Krishna Seva

[Vasant Punjabi]

Jai Shri Krishna,

Next Ekadashi will be on June 7th called Nirjala Ekadashi

Nirjala means without water.
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Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----

[Vasant Punjabi]

Jai Shri krishna,

Well vaishnavs before we go further into this ekadashi dont you think we should know whose birthday falls one day before this ekadashi?

Is it my birthday ? well you may be half correct as it falls in June but not on the 6th ! Ha Ha

No guesses? Ok listen it is Ganga (birthday or descent of Mother Ganges)

Now Pushtidasji, do you think our ardent vaishnav Kavitaji will leave me without the story ? No Ha !

So let me add now before I go to sleep.
Well here is the story!

Ganga Puja
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This is literally the "birthday or descent of mother Ganges - Ganga Ma". Throughout india this festival lasts ten days beginning on the Amavasya (dark moon night) and going through to the dasami tithi (tenth phase of the Moon, the day before Nirjala Ekadasi)

"Festivals connected with rivers are essentially bathing festivals. Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Jyeshtha. River Ganga is worshipped as a mother as well as a Goddess, particularly by people of Uttara Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal through which the river flows. On this day, if a devotee is unable to visit and bathe in the river Ganga, then Ganga jal (water) kept in most Hindu homes is used for purification. A bath in the river is said to purify the bather of all sins. The Ganga is revered all over India even in places far from its course.

Initially, river Ganga flowed in the heavens. She was brought down to earth by the severe penances of the sage Bhagiratha and that is why she is also called Bhagirathi. According to the story, of the descent of the Ganga, once a number of demons were harassing the hermits by disturbing them in their ascetic duties. During the day, they would be chased into the ocean. But in the darkness of the night, they would emerge from the ocean and start harassing the hermits again. In desperation the hermits appealed to Rishi Agastya. Agastya, known for his gastronomic powers, drank all the water of the ocean. Though this was done in good faith, it resulted in depriving the world of the water needed for sustenance and the earth became parched and dry. Bhagiratha brought this drought to and end.

According to the legend, King Sagara of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruling at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagara performed severe austerities before his wives could produce sons. But whereas Keshani gave birth to a son called Asmajas, Sumati bore 60,000 sons. Sagara performed the Ashwamedha sacrifice to declare his suzerainty over the neighbouring kingdoms. According to the prevalent custom, the sacrificial horse was let loose and allowed to wander into the neighbouring kingdoms. If the horse was caught, a battle ensued and the outcome decided the winner. The 60,000 sons of Sagara were following the horse when they saw him enter a cavern where sage Kapila was meditating. Not seeing the horse in the cavern, they presumed that Kapila had captured it. They did not kill Kapila as he was a sage but they started disturbing his meditations. Annoyed at being disturbed, Kapila with a curse burnt the 60,000 sons of Sagara. Time passed and later Bhagiratha, the great grandson of Sagara, chanced to come across the bones of his dead ancestors. He wanted to perform the shraddha of his ancestors but there was no water available for the ceremony. Agastya having drunk all the waters of the ocean, the country was passing through a severe drought. Bhagiratha prayed to Brahma, the Creator, to end the drought. Brahma asked him to pray to Vishnu, the Preserver, to allow the heavenly Ganga, issuing from His big toe, to come down to earth. Vishnu when prayed to by Bhagiratha agreed, but asked him to request Shiva, the third member of the Hindu trinity of Gods, to allow the torrential rain to fall on his head before it came to the earth as the river was very forceful and if she were allowed to come down unchecked, her fall would split the earth. Shiva agreed to take the gigantic weight of the cascading Ganga on the matted hair piled high on his head. This ensnared and delayed the progress of the river which, in meandering through the labyrinth of his hair, lost its force and then gently descended to the Himalayas from whence it flowed to the plains bestowing its waters on the parched earth. And that is why the anthropomorphic image of Ganga is shown in the matted hair of Shiva who is also called Gangadhara. Being born in the Himalayas, Ganga is considered the elder sister of Parvati, who is also a daughter of the Himalayas.

