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Fasting on Ekadashi comes twice a month.

One should not consume any grains or meat on this day.

Lord Krishna says that if a person fasts on Ekadashi, I will burn up all his sins. Indeed this day is the most meritorious day for destroying all kinds of sins.

In the three worlds, there is no kind of fasting, which is even comparable to the Ekadashi fast.

Even if one performs this fast without a proper attitude, he achieves the Lords Supreme Abode.

Anyone who fasts on Ekadashi, with full devotion, the merit one receives cannot be compared to anything else in the three worlds.

Compiled by Astrologer Pitchumani

Amalaki Ekadasi story

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.

Vasistha 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 following the prescribed rules and regulations of worship.

The Kingdom of VaidishaThere was once a kingdom named Vaidisha, where all the brahmanas, khsatriyas, vaishyas, and shudra were equally endowed with Vedic knowledge, great bodily strength, and fine intelligence. Oh 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 wasKing Pashabinduka, a member of the dynasty of Soma, the moon. He was also known asChitrarathaand was very religious and truthful. It is said that King Chitraratha had the strength of ten thousand elephants and that he was very wealthy and knew the six branches of Vedic wisdom perfectly.

During the reign of Maharaja Chitraratha, not a single person in his kingdom attempted to practice anothers dharma (duty); so perfectly engaged in their own dharma's were all the brahmanas, khsatriyas, vaishyas, and sudras. Neither miser nor pauper was to be seen throughout the land, never was there ever a 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 Vishnu, as did the king, who also rendered special service to Lord Shiva. Moreover, twice a month everyone fasted on Ekadasi.

In this way, O best of kings, the citizens of Vaidisha 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.

Observing Amalaki Ekadasi

Once, in the month of Pahlguna (February March), the holy fast of Amalaki Ekadasi arrived, conjoined with Dvadasi. King Chitraratha realized that this particular fast would bestow especially great benefit, and thus he and all the citizens of Vaidisha observed this sacred Ekadasi very strictly, carefully following all the rules and regulations.

After bathing in the river, the king and all his subjects went to the temple of Lord Vishnu, 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 Parashurama with these prayers:

Oh Lord Parashurama, Oh son of Renuka, Oh all-pleasing one, Oh liberator of the worlds, kindly come beneath this holy Amalaki tree and accept our humble obeisance's.

Then they prayed to the Amalaki tree: Oh Amalaki, Oh offspring of Lord Brahma, you can destroy all kinds of sinful reactions. Please accept our respectful obeisance's and these humble gifts.

O Amalaki, you are actually the form of Brahman, and you were once worshiped by Lord Ramachandra Himself. Whoever circumambulates you ,immediately freed of all sins.

After offering these excellent prayers, King Chitraratha 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 Vaidisha observing Amalaki Ekadasi by performing an all-night vigil, fasting, and worshiping Lord Vishnu in the beautiful forest setting, which was brilliantly illuminated by many lamps. The hunter hid nearby, wondering what this extraordinary sight before him was.

The fortunate hunterWhat 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 water pot and he heard the devotees singing sacred songs describing Lord Krishnas 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.

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 Vaidisha.

The hunter returned to his hut 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 may chariots, elephants, horses, and soldiers.

His name was Vasuratha, the son of King Viduratha, and he ruled over the kingdom of Jayanti.

King Vasuratha

King Vasuratha was strong and fearless, as effulgent as the Sun, and as handsome as the Moon. In strength he was like Sri Vishnu, and in forgiveness like the Earth itself. Very charitable and every truthful,.

King Vasuratha always rendered loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Sri Vishnu. 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.

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 long standing enmity toward the king, began discussing among themselves various ways to kill him. It is because he killed our fathers, mothers, brothers-in-law, grandsons, nephews, and uncles that we are forced to aimlessly wander like so many madmen in the forest.

The Great Rescue

They prepared to kill King Vasuratha with various weapons, including spears, swords, arrows, and mystic ropes. 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 had tried to slay the sleeping king.

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? At that very moment he heard a voice from the sky,

You asked that who helped you. Well, who is that person who alone can help anyone is distress? He is none other than Sri Keshava, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He who saves all who take shelter of Him without any selfish motive.

Upon hearing these words, King Vasuratha became over-whelmed with love for the Personality of Godhead Sri Keshava (Krishna).

He returned to his capital city and ruled there like a second lord Indra (king of the heavenly regions), without any obstacles at all.

Conclusion

Therefore, Oh King Mandhata, the venerable Vasistha Muni concluded, anyone who observes this holy Amalaki Ekadasi will undoubtedly attain the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu, so great is the religious merit earned from the observance of this most sacred fast day.

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Pahlguna-sukla Ekadasi, or Amalaki Ekadasi, from the Brahmanda Purana.

Note:

If the Amalaki tree is not available then worship the sacred Tulsi tree. Also plant the sacred Tulsi seeds, and offer lamps to her.

Amala Origin and ImportanceAmla or Dhatri or Dhatrika means a nourishing mother. The tree is highly revered as it is associated with both Lord Vishnu and Siva.

According to Skanda Purana Once, when the whole earth was submerged into the water and Lord Brahma was immersed in the meditation of Parabrahma (Almighty Vishnu). He became so full of emotion that tears started rolling down from his eyes and fell down on the earth. The Amla tree germinated from those tears.

The Amla tree had many branches, and it was full of Amla fruits. Since the Amla tree was the first tree to manifest itself on the earth, therefore it is also known as ADIROHA (Pre-eminent tree).

This Amla tree was very much liked by Lord Vishnu and all the deities alike. One day while the deities was looking at this pre-eminent Amla tree, they heard a voice from the sky.This Amla tree is the supreme among all the trees because it is dear to Lord Vishnu.

On the day of Shivaratri, special pujas are offered to the tree.

Women bind the tree with red and yellow threads, and pray by offering flowers and fruits.

During Karthika Masa,(October- November) Akshaya Navami is celebrated when women offer prayers to the tree.

A prayer offered to Amla tree on Akshaya Navami begets a male progeny.

In Brahmanda Purana, it is mentioned that whoever observes the Amla Ekadashi Vratha, reaps its benefits (blessings of the Lord) not only in the present birth but also in the next birth.

Another reference is that of a poor Brahmin lady who offered an Amla fruit as bhiksha on Dwadashi day to Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Sri Adi Shankaracharya who was a young boy of five was moved by the plight of

the woman. He composed Kanakadara Stotra (Kanaka in Sanskrit means gold) in praise of goddess Mahalaxmi to alleviate the suffering of the lady.

Goddess Mahalaxmi, pleased with the devotion of Sri Shankaracharya blessed the lady by showering gold coins.

In Padma Purana, the following story is mentioned which glorifies the divinity of the Amla fruit.There was once a chandala who went to the forest for hunting. After having hunted a good number of animals, he began to feel hungry. He climbed the Amla tree which was nearby and ate a handful of Amla fruits. Unfortunately, while descending from the tree, he fell down and died. When the attendants of Yamaraja came to take his soul away, they failed in spite of several attempts. They then approached sages seeking clarification about the hunter. Sages told him that they could not take away the soul, as he had eaten Amla fruits just before his death. Such is the divinity of the Amla fruit.

According to Charaka Samhita, while collecting the Amla fruit by the light of a full moon, if one were to recite Om, then one will live in enjoyment of youth, for as many thousands of years as the number one eats. TheCharaka Samhitasays, "Amalakiis the best among rejuvenative herbs.

Eating food under the Amla tree in the month of Karthika absolves one from the Anna doshas for a year.

Guna (Qualities) Dry and light

Rich source of Vitamin C: Amla fruit is a rich source of Vitamin C. One amla fruit has 700- 921 gms of Vitamin C. Vitamin C in the most concentrated form is found only in Amla. A medium sized amla fruit contains 8.7 mg of Vitamin C equivalent to 100 mg of synthetically produced Vitamin C.Improves food absorption: One of the properties of Vitamin C is that it enhances the food absorption, digestion and assimilation in the body. Regular consumption of Amla helps in absorption of iron in the food. Amla improves the thirteen digestive fires in the body. Thus regular consumption of amla makes a person enjoy the taste of food better. It is very useful for people having pitta body constitution.Helps in reducing acidity: Amla with its cooling property is used in treating mild to moderate hyper acidic reactions in the body.Improves liver functioning :Amla is very effective in removing the toxins from the body. It stimulates the liver and purifies the digestive juice (Bile) produced by the liver. It also purifies the blood.Enhances the brain function: Amla is effective in enhancing the brain functions such as attention, registration, retention and recall. It is used in improving the nervous system. Amla fruit strengthens the senses.

6.Enhances heart functioning: Regular consumption of amla, nurtures the heart, improves blood circulation and aids in the overall cardiovascular system 7.Strengthening lungs: Amla is used in treating phlegm. It is very effective in strengthening the lungs and clearing the respiratory tract of phlegm.

8.Improves fertility: Amla has a property known as Garbasthapana, which nurtures the sperm and ovaries. Regular consumption of amla enhances fertility in both men and women.9.Effective in treating urinary tract infections: Amla enhances the digestive system in the body, it is also used in treating urinary tract infections like mild burning while urinating. It is a natural diuretic which removes waste water from the body.10.Improves the skin complexion: As amla removes the toxins from the body, and is a rich source of Vitamin C, it enhances the skin complexion. It helps the skin to fight against bacterial infection. It improves the glow and luster of the skin.11.Good Hair care: Regular consumption of amla delays premature greying and improves hair growth.12.Calcium absorption: Amla aids in calcium absorption in the body, thus aiding in the creation of strong bones, teeth and nails.13.As a coolant: Amla with its cooling property is very effective during summer season. It is especially useful for people with Pitta and Vatha constitution.14.Strengthens the eyes: Amla is also known as chakshushya, which means "strengthening the eyes"-(Chakshu means "eye" and ayushya means "Rasayana" so it is literally a "Rasayanafor the eyes"). It aids in improving the vision.15.Improves muscle tone: Amla improves the protein synthesis in the body, thereby strengthening the muscles.

16.Antioxidant property: With the anti oxidant property, amla is very effective in strengthening the overall immunity system and delay the aging process.17.Energy booster: As amla aids in better absorption of food, purifies the blood, removes toxins from the body, it removes fatigue from the body. It aids in cell regeneration process, wherein the old cells are replaced by the healthy new cells, thus making the body more energetic.18.Treating Hypoglycemia: Amla is very effective in treating hypoglycemia, (a condition when the blood sugar levels fall suddenly). 19.Inflammation and fever: As amla has a cooling nature, it is used in the treatment of inflammation or burning sensation in any part of the body. It is also used in the treatment of fever.

A mere remembrance of this tree gives the virtues attained by seeing this Amla tree are twice than donating a cow and the virtues attained by eating an Amla fruit is thrice as compared to donation of a cow. So efforts should be made for its preservation.

Eating the fruits of Amla is very nutritious for the body. Taking bath by the water mixed with the juice of Amla fruit has great curative values.

The performance of Pindadana under the Amla trees gives salvation to the souls of dead ancestors. Ghosts and other evil spirits do not trouble a house where Amla fruits are kept.

One who is desirous of acquiring wealth should take bath by water mined with the juice of Amla fruits daily.

A person who washes his hairs with the juice of Amla mixed with water, attains Vishnu loka by destroying all his sins of this Kaliyuga.

A person who has his food under an Amla tree in the Hindu month of Kartik, becomes free from the defects of the food (annadosha) for one year.

All the above-mentioned benefits of the Amla tree and Amla fruit has been described by sage Vyasa in 'Skanda Purana'.

If one only chants, with some slight faith, the holy names of Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda, very quickly he is cleansed of all offenses. Thus as soon as he chants the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, he feels the ecstasy of love for God.

"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare"

Appropriate way to observe Amalaki Ekadasi vrata and its significance Follow the general rules of the Ekadasi vrata. Worship Amla tree with incense, fruits and flowers. Faithfully worship Lord Shri Krishna and forms of Krishna .Planet Venus Ruled by Parashurama, During this Ekadasi venus transit is either towards Meena or in Meena Rasi ,that is venues uccha Rasi. Sukra Parashurama incarnation is indweller. It is not recommended by the Parampara to use the name worship Parashurama directly. So worship goddess Lakshmi and can chant NAMO BHAGAVATE HRISHIKESHAYAVenus is Adi devatha is Maha Laxmi. So this Ekadasi Fasting blesses both material and spiritual prosperity. It is believed that Lord Vishnu, goddess Lakshmi, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma reside in the Amla tree. One obtains great religious merit by touching the tree and by eating the fruit. Therefore, prepare Ekadasi dishes with Amla, offer to Lord Vishnu, distribute the prasadam. We already know the health benefits of Amla.

Observing Amalaki Ekadasi vrata is more purifying than donating one thousand cows to a pious brahmana. The faithful observer is bestowed with immense wealth and is freed from the effects of past sins. Ultimately, the observer is blessed with liberation and residence in Lord Vishnu's abode.

Every activity, thought, and sensual experience of a conditioned soul produces a samskara. Each samskara becomes added to a stockpile of mental impressions that is not vanquished even at death, these samskaras, and impressions from previous births, are embedded deep in the sub consciousness, How can we overcome this eternal enemy, this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization?

One technique to control the mind is to ignore it. A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desiresthat enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always stillcan alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires. (Bg. 2.70) By tolerance alone can one conquer desires .(SB 1.9.27)

So many nonsense thoughts enter our minds. If instead of picking up on them we simply ignore them, they will naturally and quickly die, to be replaced by other thoughts. Therefore we have to train our minds to think of Krishna.

Maharaja Ambarisha engaged in various activities of Philosophical discussion between devotees, attempting to understand the philosophy of Krishna consciousness from different angles of vision , gives the mind meaningful subject matter to meditate on and makes it strong.

One should not be lazy in the matter of understanding the philosophical conclusions of devotional service, for such discussions strengthen the mind. Thus ones mind becomes attached to Shri Krishna. (Cc. Adi 2.117)

A sincere devotee of the Lord must be sincerely convinced that simply by the strength of devotional service and the mercy of Lord Krishna he will achieve everything auspicious in life.

One must believe that Lord Krishna is all-merciful and that He is the only real goal of ones life. Such determined faith combined with a sincere desire to give up sense enjoyment will carry one past the obstacles of this world.

Break the Fasting on Monday morning between 6 to 9 am

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