🌼 Aja Ekadashi 🌼

• On the day of Ekadashi, wake up in the Brahma Muhurta in the morning, take a bath and then wear clean clothes. 
• After this, take a vow to fast while meditating on Lord Vishnu. After this, clean the temple thoroughly. 
• Then spread a red cloth on the stool of the house and place the idol of Lord Vishnu on it. 
• After this, take Gangajal in a pot and mix sesame seeds, roli and akshat in it. 
• Show incense and lamp to Lord Vishnu and offer flowers to him. 
• After this, I recite the story of Ekadashi. After this, offer Tulsi water and sesame seeds to Lord Vishnu. 
• Also recite Vishnu Sahasranama. Also, stay awake at night while singing the bhajans of Shri Hari Vishnu. 

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✨Aja ekadashi vrat katha:✨

     “O Janardana!” exclaimed Yudhishthira. Tell me about the Ekadashi in Bhadra’s dark fortnight, please. Give a thorough explanation of this Ekadashi’s name and customs.”  

     In response, Lord Krishna said, “O Rajarshi! Aja Ekadashi is the Ekadashi that falls during the dark fortnight of Bhadra. A person’s sins are erased on this day if they worship and fast in adoration of the Lord. This Ekadashi is unlike any other in the world in that it grants help in this life as well as the next. Now pay close attention as you hear how great this Ekadashi is.”  

     In the past, the city of Ayodhya was ruled by a morally upright and honest king by the name of Harishchandra, who was descended from Lord Shri Rama. The king was well known for his steadfast honesty and moral rectitude.  

     King Harishchandra once had a dream in which he saw that he had given his entire kingdom to the sage Vishwamitra. When Vishwamitra arrived at his palace the following morning, he said, “In my dream, You have already given me your kingdom. Why not do it in real life?” The gods had once devised a plan to test his virtue.  

     As a result of the karmic consequences of his past life’s deeds, King Harishchandra sold himself to a “Dom,” who was in charge of conducting funeral rites in the cremation grounds, in order to fulfill the Dakshina for the offering. Despite this, King Harishchandra remained true to his word and gave Sage Vishwamitra full authority over his entire kingdom.  

     He became a servant of the Dom (Chandaal), even laboring in the task of aiding in the final rites of people and cremating their bodies. However, even in this tragic position, he did not relinquish his devotion to truthfulness.  

     After the years went by in this way, he started to suffer a great deal because of his humble profession. He began to look for means of escaping this shameful situation, asking himself all the time, “What should I do? How can I attain liberation from this wretched existence?” One fateful day, sensing the king’s deep sorrow and his sincere search for an answer, Sage Gautama showed up at his door.  

    After giving the guru his due attention, King Harishchandra started telling his tragic story. Sage Gautama himself became extremely depressed after hearing the terrible tale of King Harishchandra and exclaimed, “O King! Aja Ekadashi is an Ekadashi that occurs during the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada month. On this Ekadashi, you should maintain severe fasting and stay up all night. All of your sins will be forgiven if you do this.” Sage Gautama then said these last words before leaving through the door and disappearing as magically as he had appeared.  

     After the Ekadashi Aja arrived, King Harishchandra obediently followed the sage’s directions, fasting and staying awake through the night. The king’s faults were all forgiven by the power of this pledge. But tragedy occurred during this period, killing his son Rohit after the snake bit him.  

     King Harishchandra, struggling to hide his grief, begged the queen for the cremation costs as she carried her dead son to the burial site. The poor queen, however, had nothing to offer. To perform her son’s final rituals, she tore a section of her saree. Heaven began to play heavenly music at that very moment, and flowers began to rain. Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, and other celestial beings were arranged in front of them. They saw the selflessness and steadfast commitment of the monarch and queen.  

     The monarch witnessed the resurrection of his dead son in this celestial moment, and his wife was dressed in regal regalia and jewelry.  

     The vow’s consequences caused the king to eventually reclaim his realm. All these events had actually been planned by a sage as a test for the king, but the sage’s delusions were destroyed by the power of the Aja Ekadashi vow. King Harishchandra ultimately ascended to the celestial realm with his family.  

     O King! This was the incredible impact of observing the Aja Ekadashi vow.  

     Anyone who keeps awake through the night and performs this fast with determination has all of their sins erased, and they eventually reach heaven. You can get the benefits of an Ashwamedha Yajna simply by hearing the tale of this Ekadashi fast. 

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