It is believed that in the golden age, all the sins of King Harishchandra (Harishchandra) ended and the attainment of heaven was only due to the effect of fasting on Aja Ekadashi. Therefore, all the sins of a person who observes Aja Ekadashi fasting on that date while observing night rituals, gets destroyed in the end and reaches heaven. By listening to the story of this Ekadashi, the result of Ashwamedha Yagya is obtained. Obstacles of previous births are removed by observing Aja Ekadashi fast. Along with happiness and prosperity, a person gets the same result as donating a thousand cows.
23 August – Aja Ekadashi fast
There is a mythological practice of observing a fast called Aja Ekadashi on the Krishna Paksha Ekadashi of Bhadrapada month in the order of the famous Ekadashi fasts for devotion to Vishnu. On the day of Aja Ekadashi, there is a law to do night awakening by worshiping the Upendra form of Lord Vishnu. Aja Ekadashi is considered to give happiness and prosperity by fulfilling all wishes and destroying all kinds of sins and sufferings. Therefore, the person who worships Lord Hrishikesh on this day for the purpose of fulfillment of all wishes, gets desired results and Vaikuntha. In some Puranas, Aja Ekadashi is also called Jaya Ekadashi and Kamika Ekadashi.
It is believed that in the golden age, all the sins of King Harishchandra (Harishchandra) ended and the attainment of heaven was only due to the effect of fasting on Aja Ekadashi. Therefore, all the sins of a person who observes Aja Ekadashi fasting on that date while observing night rituals, gets destroyed in the end and reaches heaven. By listening to the story of this Ekadashi, the result of Ashwamedha Yagya is obtained. Obstacles of previous births are removed by observing Aja Ekadashi fast. Along with happiness and prosperity, a person gets the same result as donating a thousand cows.
On being asked by Panduputra Yudhishthira regarding the name, worship method, greatness and story of Ekadashi of Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month, Shri Krishna told that the name of Ekadashi of Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month which destroys all sins is Aja. On this date, all the sins of a person who fasts for the worship of Lord Hrishikesh are destroyed, and in the end he reaches Vishnuloka. Shri Krishna while narrating the legend related to this to Yudhishthira said that in the ancient times as the former man of Shri Ram, there was a famous Chakravarti king named Harishchandra, the lord of all the earth born in the Ikshvaku clan. Maharaja Harishchandra, on receiving the fruits of any action, had to be corrupted from the state, and then renounced all his kingdom and wealth under the influence of some karma. After that he first sold his wife and son and then sold himself as well.
In the mythological texts, the death of son Rohitashva by snakebite, and then Harishchandra’s wife wandering from door to door for his shroud and giving a part of her sari to her husband at the cremation ground, finally passed the test taken by the Lord. But the story of the son being alive and King Harishchandra regaining everything along with his wife is written. According to the legend, Harishchandra, despite being a virtuous soul, had to be the slave of the Chandala, and also had to do the work of taking the shroud of the dead. Still, Nripashreshtha Harishchandra did not deviate from the truth. According to the original story, the gods once planned to test Maharaja Harishchandra, the most famous for his integrity and honesty.
According to the plan, one day the king appeared in a dream that he had donated his entire kingdom to the sage Vishwavamitra. In the morning Vishwamitra actually came to his door and said that you have donated your kingdom to me in a dream, now give it to me. The king donated the entire kingdom to Vishwamitra, following a strict vow. In order to pay Dakshina for charity, King Harishchandra had to sell his wife, son and even himself because of the fruits of his previous birth. Harishchandra was bought by a dome who got people to perform cremation work in the cremation ground.
Now Harishchandra himself became the slave of a Chandal and started doing the work of taking the shroud at that Chandal’s place, but he never left the side of truth even in the task of this objection. In this way the king was very worried after his many years in the servitude of Chandala, and he became very sad, thinking about his fate and karma, started thinking what to do in this situation? Where do I go? How will I be saved? In this worry, he drowned in the sea of grief. Knowing the king as mournful, Maharishi Gautam came to him. Seeing the sage in front of him, Harishchandra bowed at his feet and stood in front of Gautam with folded hands and narrated all his sorrow. After listening to the king, Maharishi Gautam, while explaining the remedy for the relief of sorrow, said that only by fasting on the Ekadashi named Aja, which comes in the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month, you will be able to end your sins and your fortune. By your luck today is Aja Ekadashi on the seventh day. By fasting on that day and doing Jagran in the night time, your welfare will definitely be there. Maharishi Gautam disappeared after giving such advice.
Harishchandra also had to do the work of collecting taxes from the relatives of the dead in the crematorium in lieu of cremation. In this work, many times a situation of religious crisis was also present in front of him, but he never deviated from the path of truth and duty. On the other hand, Harishchandra’s wife had to spend her life working with the gardener. One day his son Rohit, who was playing in the garden, was bitten by a snake and due to the effect of the snakebite, Rohit died immediately there. When the weeping queen reached the crematorium with the body of her son Rohitashva wrapped around her chest, Harishchandra’s heart also filled after seeing the son’s body. Hearing the whole story, Harishchandra said that I am bound in my duty and engaged in the work of collecting taxes from the people who come here for cremation. Cannot allow cremation without tax. One who comes here has to pay something or the other in the form of tax. Whatever you have, give something as tax and cremate the son. But that poor queen had nothing but the dead body of her dead son. Incidentally, that day was on Krishna Paksha Ekadashi of Bhadrapada month, and both had not consumed any food or water since morning.
Both were contemplating their situation and praying to God. When Harishchandra did not allow the cremation to be performed without paying taxes, the queen ripped off half of her sari and gave it to Harishchandra as a tax. According to the legend, Harishchandra performed the rituals of the best fast of Aja Ekadashi on Bhadrapada Krishna Ekadashi as told by Maharishi Gautam. On the other hand, seeing Harishchandra’s devotion to duty, the gods revived his son, after redressing all his troubles, returned his wife and royalty to him again. Due to the effect of Aja Ekadashi fast, the king attained the kingdom of Nishkantak and in the end he along with his ancestors and relatives reached the heavenly world. While narrating this story to Yudhishthira, Shri Krishna said that the person who observes the Aja Ekadashi fast gets free from all sins and goes to heaven. By reading and listening to this story one gets the fruits of the Ashwamedha Yagya. There is no other fast in the world like this Ekadashi fast that helps in the hereafter and in the hereafter. Like other Ekadashis, Aja Ekadashi fasting starts from Dashami Tithi, a day before Ekadashi, and ends on Dwadashi Tithi after complete worship on Ekadashi Tithi.
