Dharmaraj Yudhishthira said to Shri Krishna: "O Bhagwan, I have heard the greatness of Rama Ekadashi, in the dark fortnight of Kartik. Now tell me of the Ekadashi of Kartik's bright fortnight — its name, the way its vrat is kept, and the fruit of keeping it."
Shri Krishna said: "This Ekadashi of Kartik's bright fortnight is called Prabodhini, Dev Prabodhini, Devotthan and Dev Uthani. It comes in the days of Tulsi Vivah, and it destroys even great wrongs. Hear its greatness with attention."
It is told that Lakshmi Maa once asked Vishnu ji: "Swami, either You stay awake day and night, or You go into yoga-nidra for lakhs and crores of years, and every creature of the world suffers for it. Rest each year by a rule, so that I too may have some rest." Vishnu ji smiled and said: "Devi, you speak rightly. While I stay awake, all the devas are troubled, and you most of all. From now on I shall sleep each year for the four months of the rains."
The Skanda Purana says that the asura Shankhasur was slain on the Ekadashi of Ashadh's bright fortnight; from that day Bhagwan rests for four months in the ocean of milk, and on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi He wakes. So on this day He is woken with the conch, the bell and kirtan, and once He has risen every good work begins again.
Now hear this Ekadashi's katha. In a certain king's kingdom everyone kept the Ekadashi vrat. On Ekadashi no grain was given to anyone — not to the people, not to the servants, not even to the animals. One day a man from another kingdom came to the king and said, "Maharaj, kindly take me into your service." The king said, "Very well, we shall take you, but on one condition. Every day you will be given all you need to eat, but on Ekadashi you will be given no grain." Glad to have the work, the man agreed.
Ekadashi came. Everyone kept the vrat as it should be kept, and he too was given what is eaten on a vrat. But it did not satisfy his hunger. He went before the king and pleaded: "Maharaj, this will not fill my stomach; I shall die of hunger. Give me grain." The king reminded him of the condition, but he would not give up grain. So the king had him given flour, dal and rice. As on any day, he went to the river, bathed, and began to cook. When the food was ready he began to call: "Come, Bhagwan, the food is ready!"
At his call Bhagwan came there in His four-armed form, dressed in yellow silk, and sat and ate with him with love. When the meal was done Bhagwan vanished, and the man went off to his work. Fifteen days later, when the next Ekadashi came, he said to the king, "Maharaj, give me twice as much; last time I went hungry." The king asked why, and he said, "Bhagwan eats with me, so this much is not enough for the two of us."
Hearing this the king was greatly astonished. He said, "I cannot believe that Bhagwan eats with you. I keep so many vrats and offer so much puja, and Bhagwan has never once given me darshan." The man said, "Maharaj, if you do not believe it, come with me and see." The king hid behind a tree and sat there. The man cooked the food and called Bhagwan until evening, but Bhagwan did not come. At last he said, "O Bhagwan, if You do not come, I shall leap into the river and give up my life."
Still Bhagwan did not come, and he set off toward the river to give up his life. Seeing how firm his resolve was, Bhagwan appeared at once, stopped him, and sat down and ate with him. After the meal He seated him in His own vimana and took him to His abode. Seeing this, the king understood that a vrat bears no fruit while the heart is not pure. Bhagwan does not want show; He is pleased by a true heart. From that day the king too kept the vrat with his whole heart, and at the end he reached svarga.
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