Bhaīmi or Jāyā Ekādaśī

Bhaīmi or Jāyā Ekādaśī

It is said that if one observes upavāsa(fasting) on this day then one receives entrance to Viṣṇu's abode, even though one has not performed the other vratas(half-day-fasts) of the year.

NOTE: The half day fast (vrata) for the appearance of Lord Varāha is also observed on this Ekādaśī day, and the utsav (festival celebration - pūjās and feasting, etc.) is oserved on the Dvādaśī, which is when He appeared.

Bhaīmi or Jāyā Ekādaśī from the Bhaviṣya-Uttarā Purāṇa.

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja said, "Oh Lord of the lords, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, all glories unto You! Oh Master of the universe, You alone are the source of the four types of living entities -  those born from eggs, those born from perspiration, those born from seeds and those born from embryos. You alone are the root cause of all, Oh Lord, and therefore You are the creator, maintainer and destroyer.

"My Lord, You have so kindly explained to me the auspicious day known as Sat-tila Ekādaśī, which occurs during the dark fortnight (Kṛṣṇa pakṣa) of the month of Māgha (January - February). Now please explain to me the Ekādaśī that occurs in the light fortnight (śukla or Gaura pakṣa) of this month. By what name is it known, and what is the process for observing it? Who is the presiding Deity that is to be worshipped on this sublime day, which is so very dear to You?

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa replied, "Oh Yudhiṣṭhira, I shall gladly tell you about the Ekādaśī that occurs during the light half of this month of Māgha Agha. This Ekādaśī obliterates all kinds of sinful reactions and demoniac influences that may be affecting the spirit soul. It is known as Jāyā Ekādaśī, and the fortunate soul who observes a fast on this sacred day is relieved of the great burden of ghostly existence. Thus there is no better Ekādaśī than this, for it truly bestows freedom from birth and death. It is to be honoured very carefully and diligently. So I, as you to listen to Me very attentively, Oh Pandava, as I explain a wonderful historic episode regarding this Ekādaśī, an episode that I have already related in the Padma Purāṇa .
"Long, long ago in the heavenly planets, Lord Indra ruled his celestial kingdom very nicely, and all the devas (demigods) living there were very happy and content. In Nandana Forest, which was beautifully graced with Pārijāta Flowers, Indra drank ambrosia whenever he liked and enjoyed the service of fifty million celestial maidens, the Apsarās (the society girls of heaven), who danced in ecstasy for his pleasure.


"Many singers, led by Puṣpadanta, sang in sweet voices beyond compare. Citrasena, Indra's chief musician was there in the company of his wife Mālinī and his handsome son Mālyavān. An Apsarā named Puṣpavati became very much attracted to Mālyavān; indeed Cupid's sharp arrows pierced the core of her heart. Her beautiful body and complexion, along with the enchanting movements of her eyebrows, captivated Mālyavān.
"Oh King, listen as I describe the splendid beauty of Puṣpavati: She has incomparably graceful arms with which to embrace a man like a fine silken noose; her face resembles the Moon; her lotus eyes reached almost to her lovely ears, which were adorned with wonderful and costly ear-rings; her thin, ornamented neck looked like a conch, having three lines; her waist was very slender, the size of a fist; her hips were broad, and her thighs like the trunks of banana trees; her naturally beautiful features were complemented by gorgeous ornaments and garments; her breasts were highly raised emphasizing her prime of youth; and to look upon her feet was to behold newly grown red lotuses.
 "Seeing Puṣpavati in all her heavenly beauty, Mālyavān was bewitched at once. They had come with the other performers to please Lord Indra by singing and dancing enchantingly, but because they had become so enamored of each other, pierced through the heart by the arrows of Cupid, lust personified, they were utterly unable to sing or dance properly before the lord and master of the heavenly realms.
Their pronunciation was wrong and their rhythm careless. Lord Indra understood the source of the errors at once. Offended at the discord in the musical performance, he became very angry and screamed, "You useless fools! You pretend to sing for me while in a stupor of infatuation with each other! You are mocking me! I curse you both to suffer henceforth as Piśācas (Ugly, mischievous elves). As husband and wife, go to the earthly regions and reap the reactions of your offenses.'
"Struck dumb by these harsh words, Mālyavān and Puṣpavati at once became morose and fell from the beautiful Nandana Forest in the kingdom of heaven to a Himalayan peak here on planet Earth.

