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<\/a><\/p>\nYudhishthira Maharaj said,
\n\u201cOh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, what is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the month of Ashwina (September-October)? Please describe its glories to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna then replied,
\n\u201cThis Holy day is called Indira Ekadasi. If a person fasts on this day, all his sins are eradicated and his forefathers who have fallen into hell are liberated. Oh best of kings, one who simply hears about this sacred Ekadasi achieves the great merit earned by performing a horse sacrifice.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the Satya-yuga there lived a king named Indrasena, who was so powerful that he destroyed all his enemies. His kingdom was called Mahishmati-puri. The glorious and highly religious King Indrasena took good care of his subjects, and therefore he was rich in gold, grains, sons, and grandsons. He was greatly devoted to Lord Sri Vishnu as well. He especially enjoyed chanting My name, calling out \u2018Govinda! Govinda!\u2019 In this way King Indrasena systematically dedicated himself to pure spiritual life and spent much time meditating on the Absolute Truth.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne day, as King Indrasena happily and peacefully presided over his assembly, the perfect orator, Sri NArada Muni, was seen descending. White as a conch, shining like the moon, like a jasmine flower, like a lightening bolt, NArada Muni descending from the sky. He is decorated with matted locks of reddish hair. The king offered Devarishi NArada, the saint among the devas (demigods), great respect by greeting him with joined palms, inviting him into the palace, offering him a comfortable seat, washing his feet, and speaking sweat words of welcome. Then NArada Muni said to MahArAj Indrasena, \u2018Oh king, are the seven limbs of your kingdom prospering?
\nThe seven limbs of a king\u2019s domain being; the king\u2019s well being himself, his ministers, his treasury, his military forces, his allies, the braAhmaNas, the sacrifices performed in his kingdom, and the needs of the king\u2019s subjects.
\nIs your mind absorbed in thinking of how you can properly perform your occupational duty? Are you becoming more and more devoted and dedicated to the service of the Supreme Lord, Sri Vishnu?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe king replied, \u2018By your kind grace, Oh greatest of sages, everything is quite well. Today, just by your presence all the sacrifices in my kingdom are successful ! Please show me mercy and explain the reason for your kind visit here.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cSri NArada, the sage among the devas, then said, \u2018Oh lion among kings, listen to my astonishing words. When I descended from Brahmaloka to Yamaloka, Lord YamarAja praised me very graciously and offered me an excellent seat. As I glorified his truthfulness and wonderful service to the Supreme Lord, I noticed your father in YamarAja\u2019s assembly. Though he had been very religious, because he broke an Ekadasi fast prematurely, he had to go to the Yamaloka. Your father gave me a message for you. He said, \u201cIn Mahishmati lives a king named Indrasena. Please tell him about my situation here \u2013 that because of my past sinful deeds I have somehow been forced to reside in YamarAja\u2019s kingdom. Please give him this message from me: \u2018Oh son, kindly observe the coming Indira Ekadasi and give much in charity so I can go upward to heaven.\u2019 \u201c
\nPhilosophically we can understand that very living entity is an individual, and individually everyone has to practice Krishna consciousness to traverse back to home, back to Godhead. As stated in GaruDa Purana, someone who is suffering in hell cannot practice Krishna consciousness, because this requires some mental peace, which the reactionary tortures of hell make impossible. If a relative of a sinner suffering in hell gives some charity in the name of the sinner, he can leave hell and enter the heavenly planets. But if the sinner\u2019s relative observes this Ekadasi fast for his suffering kinsman, the kinsman goes directly to the spiritual world, as stated in this narration based on Brahma-vaivarta Puranam.<\/p>\n
\u201cNArada continued, \u2018Just to deliver this message, Oh king, have I come to you. You should help your father by observing the fast of Indira Ekadasi. By the merit you gain, your father will go to heaven.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cKing Indrasena asked, \u2018Oh great NAradji, please be merciful and tell me specifically how to observe a fast on Indira Ekadasi, and also tell me during what month and on what day it occurs.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cNArada Muni replied, \u2018Oh king, please listen as I describe to you the full process of observing the Indira Ekadasi. This Ekadasi occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwina. On the Dashami tithi, the day before Ekadasi, rise early in the morning, take bath, and then do some service for God with full faith. At noon, bathe again in running water and then offer oblations to your forefathers with faith and devotion. Be sure not to eat more than once on this day and at night sleep on the floor.
\n\u201cWhen you awaken on Ekadasi morning, cleanse your mouth and teeth thoroughly and then with deep devotion for the Lord take this sacred vow: \u2018Today I shall fast completely and give up all kinds of sense enjoyment. Oh lotus-eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead, Oh infallible one, please give me shelter at Your lotus feet.\u201d At noon, stand before the sacred form of the Sri Shaligram Shila and worship Him faithfully, following all the rules and regulations; then offer oblations of ghee into the sacred fire, and tarpana directed to help your forefathers. Next, feed qualified Brahmins (obviously non-grain prasadams) and offer them some charity according to your means. Now take the food pindas you offered to your forefathers, smell it, and then offer it to a cow. Next, worship Lord Hrishikesha with incense and flowers, and finally, remain awake all night near the Deity of Lord Sri Keshava.
\n\u201cEarly in the morning of the next day, DvAdasi tithi, worship Sri Hari with great devotion and invite Brahmin devotees to a sumptuous feast. Then feed you relatives, and finally take your meal in silence. Oh king, if you strictly observe a fast on Indira Ekadasi in this way, with controlled senses, your father will surely be elevated to the abode of lord Vishnu.\u2019 After saying this, Devarishi NArada immediately disappeared from the scene to bless someone else with his presence.
\n\u201cKing Indrasena followed the great saint\u2019s instructions perfectly, observing the fast in the association of his relatives and servants. As he broke his fast on the DvAdasi tithi, flowers fell from the sky. The merit that Indrasena maharaj earned by observing this fast released his father from the kingdom of YamarAja and caused him to attain a completely spiritual body. Indeed, Indrasena saw him rising to the abode of Lord Hari on the back of GaruDa Vahan. Indrasena himself was able to rule his kingdom without any obstacles, and in time when he handed over the kingdom to his son he also went to the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha.
\n\u201cOh Yudhishthira, these are the glories of the Indira Ekadasi, which occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwina. Whoever hears or reads this narration certainly enjoys life in this world, is freed of all reactions to his past sins, and at the time of death returns home, back to Godhead, where he lives eternally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Ashwina-krishna Ekadasi, or Indira Ekadasi, taken from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Indira Ekadasi from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana. Yudhishthira Maharaj said, \u201cOh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, what is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the month of … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-30 13:03:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}