On the days of fasting, we should always worship God and remember Him. On some fasting and night-out days of some deities, people pre-book film tickets. That is how they cover fasting, night-out, and the film all at once.
Maharaj mentioned the importance of Ekadashi. Once, when the Lord brought all His ten senses and the mind inside and was taking rest, a lady known as Ekadashi appeared from the senses-and-mind, and killed the demon Murdanav by chopping off his head.
When Lord came out of rest and saw that the demon was killed, Lord was pleased with her and asked her to wish a boon.
She replied, “On the day of my Vrat, no one should consume grains.”
What is the meaning of the story?
If we disconnect the senses and mind from the world, spiritual power gets generated. The more we enjoy the sense objects, the more stupid, wicked and powerless we become.
It is not that we are relishing the sense objects. In real, sense objects are relishing us and once it sucks us completely, it just throws us away.
Rushis and Munis like Vasisht Muni, Vishwamitra Muni were all householders, yet they were in complete control of themselves. They directed all the senses and mind towards God. Being in household, they controlled senses and mind. When they control senses and mind, power gets created for them that in turn makes them stronger towards God.
Why is that Ekadashi considered best, and why other fasts are not considered equal to Ekadashi?
Is it because all senses are under control? All fasts also has the controlling of senses, not necessarily Ekadashi.
It is because it includes all senses and mind? Other fasts also include that.
Is it because of Maharaj said?
Every Vrat (fasting) has a head God. The head of Ekadashi fasting is Lord Narayana. The head of Jaya Parvati Vrat is Lord Shankar. The head of Saturday fasting is Lord Hanuman. Every fasting has their own head. For Ekadashi fasting, the head is Lord Purushotam Narayana. For the rest of fasts, the head of the respective fast brings the favors from Purushotam Narayana and offers it to the one who performs the Vrat. Hanumanji gets the favor from Lord Ram and offer it to those who perform Saturday fasts.
Hanumanji requests to Lord Ram, “Maharaj, a devotee is doing a fast. I had to offer him something. Please bless me.”
Lord Shankar blesses the one who performs his fasting. Where does he get it from? From Narayana. The head of everyone is Lord Narayana. The head of Ekadashi fast is again Lord Narayana. He doesn’t need to get it from someone else. He offers it from His own home. That is why it is called ‘Maha Vrat’.
If someone rich goes to a temple, he doesn’t need to search his pocket for a coin to offer. He offers whatever he could grab from his pocket. For someone who is not so rich has to think of how much he could offer in the temple.
Similarly, Lord Narayana is greatest of all, and there is no one greater than Him. Ekadashi is His fast. He Himself has said that it is His fast. That is why Ekadashi is the best of all fasts. There is no other fast that could offer as much as Ekadashi fast. That is why Maharaj had instructed us to perform Ekadashi. It is also mentioned in all Puranas that Ekadashi is the best of all fasts.
There is a story mentioned on the importance of Ekadashi fast, in “Dosi Puran”, which is famous in Gujarat.
There was a family in a village where a married-couple were living along with the guy’s parents. One day his wife and his mother had a fight like they usually do. Then the wife become angry and stopped taking food and water.
At the same time, some of the demi-gods were roaming around in their helicopter. When the helicopter was just crossing the village, it was short of diesel. For them the diesel is the pious religious works. So, they started searching for someone who did pious work. The demi-gods asked the villagers if someone had done pious works like doing Ekadashi fast and ready to offer us the results of it so that they could take-off soon.
The villagers replied, “In our village no one does Ekadashi. Actually, no one does any Vrat.”
Demi-gods requested the villagers, “Let us try once. Please. For our sake.”
The villagers started searching and only found one, that is, his wife who did not eat anything yesterday because of a fight with her mother-in-law.
Villagers said, “She is the only one who did Ekadashi fast and she did it unknowingly.”
Demi-gods said, “No problem. That works.”
The villagers brought her to the demi-gods.
The Demi-gods asked her, “Madam, you were fasting on Ekadashi. Right? Can you please give us the result of the pious activity so that our Helicopter could take off?”
She replied, “I never did Ekadashi fast.”
Demi-gods asked, “You did not eat anything yesterday. Right?”
She replied, “Yes. I had a fight with my in-law. The one who loses doesn’t eat the whole day, and the one who wins has delicious feasts. That is how I did not eat anything yesterday.”
Demi-gods asked, “Was it yesterday exactly?”
She replied, “Of course.”
Then she offered the result of the fast to demi-gods, and their helicopter started and took off into the sky with a winning noise.
That is the story from Dosi Puran. Not from Vyas Puran. Yet the Puran speaks truth. There is no fast that could offer so much benefit as that of Ekadashi fast.
That is why Maharaj highlighted the importance of Ekadashi fast.
Ekadashi is a penance that should be done only to please Maharaj and not to expect any benefits for yourself.
References:
20th July 2017: Los Angeles, CA
Vachanamrut Gadhada Middle 8