Annada Ekadashi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana

Pranaams, Namaste, Vanakkum, Hare Krsna, Jai Shree Krsna, Jai Shree Raam

All glories to our eternal Parents Shree Shree Radha Krsna
All glories to the most merciful Shree Shree Lakshmi Nrsimhadeva
All glories to Srila Prabhupada, and the other wonderful and inspiring gurus.
All glories to the wonderful servants of the Supreme Lord.

Annada/Aja Ekadashi is observed. Please refrain from eating grains and meat on this most auspicious day. (N.B. I have included what to eat and what not to eat and 16 different meals to have on Ekadashi at the end of this article).

The benefits of fasting on this day are endless. This Ekadashi bestows upon that devotee eradication of the greatest sins that he has committed and he is awarded passage to the spiritual abode. One is granted freedom from obstacles in his spiritual progress and it grants him the perfection of life. This day of fasting removes all sins eternally. This is the most meritorious day for destroying all kinds of sins.

Please note that this auspicious day is not only for Hindus to observe. This fast can be observed by anyone. There’s no catch here. One who is truly universal does not discriminate; rather he/she respects and embraces all cultures.

One very important point of note: many perform different prayers, like for example nullifying the negative effects of the planets, and wonder why the prayer did not work – “What happened? I did the prayer as the priest said and yet I feel the same.” Well, what you are not told is that if you don’t follow the Ekadashi fast and perform the planetary fast, then it is like bathing and then rubbing mud all over yourself again. So by fasting for a particular planet on a specific day you are removing the negative effects of that planet, but when Ekadashi comes and you have grains, then the obstacles come back since by eating grains on Ekadashi you are creating obstacles on your path and life. BUT by observing the Ekadashi fast you are removing all obstacles in your life.

Annada Ekadashi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana

Shree Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh Janardana, protector of all living entities, please tell me the name of the Ekadashi that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September).”

The Supreme Lord, Shree Krishna, then replied, “Oh King, hear me attentively. The name of this sin-removing, sacred Ekadashi is Annada. Any person who fasts completely on this day and worships Hrishikesh, the master of the senses, becomes free of all reactions to his sins. Even one who simply hears about this Ekadashi is freed from his past sins. Oh King, there is no better day than this in all the earthly and heavenly worlds. This is true without a doubt.

“There once lived a famous king named Harishchandra, who was the emperor of the world and a person of great truth and integrity. His wife’s name was Chandramati, and he had a son named Lohitashva. By the force of destiny, however, Harishchandra lost his great kingdom and sold his wife and son. The pious king himself became a menial servant of a dog-eater, who made him guard a crematorium. Yet even while doing such menial service, he did not forsake his truthfulness and good character, just as soma-rasa, even when mixed with some other liquid, does not lose its ability to bestow immortality.

“The king passed many years in this condition. Then one day he sadly thought, ‘What shall I do? Where shall I go? How can I be delivered from this plight?’ In this way he drowned in an ocean of anxiety and sorrow.

“One day a great sage happened to pass by, and when the king saw him he happily thought, ‘Ah, Lord Brahma has created brahmins just to help others.’ Harishchandra paid his respectful obeisances to the sage, whose name was Gautama Muni. With joined palms the king stood before Gautama Muni and narrated his pitiful story. Gautama Muni was astonished to hear the king’s tale of woe. He thought, ‘How has this mighty king been reduced to collecting clothes from the dead?’ Gautama Muni became very much compassionate toward Harishchandra and instructed him on the process of fasting for purification.

“Gautama Muni said, ‘Oh king, during the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada there occurs an especially meritorious Ekadashi named Annada, which removes all sins. Indeed, this Ekadashi is so auspicious that if you simply fast on that day and perform no other austerity, all your sins will be nullified. By your good fortune it is coming in just seven days. So I urge you to fast on this day and remain awake through the night. If you do so, all the reactions of your past sins will come to an end. Oh Harishchandra, I have come here because of your past pious deeds. Now, all good fortune to you in the future!’ So saying, the great sage Sri Gautama Muni immediately disappeared from their vision.

“King Harishchandra followed Gautama Muni’s instructions concerning fasting on the sacred day of Annada Ekadashi. Oh Maharaja Yudhisthira, because the king fasted on that day, the reactions to his previous sins were completely destroyed at once. Oh lion among kings just see the influence of this Ekadashi fast! It immediately vanquishes whatever miseries one may be suffering as a result of past karmic sinful activities.

