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PRODID:-//Bhagavat Dharma Samaj | Est. 1990 - ECPv6.6.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
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X-WR-CALNAME:Bhagavat Dharma Samaj | Est. 1990
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.krsna.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Bhagavat Dharma Samaj | Est. 1990
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DTSTART:20260101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260214
DTSTAMP:20260419T232006
CREATED:20250422T133606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250422T133606Z
UID:31258-1770940800-1771027199@www.krsna.org
SUMMARY:Vijayā Ekādaśī Vrataṁ - Phālguna-kṛṣṇa pakṣa
DESCRIPTION:BREAKING THE FAST ON THE NEXT DAY. \nYudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said\, “O Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa\, O glorious son of Vasudeva\, please be merciful to me and describe the Ekādaśī that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Phālguna [February-March].” \nLord Śrī Kṛṣṇa replied\, “O Yudhiṣṭhira\, O king of kings\, gladly shall I tell you about this great fast\, known as Vijayā Ekādaśī. Whoever observes it certainly achieves success both in this life and the next. All the sins of one who fasts on this Ekādaśī and hears its sublime glories are eradicated. \n“Nārada Muni once asked Lord Brahmā\, who sits on a lotus\, about Vijayā Ekādaśī. Nārada said\, `O best of the demigods\, kindly tell me the merit one can achieve by faithfully observing Vijayā Ekādaśī. \n“Nārada’s great father replied\, `My dear son\, this oldest of fasting days is pure\, and it nullifies all sins. I have never revealed this to anyone until today\, but you can understand beyond any doubt that this Ekādaśī bestows the result indicated by its name. [Vijayā means “victory.”] \n“`When Lord Rāma was exiled to the forest for fourteen years\, He\, goddess Sītā\, and His divine brother Lakṣmaṇa stayed at Pañcavaṭi as mendicants. Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa\, and Rāma seemingly became bewildered by distress. While searching for His beloved consort\, the Lord came upon the dying Jaṭāyu and thereafter killed His enemy Kabandha. The great devotee-vulture Jaṭāyu returned to Vaikuṇṭha after telling Rāma how His dear Sītā had been abducted by Rāvaṇa. \n“Later\, Rāma and Sugrīva\, the king of the monkeys\, became friends.’ Together they amassed a grand army of monkeys and bears and sent Hanumānji to Śrī Laṇkā\, where he was able to see Jānaki\, Sītā-devī\, in an aśoka garden. He delivered Rāma’s message to her and then returned to Rāma with her message to Him\, thus rendering great service to the Supreme Lord. \n“`With the help of Sugrīva\, Lord Rāma proceeded toward Śrī Laṇkā. Upon arriving at the shore of the ocean with the army of monkeys\, He could understand that the water was uncommonly deep. Thus He said to Lakṣmaṇa\, “O son of Sumitrā\, how can we earn enough merit to be able to cross this vast ocean\, the unfathomable abode of Varuṇa? I can see no easy way to cross it\, teeming as it is with sharks and other ferocious fish.” \n“‘Lakṣmaṇa replied\, “O best of all beings\, O origin of all Gods\, O primal personality\, the great sage Bakadālbhya lives on an island just four miles from here. O Rāghava\, he has seen many Brahmās come and go\, so aged and wise is he. Let us ask him how we can safely reach our goal.” \n“So Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa proceeded to the humble āśrama of the incomparable Bakadālbhya Muni. Approaching him\, the two Lords paid Their respectful obeisances to him as if he were a second Viṣṇu. Bakadālbhya could understand\, however\, that Rāma was actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead\, who for His own reasons had appeared on earth as a human being. \n“O Rāma\,” said Bakadālbhya\, “O best of human beings\, why have You come to my lowly abode?” \n“`The Lord replied\, “O great\, twice-born brāhmaṇa\, I have come here to the ocean shore with My phalanx of monkeys and bears in order to cross the sea and conquer Laṇkā and its demon horde. O greatest of sages\, please be merciful to Me and tell Me how I can cross this vast ocean. That is why I have come to you today.” \n“The sage said\, “O Lord Rāma\, I shall tell you of the most exalted of all fasts\, observing which You will surely conquer Rāvaṇa and be eternally glorified. Kindly listen with full attention. \n“On the day before Ekādaśī\, fashion a waterpot of gold or silver\, or even of copper. Even clay will do if these metals are unavailable. Fill the pot with pure water and then decorate it nicely with mango leaves. Cover it and place it near a holy altar upon a mound of seven grains. Now take Your morning bath\, decorate the waterpot with flower garlands and sandalwood paste\, and in the concave lid atop the pot place barley\, pomegranate\, and coconut. Now with great love and devotion worship the waterpot-deity and offer Him incense\, sandalwood paste\, flowers\, a ghee lamp\, and a plate of sumptuous food. Remain awake that night beside this sacred pot. On top of the lid filled with barley\, etc.\, place a golden mūrtī of Lord Nārāyaṇa. \n“When Ekādaśī dawns\, take your morning bath and then decorate the waterpot with fine sandalwood paste and garlands. Then worship the pot with first-class incense\, sandalwood paste\, and a ghee lamp\, and also devotedly place many kinds of cooked food\, pomegranate\, and coconut before the waterpot. Then remain awake over night. \n“”`When Dvādaśī dawns\, take the waterpot to the bank of a holy river\, or even to the shore of a small pond. After worshiping it properly\, O King of kings\, offer it with all the aforementioned ingredients to a pure brāhmaṇa expert in the Vedic science. If You and Your military commanders observe Vijayā Ekādaśī in this way\, You will surely be victorious in every way.” \n“`Lord Rāmacandra\, the Supreme Personality of Godhead\, did just as Bakadālbhya Muni instructed\, and thus He conquered all demoniac forces. Similarly\, anyone who observes Vijayā Ekādaśī in this way will always be victorious in this mortal world\, and after leaving this world he will reside forever in the kingdom of God. \n`O Nārada\, my son\, from this history you can understand why one should observe this Ekādaśī fast properly\, strictly following the rules and regulations. This fast is powerful enough to eradicate all one’s sinful reactions\, even the most abominable ones.’ \nŚrī Kṛṣṇa concluded\, “O Yudhiṣṭhira\, anyone who reads or hears this history will attain the same great merit as that earned by performing a horse sacrifice.” \nThus ends the narration of the glories of Phālguna-kṛṣṇa Ekādaśī\, or Vijayā Ekādaśī\, from the Skanda Purāṇa.