 Immeasurably distressed, and their celestial intelligence vastly diminished by the effects of lord Indra’s fierce curse, they lost their sense of taste and smell, and even their sense of touch. It was so cold and miserable high on the Himalayan wastes of snow and ice that they could not even enjoy the oblivion of sleep.

"Roaming aimlessly hither and thither in those harsh altitudes, Mālyavān and Puṣpavati suffered more and more, from one moment to the next. Even though they were situated in a cave, because of the snowfall and cold their teeth chattered ceaselessly, and their hair stood on end because of their fright and bewilderment.

"In this utterly desperate situation, Mālyavān said to Puṣpavati, 'What abominable sins did we commit to have to suffer in these Piśāca(elf) bodies, in this impossible environment? This is absolutely hellish! Though hell is very ferocious, the suffering we are undergoing here is even more abominable. Therefore it is abundantly clear that one should never commit sins".

"And so the forlorn lovers trudged onward in the snow and ice. By their great good fortune, however, it so happened that very day was the all auspicious Jāyā Ekādaśī, the Ekādaśī of the light fortnight of the month of Māgha. Because of their misery they neglected to drink any water, kill any game, or even eat whatever fruits and leaves were available at that altitude, they unknowingly observed Ekādaśī by fasting completely from all food and drink. Sunk in misery Mālyavān and Puṣpavati collapsed beneath a Pipal tree and did not even try to get up. The Sun had set by that time.

"The night was even colder and more miserable than the day. They shivered in the frigid snowfall as their teeth chattered in unison, and when they became numb, they embraced just to keep warm. Locked in each other’s arms, they could enjoy neither sleep nor sex. Thus they suffered through the whole night under the powerful curse of the deva Indra.

 “ Still, Oh Yudhiṣṭhira, by the mercy of the fast they had by chance (unknowingly) observed on Jāyā Ekādaśī, and because they had remained awake all night, they were blessed.

 Please hear what happened on the next day. As Dvādaśī dawned, Mālyavān and Puṣpavati had given up their demoniac forms and were once again beautiful heavenly beings wearing lustrous ornaments and exquisite garments. As they both looked at each other in amazement, a celestial airplane (vimāna) arrived on the spot for them. A chorus of heavenly denizens sang their praises as the reformed couple stepped into the beautiful aircraft and proceeded directly to the heavenly regions, buoyed up by the good wishes of everyone. Soon Mālyavān and Puṣpavati arrived at Amarāvatī, Lord Indra’s capital city, and then they immediately went before their lord (Indradev) and offered him their cheerful obeisances.

 “Lord Indra was astonished to see that they had been transformed, restored to their original status and forms so soon after he had cursed them to suffer as demons far, far below his celestial kingdom. Indradev ask of them, ‘What extraordinary meritorious deeds have you performed so that you could give up your Piśāca bodies so quickly after I cursed you? Who released you from my irresistible curse?

“Mālyavān replied, ‘Oh lord, it was by the extreme mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) and also by the powerful influence of the Jāyā Ekādaśī, that we were released from our suffering condition as Piśācas. This is the truth, Oh master: Because we executed devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu (even performed unknowingly – by ajñāta-sukṛti) by observing the day most dear to Him, we have happily been restored to our former status.”

 “Indradev then said, ‘Because you served the Supreme Lord Śrī Keśava by observing Ekādaśī, you have become worshippable even by me, and I can see that you are now completely purified of sin. Whosoever engages in devotional service to Lord Śrī Hari or Lord Śiva becomes praiseworthy and worshippable even by me. Of this there is no doubt.’ Lord Indradev then gave Mālyavān and Puṣpavati free rein to enjoy each other and wander about his heavenly planet as they wished.

 “Therefore, Oh Maharaj Yudhiṣṭhira, one should strictly observe a fast on the sacred day of Lord Hari, especially on this Jāyā Ekādaśī, which frees one from the sin of killing even a twice born brahmin. A great soul who observes this fast with full faith and devotion has in effect given all kinds of charity, performed all kinds of sacrifice, and bathed in all the Holy places of pilgrimage. Fasting on Jāyā Ekādaśī qualifies one to reside in Vaikuṇṭha and enjoy unending happiness for billions of yugas – indeed, forever as the soul is eternal. Oh great king, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa continued, one who even hears or reads these wonderful glories of Jāyā Ekādaśī achieves the blessed merit attained by performing an agniṣṭoma-yajña(fire sacrifice), during which the hymns from the Sāma-veda are recited.”