History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.368

v6.c81.368

pp. 52-54 Extremely exaggerated praise of the efficacy of fasting on Ekādaśī has been indulged in by many Purāṇas and digests In the Nārada-purāṇa there is a long passage on the greatness (māhātmya) of Ekādaśī (quoted in Hemādri on Kāla p 146 and Kālanirṇaya pp 273-274) A few of the verses may be cited here; 'by the fire arising from (the observance of) ekādaśī, fuel in the form of sins committed in hundreds of past lives is reduced to ashes Thousands of Aśvamedha sacrifices and hundreds of Vājapeya sacrifices do not reach even up to the 16th part (of the merit) of the fast on ekādaśī This ekādaśī bestows heaven and mokṣa, confers a kingdom and sons (on a man) and a good spouse and the health of the body The Ganges, Gayā, Kāśī, Puskara, Kurukṣetra, the Narmadā, the Devikā, the Yamunā, the Candrabhāgā are none of them equal to the day of Hari' Similar verses occur in the Padmapurāṇa ²⁴⁵ The Anuśāsanaparva²⁴⁶ pronounces on Upavāsa an exaggerated eulogy The Padma ²⁴⁷ declares 'on hearing the word ekādaśī, the messengers of Yama become afraid, having fasted on ekādaśī which is the best among all vratas, one should keep awake (in the night) for propitiating Viṣṇu and should sumptuously decorate (the temple or *maṇḍapa* of) Viṣṇu The man who worships Hari with basil leaves secures by each single leaf the reward of a crore of sacrifices'²⁴⁸ The Varāhapurāṇa (chap 30) declares that Brahmā gave Ekādaśī to Kubera (the lord of wealth) and that to the person who controls himself, who is pure and eats only what is not cooked by fire, Kubera, being pleased, gives everything The Padma narrates the story of a woman, who was always quarrelsome and who thought of her lover, was therefore censured by her husband and beaten, and who in anger went without food and died at night and who on account of her fast²⁴⁹ (not undertaken cheerfully and willingly, but out of anger) became pure. The Garuḍapurāṇa declares:²⁵⁰ (if one places) on one side (in one pan) the gift of the whole world and on the other side (in another pan) the day of Hari, this ekādaśī is more holy and superior The ekādaśī in Āṣāḍha śukla is called mahā-ekādaśī and also Śayanī.