URL:https://www.krsna.org/event/vijaya-ekadasi-vrata%e1%b9%81-phalguna-k%e1%b9%9b%e1%b9%a3%e1%b9%87a-pak%e1%b9%a3a/
CATEGORIES:Ekadashi,Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.krsna.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vijaya-300x434-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260227
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260228
DTSTAMP:20260419T232006
CREATED:20250422T142710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250422T142710Z
UID:31262-1772150400-1772236799@www.krsna.org
SUMMARY:Āmalakī Ekādaśī Vrataṁ - Phālguna-śukla pakṣa
DESCRIPTION:King Mandhata once said to Vasistha Muni\, “O great sage\, kindly be merciful to me and tell me of a holy fast that will benefit me eternally.” \nVasistha Muni replied\, “O king\, kindly listen as I describe the best of all fast days\, Amalaki Ekadasi. He who faithfully observes a fast on this Ekadasi obtains enormous wealth\, gets free of the effects of all kinds of sins\, and attains liberation. Fasting on this Ekadasi is more purifying than donating one thousand cows in charity to a pure brahmana. So please hear me attentively as I tell you the story of a hunter who\, though daily engaged in killing innocent animals for his living\, achieved liberation by observing a fast on Amalaki Ekadasi and following the prescribed rules and regulations of worship. \n“There was once a kingdom named Vaidisa\, where all the brahmanas\, ksatriyas\, vaisyas\, and sudras were equally endowed with Vedic knowledge\, great bodily strength\, and fine intelligence. O lion among kings\, the whole kingdom was full of Vedic sounds\, not a single person was atheistic\, and no one sinned. The ruler of this kingdom was King Pashabinduka\, a member of the dynasty of Soma\, the moon. He was also known as Citraratha and was very religious and truthful. It is said that King Citraratha had the strength of ten thousand elephants and that he was very wealthy and knew the six branches of Vedic wisdom perfectly.’ \n“During the reign of Maharaja Citraratha\, not a single person in his kingdom attempted to practice another’s dharma (duty)\, so perfectly engaged in their own dharmas were all the brahmanas\, ksatriyas\, vaisyas\, and sudras. Neither miser nor pauper was to be seen throughout the land\, nor was there ever drought or flood. Indeed\, the kingdom was free of disease\, and everyone enjoyed good health. The people rendered loving devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead\, Lord Visnu\, as did the king\, who also rendered special service to Lord diva. Moreover\, twice a month everyone fasted on Ekadasi. \n“In this way\, O best of kings\, the citizens of Vaidisa lived many long years in great happiness and prosperity. Giving up all varieties of materialistic religion\, they completely dedicated themselves to the loving service of the Supreme Lord\, Hari. \n“Once\, in the month of Phalguna\, the holy fast of Amalaki Ekadasi arrived\, conjoined with Dvadasi. King Citraratha realized that this particular fast would bestow especially great benefit\, and thus he and all the citizens of Vaidisa observed this sacred Ekadasi very strictly\, carefully following all the rules and regulations. \n“After bathing in the river\, the king and all his subjects went to the temple of Lord Visnu\, where an Amalaki tree grew. First the king and his leading sages offered the tree a pot filled with water\, as well as a fine canopy\, shoes\, gold\, diamonds\, rubies\, pearls\, sapphires\, and aromatic incense. Then they worshiped Lord Parasurama with these prayers: ‘O Lord Parasurama\, O son of Renuka\, O all-pleasing one\, O liberator of the worlds\, kindly come beneath this holy Amalaki tree and accept our humble obeisances.’ Then they prayed to the Amalaki tree: ‘O Amalaki\, O offspring of Lord Brahma\, you can destroy all kinds of sinful reactions. Please accept our respectful obeisances and these humble gifts. O Amalaki\, you are actually the form of Brahman\, and you were once worshiped by Lord Ramacandra Himself. Whoever circumambulates you is therefore immediately freed of all his sins.’ \n“After offering these excellent prayers\, King Citraratha and his subjects remained awake throughout the night\, praying and worshiping according to the regulations governing a sacred Ekadasi fast. It was during this auspicious time of fasting and prayer that a very irreligious man approached the assembly\, a man who maintained himself and his family by killing animals. Burdened with both fatigue and sin\, the hunter saw the king and the citizens of Vaidisa observing Amalaki Ekadasi by performing an all-night vigil\, fasting\, and worshiping Lord Visnu in the beautiful forest setting\, which was brilliantly illuminated by many lamps. The hunter hid nearby\, wondering what this extraordinary sight before him was. ‘What is going on here?’ he thought. What he saw in that lovely forest beneath the holy Amalaki tree was the Deity of Lord Damodara being worshiped upon the asana of a waterpot\, and what he heard were devotees singing sacred songs describing Lord Sri Krsna’s transcendental forms and pastimes. Despite himself\, that staunchly irreligious killer of innocent birds and animals spent the entire night in great amazement as he watched the Ekadasi celebration and listened to the glorification of the Lord. \n“Soon after sunrise\, the king and his royal retinue-including the court sages and all the citizens-completed their observance of Ekadasi. and returned to the city of Vaidisa. The hunter then returned to his but and happily ate his meal. In due time the hunter died\, but the merit he had gained by fasting on Amalaki Ekadasi. and hearing the glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead\, as well as by being forced to stay awake all night\, made him eligible to be reborn as a great king endowed with many chariots\, elephants\, horses\, and soldiers. His name was Vasuratha\, the son of King Viduratha\, and he ruled over the kingdom of Jayanti. \n“King Vasuratha was strong and fearless\, as effulgent as the sun\, and as handsome as the moon. In strength he was like Visnu\, and in forgiveness like the earth itself. Very charitable and ever truthful\, King Vasuratha always rendered loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord\, Sri Visnu. He therefore became very well versed in Vedic knowledge. Always active in the affairs of state\, he enjoyed taking excellent care of his subjects\, as though they were his own children. He disliked pride in anyone and would smash it when he saw it. He performed many kinds of sacrifices\, and he always made certain that the needy in his kingdom received enough charity. \n“One day\, while hunting in the jungle\, King Vasuratha strayed from the footpath and lost his way. Wandering for some time and eventually growing weary\, he paused beneath a tree and\, using his arms as a pillow\, fell asleep. As he slept\, some barbarian tribesmen came upon him and\, remembering their longstanding enmity toward the king\, began discussing among themselves various ways to kill him. ‘It is because he killed our fathers\, mothers\, brothersin-law\, grandsons; nephews\, and uncles that we are forced to aimlessly wander like so many madmen.’ So saying\, they prepared to kill King Vasuratha with various weapons\, including spears\, swords\, arrows\, and mystic ropes. \n“But none of these deadly weapons could even touch the sleeping king\, and soon the uncivilized\, dog-eating tribesmen grew frightened. Their fear sapped their strength\, and before long they lost what little intelligence they had and became almost unconscious with bewilderment and weakness. Suddenly a beautiful woman appeared from the king’s body\, startling the aborigines. Decorated with many ornaments\, emitting a wonderful fragrance\, wearing an excellent garland around her neck\, her eyebrows drawn in a mood of fierce anger\, and her fiery red eyes ablaze\, she looked like death personified. With her blazing cakra she quickly killed all the tribal hunters\, who had tried to slay the sleeping king. \n“Just then the king awoke\, and seeing all the dead tribesmen lying around him\, he was astonished. He wondered\, ‘These are all great enemies of mine! Who has slain them so violently? Who is my great benefactor?’ \n“At that very moment he heard a voice from the sky: ‘You ask who helped you. Well\, who is that person who alone can help anyone in distress? He is none other than Sri Kesava\, the Supreme Personality of Godhead\, He who saves all who take shelter of Him without any selfish motive.’ \n“Upon hearing these words\, King Vasuratha became overwhelmed with love for the Personality of Godhead. He returned to his capital city and ruled there like a second Indra\, without any obstacles at all. \n“Therefore\, O King Mandhata\,” the venerable Vasistha Muni concluded\, “anyone who observes holy Amalaki Ekadasi. will undoubtedly attain the supreme abode of Lord Visnu\, so great is the religious merit earned from the observance of this most sacred fast day.” \n  \nThus ends the narration of the glories of Phālguna-śukla Ekādaśī\, or Āmalakī Ekādaśī\, from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa.
URL:https://www.krsna.org/event/amalaki-ekadasi-vrata%e1%b9%81-phalguna-sukla-pak%e1%b9%a3a/
CATEGORIES:Ekadashi,Festival
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