Sri Krishna replied, "Oh King, in this world and the next, the most auspicious and magnanimous Ekadashi is Varoothini Ekadashi, which occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Chaitra/VaisAkha.
Whoever observes a complete fast on this sacred day has his sins completely removed, obtains continuous happiness and achieves good fortune.
Fasting on Varoothini Ekadashi makes even an unfortunate woman fortunate. Upon anyone who observes it, this Ekadashi bestows material enjoyment in this life and liberation after the death of this present body. It destroys the sins of all and saves people from the miseries of repeated rebirth.
"By observing this Ekadashi properly, King MAndhAtA was liberated. Many other kings also benefited from observing it – kings such as MahArAja DhundhumAra, in the IkshvAku dynasty, who became free from leprosy resulting from the curse that Lord Shiva had imposed upon him as a punishment.
Whatever merit one obtains by performing austerities and penances for ten thousand years is achieved by a person who observes Varoothini Ekadashi.
The merit one achieves by donating a great amount of gold during a solar eclipse at Kurukshetra is gained by one who observes this one Ekadashi with love and devotion to Sri Hari, and certainly attains his goals in this life and the next. In short, this Ekadashi is pure and very enlivening and the destroyer of all sins.
"Better than giving horses in charity is giving elephants, and better than giving elephants is giving land. But better still than giving land is the giving of sesame seeds and better than that is giving of gold. Still better than giving gold is giving foodgrains. All the forefathers, devas and human beings become satisfied by eating grains. Thus there is no better gift of charity than this in the past, present or future."
Interesting Note about Charity in Hinduism: ( Please see Sri Krishna's reply below )
Giving grains in charity is very auspicious. Once Yudhisthira asked Sri Krishna, "Dear Krishna, can anyone go to heaven without performing sacrifice or undergoing austerity ?"
Sri Krishna replied,
annadau jaladash chaiva
Aturash cha chikithsakah
trvidhaM svargam AyAti
vinA yajnena bhAratah
"Oh son of BhArata, those who give food grains, drinking water or medicine to the needy go to heaven without performing any sacrifice or undergoing austerity." (MahAbhArata)
Also, Krishna states in Bhagavad GitA (BG 3:14.) annAd bhavanti bhUtAni: "All beings subsist on food grains." Therefore a gift of food grains is said to be the topmost charity. Moreover, if the food is prasAda, after naivedya to Sri Hari with devotion ( naivedya) , then it awards the recipient, liberation from the material world.
Practice:
From Padma Puran:
Dashami + Ekadashi + Dwdashi all three make Harivasara or thithitrya.
On all these three days few things are restricted.
kamsyaM mAMsaM masArAMshca caNakAn kOdravAMsthatA
shAkaM madhu parAnnaMca punrbhOjana maiThunE
vaishNavO vrata kartAca dashamyAm dashavarJyayEt ||
"The following ten things should be given up on the Dashami, (the tenth
phase of the Moon), the day before the Ekadashi: eating on bell-metal plates, eating any kind of urad-dal, eating red-lentils, eating chick-peas, eating kondo (a kind of grain that resembles poppy seeds or agarpanthas seeds), eatingspinach, eating honey, eating in another person's house/home, eatingmore than once and participating in sex of any kind.
dyUtaM krIDAMca nidrAMca tAMbUlaM daMtadhAvanaM
parApavAdaM paishunyaM stEyaM hiMsAM tathAratiM
khrOdhaM caiva anrataM vAkya mEkAdashyaM vivarjayEt||
"On the Ekadashi day one should give up the following eleven: gambling, sports, sleeping during the daytime, beetal nuts and its leaf, brushing one's teeth, spreading rumours, faultfinding, talking to the spiritually fallen, anger and lying.
kAMsyaM mAMsaM surAM kshoudraM tailaM patita bhAshaNaM
vyAyAmaMca pravAsaMca punarbhOjana maithunaM
vraksha praShTaM masUrAnnaM dvAdashyAM parivarjayEt ||
"On the Dwadashi the day after Ekadashi (the twelfth phase of the Moon), one should give up the following twelve: eating on bell-metal plates, eating urad-dal, red-lentils, or honey, lying, strenuous exercise, travel, eating more than once, any sexual activity, shaving the body, face or head, smearing oils on one's body and eating in another's home."
Sri Krishna continued, "Whoever observes the Varoothini Ekadashi in this way becomes free from all sinful reactions and returns to the eternal, spiritual abode. One who worships Lord JanArdana (Krishna) on this Ekadashi by staying awake throughout the entire night, also becomes free from all his previous sins and attains to the spiritual abode. Therefore, Oh king, he who is frightened of his accumulated sins and their attendant reactions and thus of death itself, must observe Varoothini Ekadashi by fasting very strictly.
"Finally, Oh noble Yudhisthira, he who hears or reads this glorification of the sacred Varoothini Ekadashi obtains the merit earned by donating one thousand cows in charity and at last he returns home, to Sri Hari."
Source: Padma Mahapurana part-3 uttarakhanda 49th chapter.
Courtesy: Sri Phanindra Mankale & Sri Ram[Detroit]
Sri Krishnarpanamastu!
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