Man’s happiness and sorrow depend upon his virtue and sins. He lives a happier life if he does good to others. Otherwise, sinful conduct leads his life full of suffering. Every living entity wants to attain a satisfying life and get rid of its misery.

The omniscient Lord Vishnu is aware of this human tendency. So, his fellow saints, sages and great yogis composed and assimilated all the Sastras, the Veda, Puranas, and smrities. All these sastras have remedies of ‘attainment of happiness and cessation of sorrows’ for the wellbeing of humankind.

Fasting is transcendent and accessible among all the remedies. One of the fasts which are dearest to our gracious Supreme Lord is Kamika Ekadasi. Devotees observe intermittent fasting on this day. Thus, they spend more and more time in the remembrance and contemplation of the Supreme being.

Kamika Ekadasi Vrat Katha

Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and Pandav king Yudhisthira had dialogues about Kamika Ekadasi in Brahmavaivarta Purana.

The saintly king Yudhisthira said, that oh lord, I heard from You about Dev-Sayani Ekadasi. So kindly describe the glory of the auspicious Ekadasi, which falls on the Krishna paksha Shravan month.

Then Supreme Lord Sri Krishna narrated the conversation that had taken place between the creator of the universe Brahma and his son Narda muni on the significance of the Kamika Ekadasi Vrat.

The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, Oh saintly king, Kamika Ekadasi arrives during the fortnight in the month of Shravan, which perishes all sins of human beings and fulfils the desired wish.

Once Devrishi Narad muni also asked the same question to Lord Brahma.

Narad Ji asked, “oh regent of the universe, please tell me about the Ekadasi, which occurred during the lunar day in the month of Shravan and what it is called? Who is the chief God to whom people should worship on that holy day? Also, kindly tell me the process that one must follow to observe it. What merit does it award to those who observe it? “

Then Brahma Ji replied, “Oh Narad muni, you have asked the question for the benefit of all humanity. So listen attentively, and I am going to tell you everything about this Ekadasi.

This Ekadasi is called Kamika Ekadasi. Just hearing the glory of Kamika Ekadasi bestows the merit equal to that of Aswamegh Yagya.

On this day, devotees attain all the great values by worshipping the lotus feet of the Supreme being Vishnu, who holds a conch shell, Sudarshan Chakra, Padam, and lotus in his hands.

Devotees attain a thousand times more merit than taking a sacred bath in the Ganges at Kashi (Varanasi), in the forest of Naimisharanya, or at Pushkara. The one who observes Kamika Ekadasi and worships Supreme lord Vishnu becomes free from all the misery and grief. The observer gets freedom from all the sorrow, but their forebear becomes free from all the suffering.

This Kamika Ekadasi vrat helps devotees relieve the ‘Pitra Dosha.’ Thus, devotees attain salvation just by observing the Kamika Ekadasi.

All the Nagas and Gandharvas are worshipped just by worshipping the Lord Vishnu in the month Shravana. The way water can’t touch the lotus, in the same way, sins can never feel the devotees who observe Kamika Ekadasi. Whoever worships Lord Vishnu with Tulsi leaf, the Lord sets them free from all their sins.

The person becomes healthy and disease-free just by remembering and meditating. Planting Tulsi brings prosperity, and devotees eventually reside with Lord Krishna in his abode. Followers achieve devotion by offering tulsi to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. Even the Yamraj secretary, Chitragupta, is incapable of calculating the merit of those who burn ghee lamps and offer obeisances to Tulsi Devi.

A person who does Kamika Ekadasi vrat receives the blessing of the Supreme Lord, and he is freed from even heinous sin of feticide or killing of brahman. Not only the one who offers burning lamps to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu, but even their forefathers also ascend to heaven and satiated with celestial nectar there.

Devotees who offer ghee lamps or burning lamps with sesame oil to the Supreme Lord Vishnu on this day get salvation and enter into heaven after death with the brightness of as many as millions of lights.

Significance of the Kamika Ekadasi

‘Oh Narad’, said the Lord Brahma, all the human beings scared of their sins, must observe the Kamika Ekadasi.

There is no other remedy than Kamika Ekadasi for being free from all sins. On this auspicious day, whoever offers Tulsi leaves to the lotus feet of the Lord with their reverence and devotion, stay away from all sins.

