Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comShri Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha
The Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha is the story of Nirjala Ekadashi in Jyeshtha's bright fortnight, in which the sage Vyasa tells Bhimasena that one who cannot fast on every Ekadashi can gain the fruit of all the year's Ekadashis by fasting without water on this one day. This is why it came to be called Pandava Dwadashi.
Chapter 1 · Bhimasena's Hunger
Yudhishthira said, 'Janardana, I have heard all the glory of Apara. Giver of honour, now tell me of the Ekadashi that falls in Jyeshtha's bright fortnight.' Shri Krishna said, 'The righteous Vyasa, son of Satyavati, will describe it, for he knows the meaning and essence of every shastra and has mastered the Vedas and Vedangas.' Yudhishthira said, 'I have heard the dharma taught by Manu and the dharma taught by Vasishtha. Dvaipayana, now tell me the Vaishnava dharma exactly.' Vyasa said, 'O king, you have heard Manu's dharma and the Vedic dharma too, but in the Kali age they cannot be kept. Wise one, this way is easy, costs little money and little hardship, bears great fruit, and is the essence of all the Puranas: do not eat on the Ekadashi of either fortnight. On Dwadashi, made pure, worship Keshava with flowers, then eat, first honouring the brahmins. O king, even in the impurity that follows a birth or a death one should not eat on Ekadashi. Best of men, those who wish to reach heaven should keep this vow all their lives; there is no doubt of it. Even the sinful, the wicked, the very sinful and those without dharma do not go to Yama if they do not eat on Ekadashi.'
Hearing this, the mighty-armed Bhimasena trembled like a pipal leaf, bowed to his teacher and said, 'Most wise grandsire, hear me. Yudhishthira, Kunti, Draupadi daughter of Drupada, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, keepers of good vows, never eat on Ekadashi. Father, they tell me every day: Vrikodara, do not eat. I tell them that I cannot bear my hunger. I will give gifts by rite and worship Keshava.' Hearing Bhimasena, Vyasa said, 'If heaven is dear to you and hell abhorrent, then do not eat on the Ekadashi of either fortnight.' Bhimasena said, 'Most wise grandsire, I tell you the truth. Lord, I can manage on one meal a day, but how could I fast? In my belly the fire called Vrika burns always. Only when I eat a great deal is it quieted. Great sage, I cannot keep many fasts. The one by which heaven is reached, that I will keep properly. Decide and tell me that one vow by which good may come to me.'
Chapter 2 · The Waterless Vow Vyasa Teaches
Vyasa said, 'In the month of Jyeshtha, when the sun is in Taurus or Gemini, keep the Ekadashi of the bright fortnight with care, fasting without water. The wise should take no water except what is used to rinse the mouth and for achamana; otherwise the vow is broken. Listen: one who gives up water from one sunrise to the next gains the fruit of twelve Dwadashis. Then, in the clear dawn of Dwadashi, bathe, give water and gold to brahmins by rite, and when everything is done, eat with self-restraint together with the brahmins. Bhimasena, hear the merit gained by doing so: one gains the fruit of every Ekadashi that falls in the year; I have no doubt of it. Keshava, who bears the conch, discus and mace, told me himself: let a person give up all else and take refuge in me alone.'
'One who stays without food on Ekadashi is freed from sin. In the Kali age there is no purity of materials, nor are the smarta rites kept; when the wicked Kali age has come, how could the Vedic rites be? Son of Vayu, why say more to you again and again: do not eat on the Ekadashi of either fortnight. Vrikodara, hear the meritorious fruit of staying without water on the Ekadashi of Jyeshtha's bright fortnight: all the bright and dark Ekadashis named in the year are fasted by it, without doubt. Tiger among men, I tell you truly, its fast gives wealth, grain, merit, sons, health and good fortune. The huge, hideous, black messengers of Yama, fearsome, bearing staff and noose, do not come near such a person. At the hour of death, Vishnu's messengers, gentle, robed in yellow, discus in hand and swift as thought, carry him to Vishnu's city. So it should be fasted with every effort, without water.'
'Then, by giving a jaladhenu, a cow fashioned of water, one is freed from every sin. So, son of Kunti, keep the fast on this day with every effort and worship Hari, for the quieting of every sin. When taking the vow of the fast, say this mantra: Lord of gods, let there be no fault of mine even in sleep or from what clings to my teeth; I will eat on the next day, after Hari's day. Saying this mantra, give yourself to the fast.'
Chapter 3 · The Gifts of Nirjala and Their Fruit
'Keep this vow with faith and self-restraint, for the destruction of every sin. Even sins as vast as Mount Meru and Mount Mandara, committed by woman or man, are all burned to ash by the power of this Ekadashi. O king, those who cannot give a jaladhenu should give a pot full of water, with gold and cloth. One who keeps the rule about water on this day has a share in merit; for each watch of the day, the fruit of giving ten million gold pieces is said to be his. The bathing, giving, japa and homa a person does on this day all become imperishable; so Shri Krishna has said. What need of any other dharma, without Nirjala Ekadashi? Fasting on it well and by rite, a person reaches the state of Vishnu. Best of the Kurus, whatever gold, food or cloth is given on this day all becomes imperishable. One who eats food on Ekadashi eats sin. In this world he is an outcaste, and when he dies he meets a bad end. Those who fast on the Ekadashi of Jyeshtha's bright fortnight and give gifts on Dwadashi will reach the supreme state.'
