The Ekadashi that occurs during the lightfortnight
of Chaitra is named Kamada Ekadashi.
Itconsumes all sins.
It is very purifying, and itbestows the highest merit upon one who
faithfullyobserves it. Oh king, now hear an ancient historywhich is
so meritorious that it removes all one's sinssimply by being heard.
Katha from Varaha Purana:
Once, long ago, there was a city named Ratnapura andKing
Pundarika was its ruler. It had mostlyGandharvas, Kinnaras,
and Apsaras among its citizens.Among the Gandharvas were
Lalit and his wife Lalita,who was an lovely couple. These two
were intenselyattracted to each other. Lalita loved her husband
dearly, and likewise he constantly thought of herwithin his heart.
They were inseparable.Once, in the court of King Pundarika,
many Gandharvaswere singing, Lalit was one among them.
While singing Lalit could not help thinking about his beloved,
andbecause of this distraction he lost track of thesong's melody.
Lalit sang the song improperly, and oneof the envious snake
named kakort who was inattendance at the king's court
complained to the kingthat Lalit ws lost in the thought's of his
wife that'sbecause he lost track and sang improperly.
The kingbecame furious upon hearing this, and he shouted,
'Ohfoolish knave, because you were lustfully thinking ofa
woman instead of reverently thinking of your king as you '
performed your court duties, I curse you to at once become
a Demon !, a man-eating demon with aterrified apperance.
Lalit immediately became a fearful Demon. His arms were
eight miles long, his mouth was as big as a hugecave,
his eyes were as awesome as the sun and moon,his
nostrils resembled enormous pits in the earth, his neck
was a veritable mountain, his hips were fourmiles wide,
and his gigantic body stood a fullsixty-four miles high.
Thus poor Lalit, the Gandharvasinger, had to suffer the
reaction of his offenseagainst King Pundarika.Seeing her
husband suffering as a horrible monster,Lalita became
overwhelmed with grief. She thought,'Now that my dear
husband is suffering the effects ofthe kings' curse,
what is left for me? What should Ido? Where should
I go?' In this way Lalita grieved dayand night. Instead
of enjoying life as a Gandharvaswife, she wandered
everywhere in the thick jungle withher husband, who
had fallen completely under the spellof the king's curse.
He wandered fitfully acrossforbidding region,
a once-beautiful Gandharva nowreduced to the behavior
of a man-eater.One day, while wandering in the jungle,
Lalita met thesage Shringi . He was sitting on the peak
of theVindhyachala Hmountain. Approaching him, she
immediately offered the ascetic her respectfulobeisance's.
The sage noticed her bowing down beforehim and said,
'Who are you and why have you come here?Why you
look so gloomy. Please tell me everything intruth.'Lalita
replied, 'Oh Brahmana, my name is Lalita. Iwander in the
jungle with my dear husband, whom KingPundarika has
cursed to become a man-eating demon. Iam greatly
aggrieved to see him like this. Oh Saint,please tell me
how I can perform some act of atonementon behalf
of my husband. How can I free him from thisdemonic
form, please help me. The sage replied, 'Thereis an
Ekadashi named Kamada that occurs in the lightfortnight
of the month of Chaitra. It is coming upsoon. Whoever
fasts on this day has all his desiresfulfilled. If you observe
this Ekadashi fast accordingto its rules and regulations and
give the merit youthus earn from your fast to your husband,
he will be freed from the curse at once.'Lalita faithfully
observed the fast of Kamada Ekadashiaccording to the
instructions of the sage Shringi, andon Dvadasi she
appeared before him and the Deity ofLord Vasudeva
and said, 'I have faithfully observedthe fast of Kamada Ekadashi.
By the merit earned through my observance of this fast,
let my husband be free from the curse that has turned him
into a beast.May the merit I have gained thus free him
from his misery.'And Lalita's husband, who stood nearby,
was at oncefreed from the king's curse. He immediately
regainedhis original form as the Gandharva Lalit,
a handsomeheavenly singer adorned with many
beautiful ornaments.All this was accomplished
by the power and glory ofKamada Ekadashi. At last
the Gandharva couple boardeda celestial airplane
and ascended to heaven.
Lord Sri Krishna continued,
'Oh Yudhishthira! , anyonewho hears this story should
certainly observe holyKamada Ekadashi to the best of
his ability, such greatmerit does it bestow upon the
faithful devotee. I havetherefore described its glories
to you for the benefitof all humanity.There is no better
Ekadashi than Kamada Ekadashi. Itcan eradicate even
the sin of killing a brahmana, andit also nullifies demoniac
curses. In all the threeworlds and moreover it grants all
the wishes'.
Thus ends the narration of "Kamada Ekadashi" fromVaraha Purana.
