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<\/a><\/p>\nToday is Ekadasi. I have discussed about before that we have eleven (ekadasa is the Sanskrit word for eleven) senses including the mind. By Ekadasi, we will always want to be near to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. [On the previous Ekadasi, which was June 5th, Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja said, \u201cThis is called upa (near)-vasa (residing).\u201d Upavasa is generally taken to mean \u2018fasting,\u2019 but here Srila Maharaja is giving the deeper meaning – ed.]<\/p>\n
If all of our senses are serving the Supreme Lord, the mind is remembering Him, the ears are hearing His hari-katha, the eyes are seeing the Deities, the head is offering obeisance to the Bhagavatam, the devotees, and the Deities, the hands are performing arcana,the tongue is speaking hari-katha and singing kirtana, the feet are walking here \u2013 this is now a strong and sacred tirtha, where hari-katha is going on\u2013 you will surely be with the Supreme Godhead.<\/p>\n
There are two gains in this: external and internal. On this very day, until the full moon or new moon day, if you go to the ocean you will see very high waves. Why? The moon has some concern with water. We have water in our bodies. If you do not control what you eat and drink on the Ekadasi day (the eleventh day of the full and new moon), then whatever disease you have may increase from Ekadasi up to the full moon or new moon. If you fully fast, the moon will have no bad effect, but if you are taking grains, chappatis, bread, and too much water, then it will have an effect. You can take the accounts in big hospitals and see that so many more patients die from Ekadasi to the full moon or new moon day, and after that it is ‘normal’ again.<\/p>\n
If you are not eating anything you are not supposed to eat, then all things will be controlled and a good effect will come. Your body will be very strong, healthy, and light, and your digestion will be okay. On the other hand, if you are eating bread, for example, it acts like blotting paper. If you drink water, it will pass out of the body as urine or sweat, just as if you pour water on a stone, cloth, or oil \u2013 it will go away; but if you put a heap of cotton in water, that cotton will take days to dry. Even if you squeeze that ball of cotton, it will still contain some water.<\/p>\n
[June 5th:\u00a0Not following Ekadasi will be harmful to us. On Ekadasi the moon comes closer to the Earth, and therefore it attracts water from everywhere \u2013 from the sea, from the river, from our bodies, and so on. If one takes any grains on this day, the grains become like blotting-paper. If you drink water, the water will very soon pass out from the body. However, if you take grains and water together, the grains become like blotting paper or cotton and hold the water. Even if you squeeze the cotton, some water will remain.<\/p>\n
Similarly, if you eat any grain, that grain becomes like a sponge; it will hold a lot of water. The moon will attract that water and all your diseases will increase. You can see this in the sea or ocean. At this time there are high tides and the waves also become very high.]<\/p>\n
Our rsis (sages) were realized in these topics \u2013both materially and spiritually. It has been told that we should not take any grain on Ekadasi. If by not taking grains you become hungry and if you are a male or female of Kali-yuga, then no harm, you can take water or juice; but not at every minute: first grape juice, then rabadi, then malai, then mango juice, then apple juice, and after that very, very good chappatis with potato flour \u2013 eating, eating, and eating. This will have a bad effect on that Ekadasi day.<\/p>\n
You can take water twice a day on Ekadasi. Or, if you can’t just do that, you can also take fruits and vegetables once in the evening. If you are feeling weak, then you can take water and a little food two times.\u00a0 But don’t take much, otherwise you will not get the fruit of Ekadasi. Externally, for worldly reasons, this fasting is good for your health. Also, for poor persons, if one drinks water and take nothing else on that Ekadasi day, they don’t have to spend money. If one takes so many things, like juice and dried fruits, it will cost so much.<\/p>\n
For your increased spiritual advancement on Ekadasi, if you hear the holy name, chant and remembering Krsna, and hear Srimad-Bhagavatam in the assembly of devotees, you will quickly develop krsna-prema.<\/p>\n
For us fallen conditioned souls, Krsna has personally become Ekadasi. Ekadasi has no consideration of caste or creed. For example, it is not that Ekadasi will give its fruit only to someone who is initiated by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. If anyone, irrespective of caste or creed or any designation follows Ekadasi, he will gain internally and externally.<\/p>\n
You may already know the history of Ambarisa Maharaja, so I won\u2019t speak much about it now. He engaged in worldly affairs.\u00a0 He was not a renounced sannyasi or brahmacari. He was a great ruler, a king, with a wife and children. He had a large treasury, an army, and so many commanders and priests, but he was superior to Durvasa Rsi, a brahma-jnani. If Durvasa Rsi would curse anyone to die, that person would die; and if anyone had died, then he could sprinkle water on them and say, \u201cCome on, come on, why are you sleeping?\u201d And that person would immediately return to life. But Maharaja Ambarisa defeated Durvasa Rsi. Amabarisa Maharaja considered, \u201cI will have to give honor to Ekadasi, not to any brahma-jnani or yogi.\u201d He wanted to honor both, but when there was a contraction, he preferred that Ekadasi should be more honored than this class of brahmana.<\/p>\n