According to the Agni Purana and Padma Purana, the Ganga descended to the earth on Ganga Dussehra day and a bath in the holy river on this day is said to purify one of all sins. To die on the banks of the Ganga is considered most auspicious. If that is not possible, then the immersion of the ashes after cremation in the river Ganga is a must, as it then releases one from the cycles of birth and re-birth.
the seven ways of worshipping the Ganga are: by calling out her name, 'Oh Ganga'; having darshan of her; by toughing her waters; by worshipping and bathing; by standing in the waters of the river; and by carrying clay dug out of the river. Ganga in her anthropomorphic form is shown as a beautiful young woman standing on a crocodile and holding a waterpot in her hands. Her image, with that of the Goddess Yamuna, another sacred river deity, is often depicted on the doors of temples and palaces. In Gujarat, there is a legend according to which Ganga came down to the earth on Rishi Panchami, the fifth day of Bhadra (September) at Tarnetar.

The Ganges Festival

The first ten days of the month Jyeshth, known as Dashahara, are dedicated to honour the river Ganges, or Mother Ganges. The Ganges is believed to flow in the three worlds: in heaven it is called Mandakini, on earth the Ganges (or Ganga), and in the nether region the Bhagirathi. Thus the Ganga is known as “Tripathaga”, or the “Three Path River”. People believe that by bathing in the Ganga sins are washed away. The principle centres for the worship of the Ganga are Gangotri, the source of the river; Haridwar, where she comes down to the plains; Allahabad, where she joins the Yamuna; Varanasi, the holy city; and Sagara Island in her estuary where she finally flows into the Bay of Bengal.

Ganga is supposed to be the daughter of the Himalayas and the goddess Mena. According to the Puranas, the heavenly Ganga flows from Vishnu's toe. Ganga sometimes assumed a human form. In one such appearance, she married King Shantanu and was the mother of Bhishma, grandsire to the warring Pandava and Kaurava clans (see Mahabharata).
Long ago there was a king named Sagar. Once he performed the horse sacrifice known as Ashvamedh. After much wandering one day the king’s horse reached the ashram of Kapil Muni. Then seven thousand of the king’s boys also reached there in search of the horse. They had wickedly imagined that Kapil Muni had deliberately kidnapped the horse, and they decided to destroy the muni. Kapil Muni got angry and cursed them. There upon they all were burnt and reduced to ashes.
Since neither the horse nor his soldiers returned King Sagar became anxious. He sent his grandson Anshuman to search for them. Kapil Muni told Anshuman the whole story. Anshuman asked, “How can the sin of the king’s boys be destroyed?”
Kapil Muni answered, “They will be saved if the water of the Ganga will flow over this land.”

Anshuman tried but did not succeed in bringing down the Ganga on earth. Then his son Dilip also tried, but without success. Finally his son Bhagirath after performing terrible austerities managed to bring down the Ganga to this earth. Mother Ganga was pleased with Bhagirath, but asked him to obtain also the good pleasure of Shankar (Lord Shiva). Shankar agreed to take the burden of bringing the Ganga on earth. Thus on the tenth day of the bright half of Jyeshth, Mother Ganga began to flow from heaven to the matted hair of Shankar, and from the hair of Shankar she began to flow on this earth. In this way the children of Sagar were saved. For this reason the Ganges is also known as the Bhagirathi.

The Descent of the River Ganges

Shrimad Bhagavatam 5th Canto 17th Chapter Summary

The Seventeenth Chapter describes the origin of the Ganges River and how it flows in and around Ilävåta-varña. There is also a description of the prayers Lord Çiva offers to Lord Saìkarñaëa, part of the quadruple expansions of the Supreme personality of Godhead. Lord Viñëu once approached Bali Mahäräja while the King was performing a sacrifice. The Lord appeared before him as Trivikrama, or Vämana, and begged alms from the King in the form of three steps of land. With two steps, Lord Vämana covered all three planetary systems and pierced the covering of the universe with the toes of His left foot. A few drops of water from the Causal Ocean leaked through this hole and fell on the head of Lord Çiva, where they remained for one thousand millenniums. These drops of water are the sacred Ganges River. It first flows onto the heavenly planets, which are located on the soles of Lord Viñëu’s feet. The Ganges River is known by many names, such as the Bhägérathé and the Jähnavé. It purifies Dhruvaloka and the planets of the seven sages because both Dhruva and the sages have no other desire than to serve the Lord’s lotus feet.

