Sri Yudhishthira Maharaj said, "Oh Janardana, what is the name of the
Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the
month of Jyeshtha (May-June)? I wish to hear from You the glories of
this sacred day of Hari. Please narrate everything to me"
Lord Sri Krishna said, "Oh king, your inquiry is wonderful because the
answer will benefit the whole human society. This Ekadasi is so sublime
and meritorious that even the greatest sins can be erased by its purity.
"Oh great saintly king, the name of this unlimitedly meritorious Ekadasi
is Apara Ekadasi. Whoever fasts on this holy day becomes famous all
over the universe. Even such sins as killing a brahmana, a cow, or an
embryo; blasphemy; or having sex with another man's wife are completely
eradicated by observing Apara Ekadasi.
Oh king people who bear false witness are most sinful. A person who
falsely or sarcastically glorifies another; one who cheats while
weighing something on a scale; one who fails to execute the duties of
his varna or Ashrama (an unqualified man's posing as a brahmin, for
example, or a person's reciting the Vedas wrongly); one who invents his
own scriptures; one who cheats others; one who is a charlatan
astrologer, a cheating accountant, or a false Ayurvedic doctor. All
these are surely as bad as persons who bears false witness, and they are
all destined for hellish punishments. But simply by observing Apara
Ekadasi, all such sinners become completely free of their sinful
reactions.
Warriors who fall from their kshatriya-dharma and flee the battlefield
go to a ferocious hell. But, Oh Yudhishthira, even such a fallen
kshatriya, if he observes fasting on the Apara Ekadasi, is freed of that
great sinful reaction and goes to heaven. That disciple is the greatest
sinner who, after receiving a proper spiritual education from his
spiritual master, turns around and blasphemes him. Such a so-called
disciple suffers unlimitedly. But even he, rascal though he be, if he
simply observes Apara Ekadasi, can attain to the spiritual world.
Listen, Oh king, as I describe to you further glories of this amazing
Ekadasi. The merit attained by one who performs all of the following
acts of piety is equal to the merit achieved by one who observes Apara
Ekadasi: bathing three times daily in Pushkara-kshetra during Kartika
(October-November); bathing at Prayag in the month of Magh
(January-February) when the sun is in the zodiac of Capricorn; rendering
service to Lord Shiva at Varanasi (Benares) during Shiva-ratri;
offering oblations to one's forefathers at Gaya; bathing in the sacred
Gautami River when Jupiter transits Leo (Simha); having darshan of Lord
Shiva at Kedarnatha; seeing Lord Badrinath when the Sun transits the
sign of Aquarius (Kumbha); and bathing at the time of a solar eclipse at
Kurukshetra and giving cows, elephants, and gold there in charity. All
the merit one gets from performing these pious acts is gained by a
person who observes the Apara Ekadasi fast. Also, the merit attained by
one who donates a pregnant cow, along with gold and fertile land, is
attained by one who fasts on this day.
In other words, Apara Ekadasi is an axe that cuts down the fully matured
forest full of trees of sinful deeds, it is a forest fire that burns
sins as if they were kindling firewood, it is the sun blazing before
one's dark misdeeds, and it is a lion stalking the meek deer of impiety.
Therefore, Oh Yudhishthira, whoever truly fears his past and present
sins must observe Apara Ekadasi very strictly. One who does not observe
this fast must be born again in the material world, like one bubble
among millions in a huge body of water, or like a small ant among all
other species. Therefore one must faithfully observe the sacred Apara
Ekadasi and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Trivikrama.
One who does so is freed of all his sins and promoted to the abode of
Lord Vishnu.
Oh Bharata, for the benefit of all humanity I have thus described to you
this the importance of the holy Apara Ekadasi. Anyone who hears or
reads this description is certainly freed from all kinds of sins, oh
best of saintly kings, Yudhishthira. Thus ends the narration of the
glories of Jyeshtha-krishna Ekadasi, or Apara Ekadasi, from the
Brahmanda Purana.
NOTES:
1. Pushkara-kshetra, in western India, is the only place on Earth where a bonafide temple of Lord Brahma is to be found.
2. The Vedas declare, narah budbuda samah: "The human form of life is like a bubble in water". In water, many bubbles form and then suddenly burst a few seconds later. Thus if a person does not utilize his rare human body to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, his life has no more value or permanence than a bubble in water. Therefore, as the Lord herein recommends, we should serve Him by fasting on Hari-vasara, or Ekadasi.
