Story about Sat-tila Ekadashi

Saṭ-tilā Ekādaśī

This ekādaśī occurs during the waning moon in the period of January-February. The glories of Saṭ-tilā ekādaśī are described in Bhavisya-uttara Purāna. Once, Sage Dālbhya asked Sage Pulastya, “O respected brāhmana, people in this mortal world are involved in various sinful activities, such as killing brāhmanas and engaging in sense gratification. Please explain to me how they can be delivered from the hellish conditions resulting from their sinful activities.”

Sage Pulastya replied, “O most fortunate one, one should worship the Supreme Lord in a pure state of mind on the ekādaśī which occurs during the waning moon in the period of January-February. At the time of worship, one should pray as follows: ‘O Lord Janārdana, O most merciful Śrī Kṛsṇa, You are the deliverer of the sinful people. Please be merciful to those who have drowned in the ocean of material existence. O Supreme Brahman, O Supreme personality of Godhead, O Lord of the universe, along with Your consort Śrīmatī Laksmī-devī, please accept my worship.’

Thereafter, one should worship the brāhmanas by giving them umbrellas, cloth, shoes, and pitchers filled with water. According to one’s capacity, one should also give black cows and sesame seeds to the best of the brāhmanas. By giving sesame seeds in charity, one can live in the heavenly planets for many years.

One should bathe in water mixed with sesame seeds, smear sesame seed paste on his body, perform a fire sacrifice with sesame seeds, offer oblations to the forefathers with water mixed with sesame seeds, eat sesame seeds, and give sesame seeds in charity on this ekādaśī. By doing so, all of one’s sinful reactions will be destroyed. That is why the name of this ekādaśī is Saṭ-tilā ekādaśī.”

Lord Kṛsṇa narrated the following story to Nārada Muni when he approached Kṛsṇa to hear the glories and results of observing Saṭ-tilā ekādaśī.

“In ancient times, there was a lady brāhmanī who strictly followed the vow of celibacy and worshiped the Lord. Due to her various vows, she gradually became thin and weak. Although she

gave some types of charity to the poor brāhmanas and unmarried girls, she never pleased the brāhmanas and demigods by giving food grains in charity. I thought, ‘Although the body of this brāhmanī is weak from performing many severe vows, she is not yet a fully purified soul. She has not given any food grains in charity to the hungry people.’ O best of the brāhmanas, in order to test her, I took the form of a mendicant and personally appeared in this mortal world. I took a begging pot in my hands and approached the house of that brāhmanī to beg alms.

“The brāhmanī said to Me, ‘O brāhmana, please tell me the truth about where You have come from.’ I pretended to not hear her, and again begged for alms. She became angry and put a handful of clay in My begging pot. Thereafter, I returned to My abode. As a result of observing severe vows, that brāhmanī ascetic eventually was transferred to My abode.

Although she got a beautiful house, it did not contain any food grains or wealth because she had put clay in my begging pot. O brāhmana, she entered that house and found it empty, and due to lack of wealth, gradually she became restless. After some time, she angrily approached Me and said, ‘O Janārdana, I underwent severe austerities, followed vows, and worshiped Lord Visṇu adequately. Why am I bereft of food grains and wealth?’

“I replied, ‘O brāhmanī, you have left the material world and come to My abode, so please go back to your house. Soon, the wives of the demigods, out of curiosity, will go to your house for darśana, and at that time you should inquire from them about the glories of

Saṭ-tilā ekādaśī. Do not open the door until they finish their narration.’ After hearing My statement, the brāhmanī returned home. “One day when the brāhmanī was sitting in her room and the door of the house was closed, some wives of the demigods arrived at the door and said, ‘O beautiful one, we have come here for darśana, so please open the door.’

The brāhmaụī replied, ‘If you want to see me, please explain the importance, piety, and glories of Saṭ-tilā ekādaśī, and then I will open the door. ‘One of the wives of the demigods then narrated the glories of that ekādaśī. After hearing the narration, the brāhmanī was satisfied and she opened the door. The wives of the demigods were pleased to see her.

Lord Kṛsṇa concluded, “Under the instruction of these demigoddesses, the brāhmanī observed the vow of Saṭ-tilā ekādaśī. Thereafter, she became beautiful and effulgent, and she received ample food grains, wealth, and gold. Still, no one should observe this ekādaśī with greed. By following this ekādaśī, one’s misfortunes and poverty are eliminated. If one donates sesame seeds on this day, all of his sinful reactions are vanquished.”