Thus all Harishchandra’s miseries were relieved. Just by the power of this wonderful Ekadashi, he was reunited with his wife and son, who had died but were now revived. In the heavenly regions the devas began beating on their celestial kettledrums and showering down flowers upon Harishchandra, his queen, and their son. By the blessings of the Ekadashi fast, he regained his kingdom without difficulty. Moreover, when King Harishchandra left the planet, his relatives and all his subjects too, went with him to the spiritual world.

“Oh Pandava, whoever fasts on Annada Ekadashi is surely freed from all his sins and ascends to the spiritual world. And whosoever hears and studies the glories of this Ekadashi achieves the merit gained by performing a horse sacrifice.”

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Annada Ekadashi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.

Sometimes if you cannot fast due to circumstances then you can chant the names of all the Ekadashi and read the above true story and you will receive the same benefits.

Suta Goswami said: There are twelve months in a year, and two Ekadashis in each month. Thus there are twenty-four Ekadashis in one full year, and in a leap year there are two extra Ekadashis. O great sages, please listen attentively as I declare to you the names of these auspicious Ekadashis.

The two extra Ekadashis, which occur during leap year, are called Padminee and Paramaa.

Please note the t is pronounced as follows: place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and say t.
Please note the n is pronounced as follows: place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and say n.

“O sages, one who hears about these Ekadashis will learn how to observe them properly. Each Ekadashi bestows particular benefits on the faithful observer. One who is physically unable to fast on Ekadashi may read the glories of each Ekadashi when it occurs and recite all the names of the Ekadashis; thus he will achieve the same goal as the person who observes the full Ekadashi vow.”

Ekadashi preparations

For a detailed list of what to eat or not and over 100 Ekadashi recipes please visit our website www.dipika.org.za and look under the sub-menu called EKADASHI – THE DAY OF LORD HARI.

Abstain from: grains (cereals, breads, wheat, flour, beans, rice, dhals, green beans, roti, coffee, etc) and meat.

Do not cook with: Powdered hing, shop turmeric (you can use whole turmeric), shop masala and shop chilli powder.

You can cook with the following: Whole turmeric, clean salt, cinnamon sticks, clean oil, butter, ghee, ginger, chilli, curry leaves, maas (yogurt), cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, clean sugar, rooibos tea, spinach, dhania, thyme, peppers, ground pepper, mint, green bananas, fresh cream, sour cream, bay leaves. Potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts, cabbage, pumpkin, butternut, gem squash, carrots, lettuce, all kinds of fruits, paneer.

Ekadashi Meal Ideas

1. Make tomato chutney and then add scrambled paneer and dhania. You can also add a little maas (yogurt) or fresh cream to it.
2. Cut eggplant into thin slices and deep fry. Keep aside. Prepare potato mash and keep aside. Now in a casserole dish lay the eggplant on the bottom and then cover the eggplant with mash, thereafter sprinkle cheese on the mash, then place thin slices of tomato on the cheese. Place strips of peppers on tomato slices. Bake for a few minutes and serve.
3. Potato soup (add salt, thyme and black or white pepper).
4. Mixed vegetable stew example: (cabbage, carrots, peppers, zucchini, and potatoes). Add black pepper, thyme and little butter and fresh cream. Use liquid from the baked vegetables below.
5. Bake the following: Cut potato in large pieces, cut butternut in big pieces, carrots in thin strips, cauliflower into florets, cut sweet potato in rounds. Boil veg for 15 minutes then drain the vegetables and save the liquid. Mix butter, black pepper, salt, origanum and lots of thyme – rub well into boiled vegetables, bake in oven till crispy on outside.
6. Vaikuntha curry: (use curry leaves and ginger). Cabbage sliced finely, green peppers in strips, carrots in strips; add fried paneer cubes, thyme and dhania.
7. Cut potato into rounds, deep fry and then drain to remove excess oil/ghee/butter. Now place flat in baking tray and grate cheese and bake till cheese melts.
8. Cut potato into rounds and deep fry and then drain excess oil. Place in baking tray (spaces between each) mix scrambled curds, tiny cubed tomatoes, green peppers, salt, grated cheese, black pepper, thyme and then place on the potato – add more cheese on top and bake till cheese melts.
9. Bake whole potato with jacket in microwave till soft and make a cross in the top, press open, dot butter and add tablespoon of sour cream, top with cheese and bake till cheese melts.
10. Cook cabbage and potato with tomatoes.
11. Cook mixed vegetables. For example: potato, cauliflower and zucchini in butter ghee or oil. When cooked add sour cream or fresh cream. Cook till it thickens.
12. Fry peanuts, fry green bananas.
13. Make salads and fruit salads.
14. Chevda: Fry nuts, fry grated potatoes (coloured with red/green/yellow food colour). Also you can fry thin slices of green bananas.

Reference: “Ekadashi: The Day of Lord Hari” 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press