Keśava Ekādaśī Vrata
Keśava Ekādaśī Vrata, “the vow of the eleventh day to Keśava”
The Keśava Ekādaśī Vrata is a vrata (sacred vow) to Bhagavān Vishṇu as Keśava, kept for a whole year from the ekādaśī (eleventh tithi) of the śukla paksha (bright fortnight). It is one of the vratas laid down for those who seek wealth (arthārthī), and its purpose, the text says, is to remove one’s wants. Pulastya Maharshi teaches it to Nārada in Chapter 18 of the Vāmana Purāṇa. The householder who keeps it, fasting and with the senses controlled, sees every kind of prosperity rain down on his house, pleases all the devatās and attains the four purushārthas (the aims of life: dharma, artha, kāma and moksha) in full.
When it is kept
Pulastya Maharshi tells it right after he has described the month of Āśvayuja, when the lotus rose from the navel of Jagannātha and the other devatās brought forth the flowers and trees dear to each of them. “At that lovely, auspicious time,” he says, “on the śukla paksha ekādaśī, one should worship Vishṇudeva to remove one’s wants.” The worship goes on until śarad ṛtu (autumn) enters, and the vrata is kept for a full year.
The vidhi
The text gives the rite in this order:
- Until autumn enters, worship Śriyaḥpati, the husband of Śrī, with flowers, fruits, sandal and the like, and with herbs (oshadhi).
- Collect ghee, sesame, rice, barley, gold, silver, gems, pearls, corals, cloths of many kinds and things of the six tastes, sweet, sour and the rest. Keep each one whole, without breaking it (akhaṇḍa), and offer them all to the great-souled Keśava. When a year is completed in this way, every prosperity rains down in that house.
- Fast (upavāsa), and on the morning of the next day, with the senses controlled, so that the year may pass without obstacle, bathe in this way: grind fragrant white mustard or sesame into a flour, rub it on the body as a paste, and bathe.
- Perform the abhisheka (sacred bath) of Vishṇudeva with ghee. Perform homa (fire offering) with ghee, and give ghee as dāna (gift) according to one’s capacity.
- Worship Padmanābha with flowers, first his feet, then his whole body, and offer fragrant dhūpas (incense) of many kinds. In this way that year becomes supremely holy.
- Adorn Jagannātha with gold and gems and with fine silks (cīnāmbara), and offer as naivedya (food offering) sweet food, tasty things to suck (coshya), havishya (pure food fit for offering) and the rest.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 18
The mantra
After making these offerings, the vratī praises Jagatpati with this mantra:
“O Padmanābha! Mahādyuti, of great radiance! Namaskāra to you, whose eyes are like the petals of a blossomed lotus! Just as you are complete and fill everything everywhere, so grant, Keśava, that the dharma, artha, kāma and moksha that I practise may be complete and unbroken.”
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 18
The phala
The gṛhastha (householder) who keeps this year-long vrata, fasting and with control of the senses, attains completeness in every matter. When the vrata is kept in this way all the devatās are pleased, and for the one who keeps it the four purushārthas are fully achieved. “Nārada,” Pulastya Maharshi says at the close, “I have told you the vratas laid down for those who seek wealth.” Then he goes on to the all-auspicious Vishṇupañjara stotra.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 18
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 18