaisya-putro
jnati-tyakto maha-khalah
ekadasi-vratam kritva
vaikuntham sa jagama ha
The sinner Dhrishtabuddhi, who was a vaisya's son, and who
abandoned his own relatives, followed ekadasi and went to
Vaikuntha.
Text 16
rajna rukmangadenapi
kritam ekadasi-vratam
tena bhu-mandalam bhuktva
vaikuntham sa-puro yayau
By following ekadasi King Rukmangada was able to rule the
circle of the earth and go, taking with him the citizens of his
kingdom, to Vaikuntha.
Text 17
ambarishena rajnapi
kritam ekadasi-vratam
nasprisad brahma-sapo 'pi
yo na pratihatah kvacit
Even though he did nothing to protect himself from it, King
Ambarisha, a follower of ekadasi, was untouched by a brahmana's
curse.
Text 18
hemamali nama yakshah
kushthi dhanada-sapatah
ekadasi-vratam kritva
candra-tulyo babhuva ha
A yaksha named Hemamali, who became a leper by Kuvera's
curse, followed ekadasi and became cured. He became splendid as
the moon.
Text 19
mahijita nripenapi
kritam ekadasi-vratam
tena putram subham labdhva
vaikuntham sa jagama ha
By following ekadasi, King Mahijit attained a good son and
then went to Vaikuntha.
Text 20
hariscandrena rajnapi
kritam ekadasi-vratam
tena labdhva mahi-rajyam
vaikuntham sa-puro yayau
By following ekadasi, King Hariscandra attained a great
kingdom and, taking all his subjects with him, went to Vaikuntha.
Text 21
sri-sobhano nama pura krite yuge
jamatriko 'bhun mucukunda-bhubhritah
ekadasim yah samuposhya bharate
praptah sa devaih kila mandaracale
In Satya-yuga King Sobhana, who was Mucukunda's son-in-law,
fasted on ekadasi and went to Mount Mandara with the demigods.
Text 22
adyapi rajyam kurute kuvera-vad
rajna yuto 'sau kila candrabhagaya
ekadasim sarva-tithisvarim param
janitha gopyo na hi tat-samanya
Even today one can attain a kingdom like Kuvera's simply by
following ekadasi. O gopis, please know that ekadasi is the queen
of all holy days. No other holy day is her equal.
Text 23
sri-narada uvaca
iti radha-mukhac chrutva
yajna-sitas ca gopikah
ekadasi-vratam cakrur
vidhivat krishna-lalasah
Sri Narada said: After hearing from Sri Radha's mouth the
glories of ekadasi, the gopis that had been yajna-sitas,
and who were now yearning to attain Sri Krishna, carefully followed
ekadasi.
Text 24
ekadasi-vratenapi
prasannah sri-harih svayam
margasirshe purnimayam
rasam tabhis cakara ha
Pleased by their observance of ekadasi, Krishna enjoyed a
rasa dance with these gopis on the full-moon night of the month
of Margasirsha (November-December).
