Vaikuntha Ekadashi / Mokshada Ekadasi / Mukkoti Ekadashi.
The Ancient History of Mokshada Ekadasi from Brahmanda Purana: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Yudhishthira Maharaj said, "O Vishnu, 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. ......
Lord Sri Krishna replied, "O dear Yudhishthira, your enquiry is very auspicious in itself and will
bring you fame. Just
as I previously explained to you about the dearest Utpannaa Maha-Dwadasi - which occurs during
the dark part of the
month of Margashirsha, which is the day when Ekadasi-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 Ekadasi that
occurs during the light part of the month of Margashirsha. This Ekadasi is famous as Mokshadaa
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 Damodara. 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 Ekadasi. 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 Champaka-nagar, which was decorated with devoted
Vaishnavas. There the best
of saintly kings Maharaj Vaikhaanasa, ruled over his subjects as if they were his very own dear sons and daughters. The
brahmins in that capital city were all expert in four kinds of Vedik 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 Yamaraj. The king was overwhelmed with compassion for his father and shed tears. The next morning,
Maharaj Vaikhaanasa described what he had seen in his dream to his council of twice born learned
brahmins. " ' O
brahmanas,' the king addressed them, '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
brahmins, 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 brahmins, 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 from that
agony and bestow upon
liberation upon my forefathers. O best among the brahmins, 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
brahmins 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 is tri-kala-jnan (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 (Rg, Yajur, Sama, and
Arthava). Approaching the
holy ashram, the king beheld Parvata Muni seated among the assembly of sages adorned with
hundreds of tilaks (from
all
the authorised sampradayas) like another Brahmaa or Vyaas. "Maharaj Vaikhaanasa 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
(his ministers, his
treasury, his military forces, his allies, the brahmins, the sacrificial offerings performed, and the
needs of his subjects).
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
brahmana 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
Vaikhaanasa 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 release (salvation - liberation - going back home).'
"Parvata Muni replied,
'During the light fortnight of the month of Margashirsha there occurs an Ekadasi called
Mokshadaa. If you observe this
sacred Ekadasi strictly, with a full fast, and give directly to your suffering father the merit you will
thus attain/obtain, he
will be freed from his pain and instantly liberated'. "Hearing this, Maharaj Vaikhaanasa profusely
thanked the great
sage and then returned to his palace to perform his vrata (austere rite, austerity). O Yudhishthira,
when the light part of
the month of Margashirsha at last arrived, Maharaj Vaikhaanasa faithfully waited for the Ekadasi
tithi to arrive. He then
perfectly and with full faith observed the Ekadasi 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 from where
he can again with his newly acquired merit perform devotional service to Krishna or Vishnu and in
due course return
back to home back to Godhead. "O son of Pandu, who so ever strictly observes the sacred
Mokshadaa Ekadasi, following
the established rules and regulations, achieves full and perfect liberation after death. There is no
better fasting day than
this Ekadasi of the light fortnight of the month of Margashirsha, O Yudhishthira, for it is a crystal-
clear and sinless
day.
Whoever faithfully observes this Ekadasi fast, which is like chintaa-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 Ekadasi for his own spiritual benefit, this elevates one to go back to Godhead, never to
return to this material
world." ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: HSVJ
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