Indrasena of Māhishmatī

Indrasena was a devout king of Māhishmatī in the Kṛta age. He was wholly devoted to Bhagavān Vishṇu. He spent his days repeating the names of Bhagavān Vishṇu in his mind and meditating on Paramātmā.

One day the ṛshi Nārada came to him in his assembly hall with an unusual message. Indrasena’s father had done many righteous acts, yet he was being kept in Yama’s realm because a vow from his past had not been completed. He had asked Nārada to tell his son to keep the Indirā Ekādaśī for him and to give him its puṇya (merit). Indrasena kept the vow exactly as taught. Flowers fell from the sky, and his father rose on Garuḍa to the abode of Bhagavān Vishṇu. Indrasena ruled without trouble, placed his son on the throne in due time, and then went to svarga (heaven).

Who Indrasena was

Indrasena ruled the city of Māhishmatī in the Kṛta age. He had glory, ruled by dharma, and had sons and grandsons, wealth and grain. He was devoted only to Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Nārada’s visit

One day Indrasena sat in his assembly hall, and Nārada came down from the sky. The king stood up at once, greeted the ṛshi with joined hands, gave him a seat and asked why he had come. Nārada said that he had lately been to the world of Brahmā and then to the realm of Yama. In Yama’s assembly he had seen Indrasena’s father. The man had done many righteous acts, and yet he was there, held back because a vow he had taken in his life was not complete. The father had asked Nārada to carry this message:

“Tell King Indrasena of Māhishmatī that I remain in Yama’s realm because of some obstacle from my former existence. Let him give me the merit of the Indirā Ekādaśī, so that he may send me to svarga.”

The Indirā Ekādaśī

Indrasena asked Nārada to explain the vow in full. Nārada taught it as follows.

• On Daśamī, the tenth day of the dark fortnight of Āśvina, the person keeping the vow bathes at dawn. At midday he performs śrāddha (the rite for the ancestors) with faith, and he eats only once. At night he sleeps on the ground.
• On Ekādaśī itself he washes his face without cleaning his teeth and takes the vow of fasting with this prayer: “Remaining without food and without all pleasures today, I shall eat tomorrow, O lotus-eyed one. O Vishṇu, be my refuge.”
• At midday he bathes the Śālagrāma stone and worships Bhagavān Vishṇu with incense, sandal paste and other offerings.
• At night he stays awake in the presence of Bhagavān Vishṇu.
• On the morning of Dvādaśī he worships Bhagavān Vishṇu and then performs śrāddha. He offers wheat flour, barley, rice, sesame, beans and grams to his ancestors, honours brāhmaṇas with gifts, and then eats with his family.

Nārada also told the king: “O king, your dead ancestors will go to the world of Vishṇu.”

The result

Indrasena kept the Indirā Ekādaśī exactly as taught, together with his wives, sons and servants. When the vow was complete, a shower of flowers fell from the sky. His father rode on Garuḍa, the vehicle of Bhagavān Vishṇu, to the abode of Bhagavān Vishṇu, freed from Yama’s realm. Indrasena himself later ruled without trouble, made his son king in due course, and went to svarga.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 58