The Ganges River, emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord, inundates the heavenly planets, especially the moon, and then flows through Brahmapuré atop Mount Meru. Here the river divides into four branches (known as Sétä, Alakanandä, Cakñu and Bhadrä), which then flow down to the ocean of salt water. The branch known as Sétä flows through Çekhara-parvata and Gandhamädana-parvata and then flows down to Bhadräçva-varña, where it mixes with the ocean of salt water in the West. The Cakñu branch flows through Mälyavän-giri and, after reaching Ketumäla-varña, mixes with the ocean of salt water in the West. The branch known as Bhadrä flows onto Mount Meru, Mount Kumuda, and the Néla, Çveta and Çåìgavän mountains before it reaches Kuru-deça, where it flows into the ocean of salt water in the north. The Alakanandä branch flows through Brahmälaya, crosses over many mountains, including Hemaküöa and Himaküöa, and then reaches Bhärata-varña, where it flows into the southern side of the ocean of salt water. Many other rivers and their branches flow through the nine varñas.

The tract of land known as Bhärata-varña is the field of activities, and the other eight varñas are for persons who are meant to enjoy heavenly comfort. In each of these eight beautiful provinces, the celestial denizens enjoy various standards of material comfort and pleasure. A different incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead distributes His mercy in each of the nine varñas of Jambüdvépa.

In the Ilävåta-varña, Lord Çiva is the only male. There he lives with his wife, Bhaväné, who is attended by many maidservants. If any other male enters that province, Bhaväné curses him to become a woman. Lord Çiva worships Lord Saìkarñaëa by offering various prayers, one of which is as follows: “My dear Lord, please liberate all Your devotees from material life and bind all the nondevotees to the material world. Without Your mercy, no one can be released from the bondage of material existence.”
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Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----

[Sunita Punjabi]

Jai Shri Krishna,

Tomorrow is Gangadasmi so Badhai to all vaishnavs

Let me add one small kirtan

Je Jhun Ganga Ganga kahe
Janum Janum ke kotik dushkrut chinhi manj deha
Snan karat te mun vanchit fhal tatachin sarva lahe
Vraj patiki pyari sungamte bahu sukh dhen chahe----
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Sunita Punjabi

Mero to Aadhar Shri Vallabh ke Charnarvind
Mere gale ko haar Shri Vallabh ke Charnarvind
Mero to shinghar Shri Vithal ke Charnarvind
Ga-o Varamvar Shri Vallabh ke Charnarvind Shri Vithal ke Charnarvind --------!!!!!!!

[kavita]

jai sri krishna.

ganga dashmi ki sabh ko badai. thanks for the nice story of gangaji. please tell us the story of nirjala ekadashi. thanks for the nice kirtan sunitaji. its one of our favourite kirtan which we usually sing. thankyou verymuch for your help.
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Jai Shree Krishna
Kavita Bhatia

[Vasant Punjabi]

Jai Shri Krishna,

One more small kirtan

Ganga patitan ko sukhdheni
Seva kur Bhaghirath laye paap katan ko peni
Sakal Brahamand Fore ke Aawat chalat chal Guj-gaeni
Parmanand Prabhu charan paraste bhae kamal dhul naeni.
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----

[Vasant Punjabi]

Jai Shri krishna,

Kavitaji, here is the story.

Once Bhimasena, the younger brother of Maharaja Yudhisthira, asked the great sage Srila Vyasadeva, the grandfather of the Pandavas, if it is possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed all the rules and regulations of the Ekadasi fasts.

Bhimasena said, "0 greatly intelligent grandfather, my brother Yudhisthira, my dear mother Kunti, and my beloved wife Draupadi, as well as Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, fast completely on Ekadasi and strictly follow all the rules and regulations of that sacred day. Being very religious, they always tell me that I should also fast on that day. But, O grandfather, I tell them that I cannot live without eating, because hunger is unbearable to me. I give widely in charity and worship Sri Kesava properly, but I cannot fast on Ekadasi Please tell me how I can obtain the same result without fasting."

Hearing these words, Srila Vyasadeva replied, "If you want to go to the heavenly planets and avoid the hellish planets, you should indeed observe a fast on both the light and dark Ekadasis."

