Hare Krishna, tomorrow is Kāmadā Ekādaśī. Here is story!
Kāmadā Ekādaśī
The glories of Kāmadā ekādaśī are described in Varāha Purāna in a conversation between Lord Kṛsṇa and Mahārāja Yudhisṭhira.
Once, Mahārāja Yudhisṭhira said to Lord Kṛsṇa, the crown- jewel of the Yadu Dynasty, “O Lord Vāsudeva, please accept my humble obeisances. O my Lord, please tell me about the ekādaśī that occurs during the waxing moon in the period of March/April. Also, explain to me the procedure for observing it and what the benefit is.”
Lord Kṛsṇa replied, “My dear Mahārāja Yudhisṭhira, please listen attentively to the description of this ekādaśī which is recorded in the Purāna. Once, Mahārāja Dilīpa, the great-grandfather of Lord Rāmacandra, asked his spiritual master, sage Vasisṭha, about the name and observance of the ekādaśī which occurs during the waxing moon in the period of March/April.
“Sage Vasisṭha replied, ‘O king, I will certainly fulfill your desire. The name of this sacred ekādaśī is Kāmadā. It burns all of one’s sinful reactions to ashes, and awards one the privilege of having a son. Now, please hear about its glories.
“Long ago, there was a city named Ratnapura (Bhogīpura). This opulent city was ruled by a king named Puṇḍarīka. His subjects included Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and Apsarās. A beautiful Apsarā named Lalitā and a handsome Gandharva named Lalita lived in that city as husband and wife. They were overwhelmed with love for each other, and they were constantly engaged in various playful activities at their opulent house. Their love was so intense that they could not bear a moment of separation from each other.
“Once in the court of King Puṇḍarīka, many Gandharvas were singing and dancing, and Lalita, without his wife, sang with them. Due to Lalita missing his wife Lalitā, his singing and dancing were faulty. A snake named Karkoṭaka was watching, and he went to King Puṇḍarīka to complain about Lalita’s performance. The king became extremely angry and cursed Lalita as follows: ‘O sinful one, O fool, you have disturbed the singing and dancing due to lust for your wife. So, I curse you to become a cannibal.’
“O best of kings, by King Puṇḍarīka’s curse, Lalita immediately transformed into a great demon. Lalitā was devastated when she saw her husband in such a terrifying form. She lived with him in the forest in great distress, always thinking, ‘What can I do? Where can I go?’
Once, while wandering in the dense forest with her husband, Lalitā saw the sacred āśrama of the sage Śṛṅgī on the top of Vindhya Mountain. Lalitā went there and offered her respectful obeisances to the sage. The sage inquired, ‘O beautiful one, who are you? Whose daughter are you? Why have you come here?’ Lalitā replied, ‘O great soul, I am the daughter of the Gandharva named Vṛndāvana. My name is Lalitā.
I have come here with my cursed husband. O great sage, my husband has become a demon by the curse of the Gandharva king Puṇḍarīka. O brāhmana, I am greatly distressed by his terrifying appearance. O my lord, kindly tell me how my husband can atone and be liberated from the curse. O best of brāhmanas, please explain how to end his life as a demon.’
The great sage Śṛṅgī said, ‘O daughter of a Gandharva, in a few days there will be an ekādaśī named Kāmadā, which occurs during the waxing moon in the period of March-April. All of one’s desires are fulfilled by strictly following this ekādaśī. O gentle lady, you should follow this vow and give the entire benefit to your husband. He will immediately be freed from the curse by that pious merit.’
“O king, after being instructed in this way by the sage, Lalitā gladly observed that ekādaśī. On the day of dvādaśī, she sat before the brāhmanas and the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva, and declared, ‘I observed the vow of Kāmadā ekādaśī to relieve my husband from the curse. Now, by the influence of my earned piety, let my husband be freed from his life as a demon. ‘As soon as Lalitā finished her prayer, her husband, who was present, became free from all sins and regained his heavenly Gandharva form. Thereafter, Lalita and Lalitā lived happily.”
Lord Kṛsṇa concluded, “O Mahārāja Yudhisṭhira, O best of kings, anyone who hears this wonderful narration about Kāmadā ekādaśī should certainly observe it to the best of his ability. There is no better ekādaśī than this, for it can eradicate even the sin of killing a brāhmana, and counteract demoniac curses.”
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