In this regard, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in the
Srimad Bhagavatam (SB 2:1:4 purport) : "The great ocean of material
nature is tossing with the waves of time, and the so-called living
conditioned are something like foaming bubbles, which appear before us
as bodily self, wife, children, society, countrymen, etc. Due to a lack
of knowledge of self, we become victimized by the force of ignorance and
thus spoil the valuable energy of human life in a vain search after
permanent living conditions, which are impossible in this material
world."
El Señor SRi KRSNA dijo: Oh, Rey!, tu inquisición es maravillosa porque la respuesta podia ser benéfica para todo el mundo y la sociedad humana. Este Ekadasi así sublime y meritorio que hasta los más grandes pecados pueden ser borrados por su potencia. Oh, gran rey!, el hombre del limitado meritorio Ekadasi es Apara Ekadasi, quienquiera que ayuna en este día se vuelve famoso en este universo.
Hasta pecados como matar a un brahmana, una vaca o un embrión, blasfemia o tener sexo con la esposa del otro hombre son totalmente erradicadas por observar Apara Ekadasi.
Oh, Rey!, persona quien falsamente presencia son lo más pecaminosos. Una persona que falsamente o sarcásticamente glorifica a otro. Una persona que deja los deberes de su varna o asrama (un descualificado hombre en posición de brahmana por ejemplo o una persona recitar las vedas de mala gana) uno quien inventa sus propias escrituras, uno quien engaña a otro, uno que es un astrólogo charlatán o un contador engañador o un falso doctor ayurvedico, estos ellos seguramente son los que falsamente presencian actos y todos ellos estan destinados al infierno. Pero simplemente por observar Apara Ekadasi todos los pecadores se vuelven libremente de sus reacciones pecaminosas. Guerreros quienes caen de sus dharma Ksatrya y escapan de campo de batalla van directamente al infierno.
Pero, Oh, Yudhisthira!, hasta un Ksatrya caido, si el observa ayuno en Ekadasi Apara es librado de ese gran pecado y va al Cielo.
El discipulo es el mas grande pecador que después de recibir la educación espiritual de su maestro espiritual la blasfema, el así llamado discipulo sufre ilimitadamente. Pero si El simplemente observa Apara Ekadasi puede alcanzar el mundo espiritual.
Oh, Rey!, como Yo describo tí las glorias de este Ekadasi.
El mérito alcanzado por uno quien ejecuta todos de los siguientes actos de piedad es igual mérito ejecutado por uno quien observa Apara Ekadasi: bañarse 5 veces al día en Puskara Ksetra durante Kartika (Octubre - Noviembre) bañarse en Prayag en el mes de Magha (Enero - Febrero) cuando el sol está en el Zodíaco rindiendo Servicio al Señor Siva en Varanas durante Siva-ratri ofreciendo obligaciones de un antepasado en Gaya bañandose en el sagrado río Gautami cuando Jupiter transita Leo teniendo darsana del Señor Siva en Kedaranutha viendo al Señor Gadrinatha cuando el sol transita en el signo acuario y bañandose a tiempo en el eclipse solar de Kuruksetra y dar vacas, elefantes y oro alla en cariad.
Todo el mérito que ejecuta uno de todos estos piadosos actos es ganado por una persona que observa el Apara Ekadasi. También el mérito alcanzado de una quien dona una vaca con oro es obtenido por uno que ayune en este Ekadasi. En otras palabras Apara Ekadasi es una hacha que corta totalmente los árboles medicos de los pecados esto es un fuego forestal que quema los pecados como si ellos fueran maderas de fuego.
Alli de esa manera, Oh, Yudhisthira!, quienquiera que con miedo esta presente de sus pecados ya sea desde el pasado podrían observar para Ekadasi muy extrictamente. Uno quien no observa este ayuno podría nacer en el mundo material como burbuja entre millones en un vasto cuerpo de agua como una pequeña hormiga entre otras personas. De esa manera uno podría fielmente observar el sagrado Apara Ekadasi y adorar la Suprema Personalidad de Dios Sri Trivikrama. Uno quien es así liberado de todos sus pecados y promoverlo a la morada del Señor Visnu.
Oh, Bharata!, para el beneficio de toda la humanidad Yo he de esa manera eh descrito a tí la importancia del Santo Apara Ekadasi. Cualquiera quien escucha o lea esta descripción es ciertamente liberado de todo los tipos de pecados, Oh, Rey!.
De ese modo termina la narración de las glorias de Jyestha KRSNA Ekadasi o Apara Ekadasi del Brahmanda Purana.
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