Bhima said, "O greatly intelligent grandfather, please listen to my plea. 0 greatest of munis, since I cannot live if I eat only once in a day, how can I possibly live if I fast completely? Within my stomach burns a special fire named vrka, the fire of digestion.' Only when I eat to my full satisfaction does the fire in my stomach become satisfied. 0 great sage, I might possibly be able to fast only once, so I beg you to tell me of an Ekadasi that includes all other Ekadasis. I shall faithfully observe that fast and hopefully still become eligible for liberation."

Srila Vyasadeva replied, "O king, you have heard from me about the various kinds of occupational duties, such as elaborate Vedic ceremonies. In the Kali-yuga, however, no one will be able to observe all these occupational duties properly. I shall therefore tell you how, at practically no expense, one can endure some small austerity and achieve the greatest benefit and resultant happiness. The essence of what is written in the Vedic literatures known as the Puranas is that one should not eat on either the dark or light fortnight Ekadasis. One who fasts on Ekadasi is saved from going to the hellish planets."

Hearing Vyasadeva's words, Bhimasena, the strongest of all warriors, became frightened and began to shake like a leaf on a banyan tree in a strong wind. The frightened Bhimasena said, "0 grandfather, what should I do? I am completely unable to fast twice a month throughout the year! Please tell me of the one fasting day that will bestow the greatest benefit upon me!"

Vyasadeva replied, "Without drinking even water, you should fast on the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Jyestha [May-June], when the sun travels in the sign of Gemini and Taurus. According to learned personalities, on this day one may bathe and perform acamana for purification. But while performing acamana one may drink only that amount of water equal to a drop of gold, or that amount which a single mustard seed can be immersed in. Only this amount of water should be placed in the palm, which one should form to resemble a cow's ear. If one drinks more water than this, he might as well have drunk wine.

"One must certainly not eat anything, for if he does so he breaks his fast. This rigid fast is in effect from sunrise on Ekadasi to sunrise on Dvadasi. If a person endeavors to observe this great fast very strictly, he easily achieves the results of observing all twenty-four Ekadasi fasts throughout the entire year.

"O Bhimasena, one who can fast on this special Ekadasi in this way reaps the benefit of having fasted on every Ekadasi during the year. There is no doubt of this. O Bhima, now hear the specific merit one gets by fasting on this Ekadasi. The Supreme Lord Kesava, who holds a conch, disc, club, and lotus, personally told me, 'One who fasts on this Ekadasi. without drinking water or eating, becomes free of all sinful reactions, and that one who observes the difficult nirjala fast on Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi, truly reaps the benefit of all other Ekadasi fasts.

"O Bhimasena, in the Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, when all the principles of the Vedas will have been destroyed or greatly minimized, and when there will be no proper charity or observance of the ancient Vedic principles and ceremonies, how will there be any means of purifying the self? But there is the opportunity to fast on Ekadasi and become free of all one's past sins.

"O son of Vayu, what more can I say to you? You should not eat during the dark and light Ekadasis, and you should even give up drinking water on the particularly auspicious day of Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi. 0 Vrkodara, whoever fasts on this Ekadasi receives the merits of bathing in all the places of pilgrimage, giving all kinds of charities, and fasting on all the dark and light Ekadasis, Of this there is no doubt. 0 tiger among men, whoever fasts on this Ekadasi. truly becomes a great person and achieves all wealth, grains, strength, and health. And at the fearful moment of death, the terrible Yamadutas, whose complexions are yellow and black and who brandish huge clubs and twirl mystic pass ropes in the air, will refuse to approach him. Rather, such a faithful soul will at once be taken to the supreme abode of Lord Visnu by the Visnudutas, whose transcendentally beautiful forms are clothed in gorgeous yellowish garments and who each hold a disk, club, conch, and lotus in their four hands. It is to gain all these benefits that one should certainly fast on this very important Ekadasi, even from water."

When the other Pandavas heard about the benefits to be gained by following Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi. they resolved to observe it exactly as Srila Vyasadeva had explained it to their brother, Bhimasena. All the Pandavas observed it by refraining from eating or drinking anything, and thus this day is known as Pandava-nirjala Ekadasi.

Srila Vyasadeva continued, "O Bhima, Lord Sri Krsna has said that whoever observes this Ekadasi should take a holy bath, give charity to a worthy person, chant the Lord's holy names on a japa-mala, and perform some kind of recommended sacrifice, for by doing these things on this day one receives imperishable benefits. There is no need to perform any other kind of religious duty. Observance of this Ekadasi fast alone promotes one to the supreme abode of Sri Visnu. O best of the Kurus, if one donates gold, cloth, or anything else on this day, the merit one obtains is imperishable.