You may also know the history of Rukmanga and Dharmanga. Rukmanga was a king, a very big emperor, and his son\u2019s name was\u00a0Dharmangaa.\u00a0\u00a0He was accustomed to fully observing Ekadasi. He would not eat anything the night before Ekadasi, then he would fully fast on Ekadasi, and on the third day he would take some mahaprasadam as parana(the breaking of the fast) after honoring all Vaisnavas and worshipping Krsna, and after that he would fast the rest of the day.\u00a0 He did not sleep for three nights, and he would continually chant and remember the Lord.<\/p>\n
This is full Ekadasi. In Kali-yuga it is not possible to follow that; this was perhaps in Satya-yuga. Some concessions have been given in Kali-yuga, but don’t take undue advantage of this.\u00a0 Try to follow as much as you can.<\/p>\n
Rukmanga was not only practicing Ekadasi in that way, but he would make an announcement throughout his kingdom on the day before, that all his subjects should obey him and observe Ekadasi\u00a0 \u2013 and all would do so.<\/p>\n
When the king became older at about fifty years of age, he gave his kingdom and position to his son, as he wanted to go into the dense forest to fully chant and remember Krsna.<\/p>\n
In the forest he was practicing all his spiritual duties, but one day a very beautiful, half-naked, teenage girl came along \u2013 playing and picking flowers. Seeing her standing practically in front of him, the king said to her, \u201cYou are so beautiful. Who are you, and why have you come here?\u201d She replied, \u201cI have been searching for a husband, but I have not found anyone in the world to marry. Now I have seen you, who are so beautiful; and even though your age is more than fifty years, you look young, like a youth of sixteen. I want to marry you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The King told that girl, \u201cI have left all these material things. But you are so beautiful, so I will not neglect you. I want to marry you as well.\u201d She said, \u201cIf we marry, we will have to return to the kingdom, you will again have to be king, and you will have to obey me.\u201d \u201cNo problem,\u201d he replied, \u201cI will obey you.\u201d Then she said, \u201cIf you do not obey me, I will at once divorce you.\u201d
\nThe King assured her, \u201cI will try to always obey you. I will not neglect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sent a message to his son, \u201cI am returning with my new wife.\u201d When his son heard this, he became joyful, thinking, \u201cNow my father is coming.\u201dHe called to his mother, \u201cMother, the king is coming with his new married wife. You should not think you are the queen. You should treat her like your older sister and try to serve them both. I will also try to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is hard to follow nowadays. If a wife sees her husband smiling and speaking to another girl, especially a young beautiful teenage girl, she will become upset, thinking, \u201cWhat to do?! What to do?! \u201dThen, if she again sees this, she may commit suicide, or she may give poison to her husband and his beloved as well. All intelligence disappears at that time. But here, when the king came with his new bride, the first queen and her son personally performed arati to them both. She took the king\u2019s foot-dust and told him, \u201cI am your dasi, your maidservant.\u201d She continued to serve them as the king and queen. She fully gave up her false ego that, \u2018I am queen.\u2019 She always gave preference to them.<\/p>\n
We should try to be a wife like this. If your husband is talking or smiling with another, what harm is it to you?\u00a0 Is there any harm if he loves both you and another lady? Krsna had so many queens. Rukmini did not object, nor did Satyabhama. Satyabhama used to have maan with Krsna, but not towards her sisters. Moreover, this was transcendental.<\/p>\n
When the next Ekadasi was about to come, the king’s son Darmangada went out to declare everywhere, \u201cTomorrow is Ekadasi. All of you please obverse it.\u201d The new queen heard this and told her husband, \u201cWhat is this silly thing? What is Ekadasi? I will not follow it, and you should also not follow it. A king should be smart and strong, and if you fast, then you will be too weak to control the kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n
The king replied, \u201cI cannot give up Ekadasi. I must observe it, and I am asking you to try to observe it.\u201d She said, \u201cI am calling all the brahmanas, and if they say that the king should observe Ekadasi, then you can observe it. If they say that there are no rules and regulations in sastra for a king or ruler to observe Ekadasi, then you will have to give it up.\u201d He agreed, \u201cYes, invite them.\u201d<\/p>\n
