Kamada Ekadasi

Sri Suta Goswami, a devoted sage, offers his humble and respectful obeisances to the Supreme Lord Hari, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, by describing the twenty-four primary Ekadasis that destroys sin. He recounts one of these narrations from the eighteen Puranas, which are truly sublime.

Yudhishthira Maharaja asks Lord Krishna about the Ekadasi that occurs during the light part of the month of Chaitra [March-April]. Lord Krishna replies that it is called Kamada Ekadasi, which consumes all sins as a forest fire consumes dry firewood. It is purifying and bestows the highest merit upon one who faithfully observes it.

An ancient story tells of a city-state named Ratnapura, where King Pundarika was the ruler of this beautiful kingdom. The Gandharvas were Lalit and his wife Lalita, who were deeply attracted to each other and their home was full of wealth and fine food. Lalita loved her husband and constantly thought of her within her heart. One day, while singing at the court of King Pundarika, Lalit lost track of the song’s meter and melody, leading to him becoming a fearful cannibal.

Lalita grieved day and night, wondering what she should do now that her husband was suffering the effects of the king’s curse. She wandered in the thick jungle with her monstrous husband, who had fallen completely under the spell of the king’s curse and was engaged in terrible sinful activities.

One day, Lalita came upon the sage Shringi, sitting on the peak of Vindhyachala Hill. She offered the sage her respectful obeisances and asked him to tell her the truth about the Ekadasi. The sage replied that observing the fast according to its rules and regulations would grant her husband all his desires fulfilled.

Lalita faithfully observed the fast and appeared before Lord Vasudeva and the Deity of Lord Vasudeva. She said, “I have faithfully observed the fast of Kamada Ekadasi, and by the merit earned through my observance of this fast, let my husband be free from the curse that has turned him into a demoniac cannibal. May the merit I have gained thus free him from misery.”

As soon as Lalita finished speaking, her husband was freed from the king’s curse and could enjoy even more opulence with his wife Lalita. All this was accomplished by the power and glory of Kamada Ekadasi.

The Gandharva couple boarded a celestial airplane and ascended to heaven. Lord Sri Krishna continued to praise the glories of the holy Kamada Ekadasi for the benefit of all humanity.

There is no better Ekadasi than Kamada Ekadasi.