According to the Hindu calendar, the first Ekadashi of the Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month that comes after the start of the Hindu New Year is called Kamada Ekadashi. Although Ekadashi comes twice in a month, but observing the fast of Kamada Ekadashi and listening to Kamada Ekadashi Katha gives special results. We have already told in another article when is Kamada Ekadashi this year. Let’s know in this article Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha.
Kamada Ekadashi Vrat Katha (Kamada Ekadashi Katha)
Dharmaraj Yudhishthir once said to Lord Shri Krishna that O Lord! I bow to you again and again and want to know the significance of Ekadashi of the Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month. Shri Krishna said that O Dharmaraj! King Dilip had once asked the same question to Guru Vashishtha and I’ll tell you the same significance as told by Sage Vashishtha.
In ancient times, there was a city called Bhogipur. A king called Pundarik ruled in that city. Many Apsaras, Kinnars and Gandharvas lived in Bhogipur. Two Gandharvas called Lalita and Lalit also lived in the same city. They both loved each other very much, so much so that they would get restless when they were separated.
Once, Lalit was singing in Pundarik’s court along with other Gandharvas. While singing, he remembered his beloved Lalita and his voice was disturbed and the song was ruined. Knowing Lalit’s feelings, a serpent called Karkot told the king the reason for his voice being disturbed. On this, King Pundarik angrily told Lalit that while singing in front of me, you are remembering your wife, insulting me, so from now on, you will have to suffer the consequences of your actions by becoming a demon who eats raw meat and humans.
Due to the curse of Pundarik, Lalit instantly became a huge giant demon and he started suffering many kinds of pain.
When his beloved Lalita came to know about this incident, she was very sad and started thinking of ways to redeem her husband. The demon started living in dense forests, suffering many kinds of severe pain. His wife used to follow him and keep wailing. Once Lalita, while roaming around after her husband, reached Vindhyachal mountain, where there was the ashram of Shringi Rishi. Lalita quickly went to the ashram of Shringi Rishi and started praying there with humility.
On seeing her, Shringi Rishi said, “O beautiful one! Who are you and why have you come here?” Lalita said, “O sage! My name is Lalita. My husband has become a huge demon due to the curse of King Pundarik. I am very sad about this. Please tell me some way to redeem him.” Sage Shringi said, O Gandharva girl! Now Chaitra Shukla Ekadashi is about to come, which is called Kamada Ekadashi. By observing its fast, all the tasks of a man are accomplished. If you observe Kamada Ekadashi fast and give the fruits of its virtue to your husband, he will soon be freed from the demon’s womb and the king’s curse will also definitely be pacified.
Hearing such words of the sage, Lalita observed the fast on Chaitra Shukla Ekadashi and on Dwadashi, giving the fruits of her fast to her husband in front of the Brahmins, she started praying to God in this way – O Lord! May my husband get the fruits of this fast that I have observed, so that he gets freed from the demon’s womb. As soon as she gave the fruits of Ekadashi, her husband got freed from the demon’s womb and regained his old form. Then adorned with many beautiful clothes and ornaments, he started roaming with Lalita. After that, both of them sat in the plane and went to heaven.
Vashishtha sage started saying, O King! By observing this fast according to the rules, all sins are destroyed and one is also freed from the birth of demons etc. There is no other fast equal to this in the world. By reading or listening to its story, one gets the fruits of Vajpayee Yagna.