'Those who have fasted on Nirjala are freed from every sin, even if they have killed a brahmin, drunk liquor, stolen, hated their teacher or lied always. Son of Kunti, hear what gifts women and men full of faith should give above all on the day of Nirjala Ekadashi: worship the Lord who lies upon the waters and give a cow fashioned of water. Best of kings, give either a living cow or a cow of ghee. Best of the righteous, satisfy the brahmins with care with generous fees and sweets of many kinds. The brahmins are satisfied, and when they are satisfied Hari, the giver of liberation, is satisfied. Those who have not fasted on it have wronged their own selves; those sinful, wicked ones have been cheated, without doubt. Those who fasted on it calm, self-controlled and generous, worshipping Hari and keeping vigil at night, have led a hundred generations to come and a hundred gone before, together with themselves, to the abode of Vasudeva.'
'On the day of Nirjala one should give food, clothing, cows, water, a fine bed and seat, a water pot and an umbrella. One who gives shoes to a worthy, excellent brahmin is honoured in the world of heaven in a golden chariot. One who hears this story with devotion and one who tells it both reach heaven; there is nothing here to ponder. The fruit a person gains by performing shraddha at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse is gained even by hearing this story.'
Chapter 4 · The Dwadashi Worship and Pandava Dwadashi
'After cleaning the teeth one should take this vow: for the pleasure of Keshava I will stay without food on Ekadashi and take no water either, except for achamana. On Dwadashi, worship Lord Trivikrama, god of gods, by rite with fragrance, incense, flowers and fine garments, and say this mantra: God of gods, Hrishikesha, who carries us across the ocean of worldly life, by this gift of a water pot lead me to the supreme state.'
'Bhima, by fasting without water on the auspicious Ekadashi of Jyeshtha's bright fortnight and giving pots of water with sugar to the best of brahmins, a person rejoices in Vishnu's presence. Then give pots to the brahmins with devotion, feed the brahmins, and after that eat yourself, with a mind intent. One who completes the sin-destroying Dwadashi in this way is freed from every sin and goes to the spotless state.' From then on Bhimasena kept this auspicious Ekadashi, and it became renowned in the world by the name Pandava Dwadashi.
How to Read Shri Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha
On Jyeshtha Shukla Ekadashi, after cleaning the teeth, take the vow that for Lord Keshava's pleasure you will stay without food and take no water either, except for achamana. Give up water from one sunrise to the next, keep vigil at night, and give food, clothing, an umbrella, shoes or a pot full of water as you are able. On Dwadashi, bathe in the morning, worship Lord Trivikrama, give brahmins water pots with sugar and gold, feed them, then eat yourself within the parana muhurat.
About Shri Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha
The Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha is told in four chapters. In the first, Vyasa calls the Ekadashi fast the essence of all the Puranas for the Kali age, and Bhimasena says that because of the Vrika fire in his belly he cannot fast on every Ekadashi. In the second, Vyasa teaches him the waterless vow of Jyeshtha Shukla Ekadashi and the mantra of the vow. The third describes the gifts of this day and their fruit. The fourth gives the worship of Trivikrama on Dwadashi, the mantra for giving the water pot, and how this tithi came to be called Pandava Dwadashi.
This vow is kept on the Ekadashi of Jyeshtha's bright fortnight, the day after Ganga Dussehra, and because of Bhimasena's story it is also called Bhimseni or Pandava Ekadashi. It is held to be the hardest Ekadashi, since not even water is taken.
The Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha has no named author. It is the fifty-first chapter of the Uttara Khanda of the Padma Purana, in which, at Lord Krishna's word, the sage Vyasa tells Yudhishthira and Bhimasena the story and rite of this vow. The text given here is a verse-by-verse translation of that chapter's 64 Sanskrit verses.
Benefits of the Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha
According to the katha, fasting on Nirjala Ekadashi brings the fruit of every bright and dark Ekadashi of the year; it gives wealth, grain, sons and health and keeps Yama's messengers away; the bathing, giving, japa and homa of this day become imperishable; and hearing this katha brings the fruit of performing shraddha at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse.
Frequently asked questions
How many chapters does the Nirjala Ekadashi Vrat Katha have?
It has four chapters, based on the 64 verses of the fifty-first chapter of the Padma Purana's Uttara Khanda.
Why is Nirjala Ekadashi called Pandava Dwadashi?
Because of the Vrika fire in his belly, Bhimasena could not fast on every Ekadashi. Vyasa taught him this one waterless vow, which brings the fruit of all the Ekadashis. From then on Bhimasena kept it, and the katha ends by saying it became renowned in the world as Pandava Dwadashi.
Should no water at all be taken on Nirjala Ekadashi?
According to the katha, only the water used to rinse the mouth and for achamana is allowed; apart from that, no water should be taken from one sunrise to the next, or the vow is broken.
What should be given on Nirjala Ekadashi?
The katha names a jaladhenu, or in its place a pot full of water with gold and cloth, along with food, clothing, cows, a bed, a seat, a water pot, an umbrella and shoes. On Dwadashi there is a special rite of giving brahmins pots of water with sugar.
Can sick, elderly, or pregnant women also observe the strict waterless fast of Nirjala Ekadashi?
This vow is extremely rigorous, so the sick, the elderly, pregnant women and young children are advised to keep a lighter fast, taking fruit or water, rather than the full waterless vow. Fasting at the risk of one's health is not considered proper.