Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comShri Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha
The Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha is the story of Kamada Ekadashi in Chaitra's bright fortnight, in which the sage Vasishtha tells King Dilipa how the Gandharva Lalit, turned into a rakshasa by the serpent king Pundarika's curse, was freed by his wife Lalita, who gave him the merit of this vow.
Chapter 1 · Pundarika's Curse on Lalit in Nagapura
Yudhishthira said, 'Vasudeva, salutations to you. Tell me the name of the Ekadashi in Chaitra's bright fortnight.' Shri Krishna said, 'O king, listen with a single mind to the holy, ancient story that Vasishtha once told when Dilipa asked him.' Dilipa said, 'Lord, I wish to hear it; out of your grace tell me the name of the Ekadashi in the bright fortnight of Chaitra.' Vasishtha said, 'You have asked well, O king; I will tell you. The Ekadashi of Chaitra's bright fortnight is named Kamada. It is most holy, a forest fire to the fuel of sin. O king, hear this story, which destroys sin and gives merit.'
'Long ago, in lovely Nagapura, adorned with gold and gems, dwelt Pundarika and other mighty, fierce serpents. In that city King Pundarika ruled, attended by Gandharvas, Kinnaras and apsaras. There lived a fine apsara named Lalita and a Gandharva named Lalit. The two were husband and wife, steeped in love and stirred by desire. They delighted in each other in their lovely home, full of wealth and grain. Her husband lived always in Lalita's heart, and lovely Lalita lived ever in his. One day Pundarika sat in his court, taking his pleasure. Lalit was singing without his beloved there. As he kept thinking of Lalita, his tongue faltered and he lost the measure of the verses. Karkotaka, best of serpents, read what was in his mind and told Pundarika that he had broken the measure.'
'Hearing Karkotaka, the serpent king Pundarika's eyes turned red with rage and he became most terrible. Right there he cursed Lalit, who was singing, distracted by desire: Fool, become a rakshasa, an eater of flesh and of men, for even while singing before me you were in your wife's power. King of kings, at his word Lalit took the form of a rakshasa: a dreadful face, hideous eyes, a form that struck fear at a glance. His arms stretched a yojana each, his mouth was like a cave, his eyes like the moon and the sun, his neck like a mountain, his nostrils like pits and his lips a yojana long. King of kings, his body rose eight yojanas high. Become such a rakshasa, he began to reap the fruit of his deed.'
Chapter 2 · Lalita in the Forest and the Sage's Counsel
'Seeing her husband's hideous form, Lalita, stricken with great sorrow, began to think: What shall I do, where shall I go? My husband is tormented by a curse. Thinking this over and over, her mind found no peace. Lalita began to wander the deep forest with her husband. That rakshasa, able to change his shape at will, roamed the impassable woods. He had become pitiless, bent on sin, deformed, an eater of men, and, tormented by his sin, he found ease neither by night nor by day. Seeing her husband in this state, Lalita, deeply grieved, wandered the deep forest with him, weeping. One day she saw a lovely hermitage, where there was a sage of peaceful form. Lalita went there quickly, bowed and stood before him. Seeing the grieving woman, the compassionate sage said: Who are you, and why have you come here? Tell me truly.'
Lalita said, 'There is a Gandharva named Viradhanva; I am the daughter of that great soul. Know my name to be Lalita. I have come here for my husband's sake. Great sage, my husband has become a rakshasa through the fault of his sin. Seeing his dreadful form and wicked ways, I have no peace. Brahmin, tell me now what I must do. Best of brahmins, lord, tell me the merit by which he may be freed from the rakshasa state.' The sage said, 'Lovely one, it is now the bright fortnight of Chaitra. In it, Lalita, falls the excellent Ekadashi named Kamada, which destroys sin. Good woman, keep its vow by the rite I have told you, and give the merit of this vow to your husband. As soon as the merit is given, the fault of his curse will leave him in an instant.' Hearing the sage's words, Lalita was overjoyed.
Chapter 3 · Lalit Freed by the Kamada Vow, and the Vow's Fruit
'O king, Lalita fasted on the Ekadashi, and on the day of Dwadashi, right beside that brahmin and before Lord Vasudeva, she spoke these words for her husband's deliverance: By the power of the merit of the Kamada fast I have kept, may his pishacha state depart. The moment Lalita said this, in that very instant, Lalit's sin was gone and he gained a divine body. His rakshasa state left him and he regained his Gandharva form. Adorned with gold and gems, he delighted once more with Lalita. The two rode in a splendid celestial chariot, lovelier even than before.'
'Through the power of Kamada, husband and wife shone in great splendour. Best of kings, knowing this, one should keep this Ekadashi with care. I have told you this for the good of the people. It destroys sins such as killing a brahmin and ends the pishacha state. In all three worlds, with all that moves and is still, there is no tithi greater than this. O king, reading and hearing this brings the fruit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.'
How to Read Shri Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha
On Chaitra Shukla Ekadashi, bathe in the morning, take the vow of fasting and worship Lord Vasudeva. In the katha, Lalita fasted by the rite the sage taught her and on Dwadashi, before the Lord, offered the vow's merit to her husband; keep the fast in the same way, read or hear this katha, and break the fast the next day, Dwadashi, within the parana muhurat.
About Shri Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha
The Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha is told in three chapters. In the first, while singing in the court of Nagapura, the Gandharva Lalit's mind strays to his wife Lalita, and the serpent king Pundarika curses him to become a rakshasa. In the second, Lalita wanders the forest with her husband and a peaceful sage teaches her the Kamada Ekadashi vow. In the third, Lalita gives the vow's merit to her husband on Dwadashi and Lalit becomes a Gandharva again.
This vow is kept on the Ekadashi of Chaitra's bright fortnight, two days after Ram Navami. It is the first Ekadashi of the Hindu new year.
The Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha has no named author. It is the forty-seventh chapter of the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana, in which Lord Krishna tells Yudhishthira the dialogue in which the sage Vasishtha tells King Dilipa the story of the Gandharva Lalit and Lalita. The text given here is a verse-by-verse translation of that chapter's 39 Sanskrit verses.
Benefits of the Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha
According to the katha, Kamada Ekadashi is a forest fire to the fuel of sin, destroys sins such as killing a brahmin and ends the pishacha state; its merit can even be offered to another for their deliverance; and reading and hearing this katha brings the fruit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.
Frequently asked questions
How many chapters does the Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha have?
It has three chapters, based on the 39 verses of the forty-seventh chapter of the Padma Purana's Uttara Khanda.
Why was Lalit cursed to become a rakshasa?
While singing in the court of the serpent king Pundarika, Lalit began thinking of his wife Lalita, so that his tongue faltered and he lost the measure of the verses. The serpent Karkotaka told Pundarika, who cursed him, saying that even while singing before him Lalit was in his wife's power.
How was Lalit freed?
At a sage's word, Lalita fasted on Kamada Ekadashi, and on Dwadashi, beside that sage and before Lord Vasudeva, she offered the vow's merit to her husband. In that instant Lalit's rakshasa state left him and he regained his Gandharva form.
What is the fruit of reading the Kamada Ekadashi katha?
Vasishtha says that in all three worlds there is no tithi greater than this, and that reading and hearing this katha brings the fruit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.