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Yogini Ekadashi Vrat Katha -
- Ekadashi Vrat Kathas

Yogini Ekadashi Vrat Katha

The Kahta or story of this Yogini Ekadashi Vrat is as follows:

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, "O Supreme Lord, I have heard the glory of Nirjala Ekadasi, which occurs in the bright fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (May-June).

Now I want to hear from you about the suddha ekadashi which takes place during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashadha (June-July). Tell me all about it in detail, O slayer of the demon Madhu (Madhusudana).

The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna then replied, "O king, I am truly telling you about the best day of fasting, the Ekadashi which comes during the darkness of the month of Ashadha. Known as Yogini Ekadashi, it removes all sinful reactions and gives supreme liberation.

“O king, this Ekadashi liberates people who are drowning in the vast ocean of material existence and transports them to the shores of the spiritual world. In all three worlds, it is the most important of all holy fast days. Now I will reveal this truth to you by talking about the story told in the Puranas.

"The king of Alakapur - Kuvera, the treasurer of the Devas (demigods) - was a faithful worshiper of Lord Shiva. He employed a servant named Hemamali as his personal gardener. Hemamali, a yaksha like Kuvera, was very lustfully passionate about his wife Swarupavatii, who had large enchanting eyes.

"Hemamali's daily duty was to visit Lake Manasarovara and take flowers to his master Lord Kuvera, who used them in puja offerings to Lord Shiva. One day, after picking the flowers, Hemamali went to his wife instead of returning directly to his master and fulfilling his duty of bringing flowers for the puja. After indulging in carnal love affairs with his wife, he forgot to return to Kuvera's residence.

“Oh king, while Hemamali was enjoying himself with his wife, Kuvera started worshiping Lord Shiva as usual in his palace and soon noticed that no flowers were ready to be offered for the midday puja.

The absence of such an important object (upachara) further angered the great Koshad-yaksha (Treasurer of the Devas) and he asked the yaksha's messenger, "Why did the impure Hemamali not come with the flowers, as he does every day? Go find out the exact reason and inform me personally your findings.

The Yaksha returned and said to Kuvera, "O dear sir, Hemamali has gone astray to enjoy bodily pleasures with his wife."

"Kuvera, hearing this, became extremely angry and immediately summoned the humble Hemamali before him. Knowing that he had performed his duties rudely and insolently and exposed himself to the body of his wife, Hemamali came to his master with great fear.

The gardener bowed and then stood before his master, whose eyes were red with anger and his lips quivering with anger. Thus enraged, Kuvera shouted at Hemamali, "Oh, you sinful scoundrel! Oh destroyer of religious principles! You are a walking insult to the Devas!

Therefore I curse you to suffer from white leprosy and divorce your beloved wife! You only deserve great suffering! Vile fool, leave this place now and take yourself to the lower planets to suffer!

“And so Hemamali immediately fell from grace at Alakapur and contracted the terrible white leprosy. He woke up in a dense and scary forest with nothing to eat or drink.

So he spent his days in misery, unable to sleep at night because of the pain. He suffered both in winter and summer, but because he continued to worship lord Shiva himself with faith, his consciousness remained pure fixed and stable. Although he was involved in great sin and its reactions, he remembered his past life for piety.

“After wandering here and there in the mountains and plains for some time, Hemamali finally reached the vast expanse of the Himalayan mountain ranges. There he had the wonderful good fortune to come in contact with the great holy soul Markandeya Rishi, the best of ascetics, whose lifespan is said to have lasted seven days of Brahma.

"Markandeya Rishi was sitting quietly in his ashram, looking as radiant as another Brahma. Hemamali, feeling very sinful, stood far away from the great sage and humbly bowed down and offered his choice prayer. For Markandeya Rishi was always interested in the welfare of others , he saw the leper and called him close: "O you, what sins have you committed to deserve these terrible sufferings?"

"Hearing this, Hemamali replied with pain and shame, "Dear sir, I am the servant of lord Kuvera yaksha and my name is Hemamali. My daily service was to pick flowers from Manasarovara Lake for the worship of Lord Shiva, by my master Kuvera. But one day I was careless and delayed returning the sacrifice, because I was seized with a lustful passion to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh with my wife. When my master found out why I was late, he cursed me with great anger to be what I am before you. So now I am without my home, my wife and my service. But fortunately I met you and now I hope to receive your auspicious blessing because I know that devotees like you are as compassionate as the Supreme Lord (Bhakta Vatsala) and always keep the interests of others at heart. This is their nature and your nature. O best of sages, please help me!

"The soft-hearted Markandeya Rishi replied, 'Since you have told me the truth, I will tell you about a day of fasting that will benefit you greatly. If you fast during the dark fortnights of Ashadha month, you will surely remove this terrible curse.

Hemamali fell down in full gratitude and again and again humbly offered obeisances to him. But Markandeya Rishi stood there and lifted poor Hemamali to his feet and filled him with indescribable happiness.

"As the sage advised him, Hemamali obediently observed the Ekadasi fast and as a result he became a beautiful yaksha again. Then he returned home where he lived very happily with his wife."

Lord Sri Krishna concluded, "So you see, O Yudhishthira, that fasting on Yogini Ekadashi is very powerful and good. Whatever you gain by feeding 88 thousand Brahmins is also gained simply by observing a strict fast on Yogini Ekadashi. For one who fasts on this holy day of Ekadasi, she (Ekadasi Devi) destroys masses of sinful reactions of the past and makes him pious. O king, thus I have explained to you the purity of Yogini Ekadashi."

Thus ends the description of the splendor of Ashadha-krishna Ekadashi or Yogini Ekadasi of the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.

So friends, here ends the description and story of the Yogini Ekadashi Vrat. I hope you liked this video, and if you did like it, then please hit the like button and also subscribe to this channel, if you haven't done so already.

I wish all of you the successful and joyful observance of all the Ekadashis and i pray that Lord Vishnu's and Lord Krishna's blessings be upon all of us.

Advaita

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