All the brahmanas came, but she had bribed them the night before. Especially in Kali-yuga, brahmanas have become very greedy. They will give up their brahminical principles even if you give them a few Indian rupees. These brahmanas were also greedy, and because they were given so many golden coins, they declared, \u201cA king should not observe Ekadasi.\u00a0 Everywhere in sastra \u2013 in the Gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, or the Puranas \u2013 it has been told that Ekadasi is only for widows, for those who are old and cannot digest or sit properly, and for those who are going to die and have nothing to do.\u00a0 A married lady whose husband is alive should not follow, and little boys and girls should also not follow. Only widows should follow. For rulers, for a king like you, there is no need to follow Ekadasi.\u201dThat girlbecame so happy and said, \u201cYou should follow the brahmanas.\u201d<\/p>\n
The king argued, \u201cNone of them are true brahmanas. I will not follow them. I know they are greedy, and they don’t know scripture.\u201d She replied, \u201cI am going to give you up and return to my father.\u201d The king agreed, \u201cYou can go, no harm.\u201d<\/p>\n
When that new queen was ready to leave, the first queen came, fell at her feet, and asked, \u201cWhy are you doing this? You are my sister, so I would like to give you a good suggestion. Try to obey your husband. He has been following Ekadasi since his childhood, and cannot give it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The girl replied, \u201cI can obey, but on one condition. If you and the king will kill your son and give his head to me on a golden plate as a gift, I will then allow the king to observe Ekadasi.\u201d The first queen became very happy and told the king, \u201cI am your good wife, so please obey me also. After ten, twenty, or a hundred years my son will die. So if we make this sacrifice in relation to following Ekadasi, we will be the ideal example for the entire world, for all time.\u201d
\nHearing this, the king replied, \u201cI don’t want a wife like her. She should go away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Somehow his first wife pacified him and he became ready. The son now became happy, thinking. \u201cMy life is successful, because I am serving my father and mother. In fact I am serving two mothers.\u201d\u00a0 Now, when the father and mother came to cut off the son’s head, that girl was at once changed into a Deity, and a manifestation of Krsna, Dharmaraja appeared there. Holding up his hand, he said, \u201cDon’t do this. I sent this girl to test you, and you have passed the examination.\u201d<\/p>\n
That girl then declared, \u201cI want one thing. You passed the examination, but if anyone will take a grain on Ekadasi, or if he eats beyond what he should be eating, the fruit of his good activities (karma) will come to me. I will gain that.\u00a0 If anyone is taking grains on Ekadasi, all kind of sinful reactions will come to that person, and his all good karma will come to me.\u201d That lady was Mohini-devi.<\/p>\n
We are not realizing this fact \u2013 how gainful it is to follow Ekadasi. Ekadasi is the mother of bhakti. If anyone observes Ekadasi in the right way, bhakti automatically will come. Whether one is a Vaisnava or not, if he observes Ekadasi, surely he will advance in bhakti and become happy.<\/p>\n
Therefore, on Ekadasi, by all the ekadasa (eleven) senses, we can engage in:<\/p>\n
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
\nsmaranam pada-sevanam
\narcanam vandanam dasya
\nsakhyam atma-nivedanam
\n(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.5.23)]<\/p>\n
[Prahlada Maharaja said: \u201cHearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one\u2019s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)\u2014these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.\u201d]<\/p>\n
One can practice the sixty-four kinds of bhakti on Ekadasi day, thinking, \u201cI will take leave from my office and worldly affairs, in the morning performing arati and until the night not engaging in any worldly activities, not taking any grains, and always reading and hearing Bhagavatam.\u201d Certainly he will gain from this.<\/p>\n
In India, one day, I saw that a cow was dying but her soul was not leaving her body. Her stomach was swollen, her eyes were full of tears, and she was so sad. Many persons were looking on, but doing nothing. An elderly lady-disciple of mine was passing by and saw her. She at once came to me, weeping, and told me, \u201cThis cow is not dying, and not living.\u201d What should I do?\u201d I asked her, \u201cHave you followed many Ekadasis?\u201d She said, \u201cYes, so many.\u201d I said, \u201cHow many?\u201d She replied, \u201cOn the Ekadasi day, since childhood I have been fully fasting and also not sleeping in the night.\u201d\u00a0 In Mathura, even little boys and girls fast fully \u2013taking no water or grain or anything else.<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cCan you give the fruit of one of your Ekadasis to that cow?\u201d She said, \u201cO surely.\u201d
\nI said, \u201cTell that cow in her ear, \u2018O Mother cow, I am giving the fruit of one of my Ekadasis to you. Please take it.\u2019\u201dAs soon as she did that, the cow looked towards her and then immediately left her body. All were in wonder, thinking,\u201cOh, how quickly it has been done.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also chanted to that cow: \u201cHare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,\u201d and gave her tulasi leaves and Ganga water in her mouth.<\/p>\n
You should all have faith like this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"