"Remember, whoever eats any grains on Ekadasi becomes contaminated by sin and verily eats only sin. In effect, he has already become a dogeater, and after death he suffers a hellish existence. But he who observes this sacred Jyestha-sukla Ekadasi and gives something in charity certainly achieves liberation from the cycle of repeated birth and death and attains to the supreme abode. Observing this Ekadasi, which is merged with Dvadasi, frees one from the horrible sin of killing a brahmana, drinking liquor and wine, becoming envious of one's spiritual master and ignoring his instructions, and continually telling lies.

"Furthermore, O best of beings, any man or woman who observes this fast properly and worships the Supreme Lord Jalasayi [He who sleeps on the water], and who on the next day satisfies a qualified brahmana with nice sweets and a donation of cows and money-such a person certainly pleases the Supreme Lord Vasudeva, so much so that one hundred previous generations in his family undoubtedly go to the Supreme Lord's abode, even though they might have been very sinful, of bad character, and guilty of suicide. Indeed, one who observes this Ekadasi rides on a glorious celestial airplane [vimana] to that abode.

"One who on this day gives a brahmana a waterpot, an umbrella, or shoes surely goes to heaven. Indeed, he who simply hears these glories also attains to the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord, Sri Visnu. Whoever performs the sraddha ceremony to the forefathers on the darkmoon day called amavasya, particularly if it occurs at the time of a solar eclipse, undoubtedly achieves great merit. But this same merit is achieved by him who simply hears this sacred narration-so powerful and so dear to the Lord is this Ekadasi.

"One should clean his teeth properly and, without eating or drinking, observe this Ekadasi to please the Supreme Lord, Kesava. On the day after Ekadasi one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form as Trivikrama by offering Him water, flowers, incense, and a brightly burning lamp. Then the devotee should pray from the heart: '0 God of gods, 0 deliverer of everyone, 0 Hrsikesa, master of the senses, kindly bestow upon me the gift of liberation, though I can offer you nothing greater than this humble pot filled with water.' Then the devotee should donate the waterpot to a brahmana.

"O Bhimasena, after observing this Ekadasi fast and donating the recommended items according to his ability, the devotee should feed brahmanas and thereafter honor prasadam silently."

Srila Vyasadeva concluded, "I strongly urge you to fast on this auspicious, purifying, sin-devouring Ekadasi in just the way I have outlined. Thus you will be completely freed of all sins and reach the supreme abode."
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----

[kavita]

jai sri krishna.

thankyou very much for the nice story. sunitaji thankyou for your help. i will miss all of you as i am going to mumbai for summer holidays. i will see you all very soon. thanks again.
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Jai Shree Krishna
Kavita Bhatia

[Vasant Punjabi]

Jai Shri Krishna,

Kavitaji, you are welcome but do keep checking the site in Mumbai for more updates and enjoy your vacation.

Even Shri Krishna advised her own mother to observe Ekadashi .

mätä bale,——täi diba, yä tumi mägibe
prabhu kahe,——ekädaçéte anna nä khäibe

SYNONYMS

mätä bale—His mother said; täi diba—I shall give that; yä—whatever;
tumi—You; mägibe—should ask me; prabhu kahe—the Lord said;
ekädaçéte—on the Ekädaçé day; anna—grains; nä—don't; khäibe—eat.

TRANSLATION

His mother replied, "My dear son, I will give You whatever You ask."
Then the Lord said, "My dear mother, please do not eat grains on the
Ekadashi day."
_________________
Vasant Punjabi.

"Shri Vallabh Shri Vithal Sukh-kari naa-me nishpap thai nur-nari,
------Nitya Lila nitya nautam shruti na pame par."----

[kavita]

jai sri krishna.

thanks for the nice stories vasantji. thanks for the nice kirtans sunitaji. feels so good when i am with all of you. thanks for all your help. thakurjis kripa aparampar. badai to all dear vaishnavs for ganga dashmi and nirjala ekadashi. hope we all can keep fast properly because its very hot here.
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Jai Shree Krishna
Kavita Bhatia