Om Sai Ram
of Chaitra is named Kamada Ekadashi.
Itconsumes all sins.
It is very purifying, and itbestows the highest merit upon one who
faithfullyobserves it. Oh king, now hear an ancient historywhich is
so meritorious that it removes all one's sinssimply by being heard.
Katha from Varaha Purana:
Once, long ago, there was a city named Ratnapura andKing
Pundarika was its ruler. It had mostlyGandharvas, Kinnaras,
and Apsaras among its citizens.Among the Gandharvas were
Lalit and his wife Lalita,who was an lovely couple. These two
were intenselyattracted to each other. Lalita loved her husband
dearly, and likewise he constantly thought of herwithin his heart.
They were inseparable.Once, in the court of King Pundarika,
many Gandharvaswere singing, Lalit was one among them.
While singing Lalit could not help thinking about his beloved,
andbecause of this distraction he lost track of thesong's melody.
Lalit sang the song improperly, and oneof the envious snake
named kakort who was inattendance at the king's court
complained to the kingthat Lalit ws lost in the thought's of his
wife that'sbecause he lost track and sang improperly.
The kingbecame furious upon hearing this, and he shouted,
'Ohfoolish knave, because you were lustfully thinking ofa
woman instead of reverently thinking of your king as you '
performed your court duties, I curse you to at once become
a Demon !, a man-eating demon with aterrified apperance.
Lalit immediately became a fearful Demon. His arms were
eight miles long, his mouth was as big as a hugecave,
his eyes were as awesome as the sun and moon,his
nostrils resembled enormous pits in the earth, his neck
was a veritable mountain, his hips were fourmiles wide,
and his gigantic body stood a fullsixty-four miles high.
Thus poor Lalit, the Gandharvasinger, had to suffer the
reaction of his offenseagainst King Pundarika.Seeing her
husband suffering as a horrible monster,Lalita became
overwhelmed with grief. She thought,'Now that my dear
husband is suffering the effects ofthe kings' curse,
what is left for me? What should Ido? Where should
I go?' In this way Lalita grieved dayand night. Instead
of enjoying life as a Gandharvaswife, she wandered
everywhere in the thick jungle withher husband, who
had fallen completely under the spellof the king's curse.
He wandered fitfully acrossforbidding region,
a once-beautiful Gandharva nowreduced to the behavior
of a man-eater.One day, while wandering in the jungle,
Lalita met thesage Shringi . He was sitting on the peak
of theVindhyachala Hmountain. Approaching him, she
immediately offered the ascetic her respectfulobeisance's.
The sage noticed her bowing down beforehim and said,
'Who are you and why have you come here?Why you
look so gloomy. Please tell me everything intruth.'Lalita
replied, 'Oh Brahmana, my name is Lalita. Iwander in the
jungle with my dear husband, whom KingPundarika has
cursed to become a man-eating demon. Iam greatly
aggrieved to see him like this. Oh Saint,please tell me
how I can perform some act of atonementon behalf
of my husband. How can I free him from thisdemonic
form, please help me. The sage replied, 'Thereis an
Ekadashi named Kamada that occurs in the lightfortnight
of the month of Chaitra. It is coming upsoon. Whoever
fasts on this day has all his desiresfulfilled. If you observe
this Ekadashi fast accordingto its rules and regulations and
give the merit youthus earn from your fast to your husband,
he will be freed from the curse at once.'Lalita faithfully
observed the fast of Kamada Ekadashiaccording to the
instructions of the sage Shringi, andon Dvadasi she
appeared before him and the Deity ofLord Vasudeva
and said, 'I have faithfully observedthe fast of Kamada Ekadashi.
By the merit earned through my observance of this fast,
let my husband be free from the curse that has turned him
into a beast.May the merit I have gained thus free him
from his misery.'And Lalita's husband, who stood nearby,
was at oncefreed from the king's curse. He immediately
regainedhis original form as the Gandharva Lalit,
a handsomeheavenly singer adorned with many
beautiful ornaments.All this was accomplished
by the power and glory ofKamada Ekadashi. At last
the Gandharva couple boardeda celestial airplane
and ascended to heaven.
Lord Sri Krishna continued,
'Oh Yudhishthira! , anyonewho hears this story should
certainly observe holyKamada Ekadashi to the best of
his ability, such greatmerit does it bestow upon the
faithful devotee. I havetherefore described its glories
to you for the benefitof all humanity.There is no better
Ekadashi than Kamada Ekadashi. Itcan eradicate even
the sin of killing a brahmana, andit also nullifies demoniac
curses. In all the threeworlds and moreover it grants all
the wishes'.
Thus ends the narration of "Kamada Ekadashi" fromVaraha Purana.
Om Sai Ram
