Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comShri Kamika Ekadashi Vrat Katha
The Kamika Ekadashi Vrat Katha is the glory of Kamika Ekadashi in Shravana's dark fortnight, in which Brahma tells Narada that worshipping Lord Vishnu as Shridhara on this day bears more fruit than bathing at the Ganga, Kashi or Pushkar, that worship with tulsi leaves pleases him more than gems, and that a lamp lit before the Lord satisfies the ancestors.
Chapter 1 · Kamika Ekadashi and the Fruit of Worshipping Shridhara
Yudhishthira said, 'Govinda, Vasudeva, salutations to you. Tell us the name of the Ekadashi of Shravana's dark fortnight.' Shri Krishna said, 'O king, listen; I will tell you the sin-destroying account that Brahma once gave when Narada asked him.' Narada said, 'Lord seated on the lotus, I wish to hear from you the name of the Ekadashi of Shravana's dark fortnight. Lord, tell me its deity, its rite and its merit.' Hearing him, Brahma said, 'Narada, for the good of the people I will tell you. The dark Ekadashi of Shravana is known by the name Kamika. By merely hearing of it one gains the fruit of the Vajapeya sacrifice. Hear the fruit of the merit of one who on this day worships and meditates on the lord of gods who bears the conch, discus and mace, Hari called Shridhara, Vishnu, Madhava, Madhusudana. The fruit gained by worshipping Krishna is not gained at the Ganga, nor at Kashi, nor at Naimisha, nor at Pushkar. The fruit gained at the Godavari when Jupiter is in Leo, in the Vyatipata yoga and in the Dandaka forest is gained by worshipping Krishna. One who gives the earth with its oceans and forests and one who keeps the Kamika vow are said to gain an equal fruit. The fruit a person gains by giving a cow as she calves, with all her trappings, is gained by one who keeps the Kamika vow.'
'The noble person who worships the god Shridhara in Shravana has thereby worshipped the gods, gandharvas and serpents. So people who fear sin should, on the day of Kamika, worship Hari with every effort, as they are able. For those drowning in the ocean of worldly life, thick with the mire of sin, this excellent Kamika vow is the means of rescue. No tithi is holier or more sin-removing. Narada, know this: the supreme Hari himself has said it. Know that those who keep the Kamika vow gain far more than the fruit gained by people devoted to the knowledge of the Self. One who keeps the Kamika vow and stays awake at night neither sees fearsome Yama nor goes to a bad end. Through the Kamika vow one never sees an evil birth. By keeping the Kamika vow, yogis have reached liberation.'
Chapter 2 · Tulsi Worship, the Lamp and the Vow's Fruit
'So the self-restrained should keep this vow with every effort. One who worships Hari with tulsi leaves is no more stained by sin than a lotus leaf by water. The fruit of giving a bhara of gold and four bharas of silver is gained by worshipping with tulsi leaves. Even when worshipped with gems, pearls, cat's-eye and coral, Vishnu is not as pleased as he is with tulsi leaves. One who has worshipped Keshava with tulsi blossoms surely has the sins of a whole lifetime destroyed.'
'She who, when seen, quiets the whole host of sins; when touched, purifies the body; when bowed to, drives away disease; when watered, makes even Death afraid; when planted, brings one near to Lord Krishna; and when laid at his feet, gives the fruit of liberation: to that Tulsi, salutations.'
'One who gives a lamp day and night on Hari's day: not even Chitragupta can finish counting his merit. When a person's lamp burns before Krishna on the day of Ekadashi, his ancestors in heaven are satisfied with nectar. Lighting a lamp with ghee or with sesame oil, a person goes to the world of the sun, honoured with hundreds of millions of lamps. This is the glory of Kamika that I have told you. So people should keep this Ekadashi, which takes away every sin. It removes the sin of killing a brahmin, destroys the sin of killing a child in the womb, grants the abode of Vishnu and gives the fruit of great merit. One who hears its glory with faith is freed from every sin and reaches Vishnu's world.'
How to Read Shri Kamika Ekadashi Vrat Katha
On Shravana Krishna Ekadashi, bathe in the morning, take the vow of fasting and worship Lord Vishnu as Shridhara with tulsi leaves and blossoms. Light a lamp of ghee or sesame oil before the Lord, keep vigil at night, and break the fast the next day, Dwadashi, within the parana muhurat.
About Shri Kamika Ekadashi Vrat Katha
The Kamika Ekadashi Vrat Katha is told in two chapters. In the first, Brahma tells Narada that worshipping Shridhara on this day bears more fruit than the Ganga, Kashi, Naimisha and Pushkar, and that the Kamika vow equals the gift of the earth with its oceans. The second gives the glory of worship with tulsi leaves, the verse in praise of Tulsi, and the fruit of lighting a lamp before the Lord.
This vow is kept on the Ekadashi of Shravana's dark fortnight, in the first month of Chaturmas. This chapter of the Padma Purana contains no story, only the vow's glory.
The Kamika Ekadashi Vrat Katha has no named author. It is the fifty-fourth chapter of the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana, in which Lord Krishna tells Yudhishthira the glory Brahma told Narada. The chapter has no story. The text given here is a verse-by-verse translation of its 29 Sanskrit verses.
Benefits of the Kamika Ekadashi Vrat Katha
According to the katha, merely hearing of Kamika brings the fruit of the Vajapeya sacrifice; one who worships with tulsi leaves stays untouched by sin as a lotus leaf by water; a lamp lit before the Lord satisfies the ancestors in heaven; and one who hears its glory with faith reaches Vishnu's world.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a story for Kamika Ekadashi?
The fifty-fourth chapter of the Padma Purana's Uttara Khanda, which is the glory of Kamika, tells no story. In it Brahma tells Narada the fruit of this vow, the glory of tulsi worship and the fruit of offering a lamp.
What is the importance of tulsi on Kamika Ekadashi?
According to the katha, even when worshipped with gems, pearls and coral, Lord Vishnu is not as pleased as he is with tulsi leaves. Worship with tulsi leaves equals the gift of a bhara of gold and four bharas of silver, and one who worships with tulsi blossoms has the sins of a lifetime destroyed.
What is the fruit of offering a lamp on Kamika Ekadashi?
According to the katha, when a person's lamp burns before Lord Krishna on Ekadashi, his ancestors in heaven are satisfied with nectar, and one who lights a lamp of ghee or sesame oil goes to the world of the sun.
Can tulsi leaves still be used in worship even after they dry out or become stale?
Yes, tradition holds that, unlike other flowers, tulsi leaves never become stale and do not lose their sanctity even when dry, so instead of discarding them they may be used in worship more than once.