Oh Narad, I also pay my obeisance to Tulsi Devi, the beloved of Sri Hari. Whoever says or hears the glory of Kamika Ekadasi with devotion gets salvation and returns to the Godhead
– Vaikuntha. Lord Sri Hari is almighty and foremost. He gets easily pleased with the sincere devotion of their followers.

Tulsi Devi is the beloved of Supreme Lord Vishnu. Supreme Lord Shri Hari is not as pleased with the pearls, rubies, sapphires, and corals as He gets delighted by offering Tulsi. So we should please the Supreme Lord by keeping fast on this auspicious Kamika Ekadasi day. Become free from all sins by offering Tulsi to Supreme Lord, and should move forward on the righteous path.

It is said that when God created the material world, He created all beings, and at the same time, many kinds of sins also took birth. Out of those sins, a paap purusha was created. God saw that the souls were very easily inclined towards sin, and they were repeatedly sent to hellish worlds for punishment. God took mercy upon the living entities and expanded Ekadashi from his body. Living entities started observing fast on Ekadashi and were getting rid of sins. This agitated paap purusha, he went to the Lord and said, “You created me, but by the influence of Ekadashi, I am unable to do my duty.” Lord replied, “If that is the case, I order you to enter in grains on every Ekadashi. This will save your existence.”

That’s why, if we observe fast on Ekadashi (Apara Ekadashi), then we would be saved from all the sins which we could get by consuming grains on Ekadashi. Ekadashi fast not only reduces our sins but also assists us in getting the devotion service and mercy of the lotus feet of the Lord, Shri Hari.

Once Yudhisthira asked Lord Krishna, “O Krishna! Please tell me, what is the name of Ekadashi, which occurs in the Krishna paksha of Jyestha month and its glories?”

Lord Krishna replied, “O King! This Ekadashi is popularly known by two names – Apara and Achala. As per Vedic injunctions, Ekadashi on the Krishna paksha of Jyestha month is termed as Apara Ekadashi because it bestows unlimited wealth. Those who observe fast on Apara Ekadashi, they will attain fame in the world, get rid of all sins committed due to brahma hatya, and blaspheme and also get freedom from ghostly species of life. By doing this fast, all the sins accumulated due to illicit sex life, giving false testimony, lying, reading or making false scriptures, becoming a false astrologer or becoming a false physician, etc., are all destroyed. The Kshatriya who runs away from the battlefield is certainly to hell, but by the influence of Apara Ekadashi, he will attain heaven.”

“Devotees who accept knowledge from the spiritual master but blaspheme him will certainly go to hell, but by observing fast on Apara Ekadashi, they can also get freedom from such heinous sin. The results of taking bath in Pushkar in the month of Karthik or the results of pind daan on the holy banks of Gang; same results one gets by observing fast on Apara Ekadashi.”

“This fast is like an axe which cuts the tree of sins, it is like fire which burns down all sins, it is like the Sun which destroys the darkness of sins, it is like a Lion who kills deer. That’s why living entities should be careful enough not to commit sins and observe fast on Apara Ekadashi.”

By fast observation on Apara Ekadashi and by the worship of Vishnu, one gets rid of all sins and attains the Vishnu Loka after leaving this material body. As per the popular story, there was a righteous king named Mahidwaja. His younger brother, Vajradwaja, was very cruel, unrighteous, and unfair. He was very envious of his elder brother. One-night Vajradwaja killed his elder brother while he was asleep and buried the body under a peepal tree in the woods. Because of unnatural death, Mahidwaja attained ghostly species of life. He used to live on the peepal tree and created several nuisances.

One day a great sage, Dhaumya, passed by that forest and he saw the ghost. With his mystic power, he could know the ghost’s past life. He also understood the reason for such nuisances. He brought down the ghost from the peepal tree and instructed about parlok vidhya. Sages are always very kind by nature, and out of his kindness, he observed fast on Apara Ekadashi so that the ghost could be freed. He also donated all the piousness earned by him to the ghost. As a result of which, Mahidwaja got freedom from the ghostly species and attained a transcendental body. He went to the higher planetary system after boarding pushpak vimaan.

Let’s not waste this great occasion of Apara Ekadashi, we all should observe fast to get rid of sins and attain the pure love of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare |

Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare ||