Aja Ekadashi: Sunday, 1st September 2013

In ancient time, there ruled a Chakravarti Raja. His name was Harishchandra. He was a very brave, majestic and glorious ruler. To complete his promise he had sold his wife and son. He himself had become a servant of a cruel person.

There he used to give shroud. But, in this difficult work also he did not leave the path of truth. After many years, he started feeling bad about his work and became upset. Then he started reaching some way to get free from this work and always used to stay tensed with this thought.

Once, while he was wondering about what to do, he was Gautam Rishi coming. King bowed to him and narrated his sad story infront of Rishi. Rishi felt upset on listening and seeing the condition of king and said him “Hey king, in the Krishna Paksha of Bhado, Aja Ekadashi occurs. You should observe the fast of this Ekadasi in a systematic manner and perform the Jagran at night. You will get rid of all your sins.”  Saying this Gautam Rishi went from there.

On the day of Aja Ekadashi, king observed the fast and performed Jagran, as told by Rishi. By the effect of this fast, all sins of the king were destroyed. At that time, flowers started showering from the sky. King saw Lord Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and Shiva, standing before him. He was his dead son alive and his wife in good clothes and jewellery.

By the effect of fasting he got back his kingdom. After death, he reached heaven with his family. All this was the result of observing the fast of Aja Ekadashi. Person who observes this fast in a systematic manner and perform the Jagran at night , gets rid of his sins. And, he gets place in heaven after death. Just hearing the story of fast gives the result as of Ashvamedha Yagya.

-from online web resource