अजा एकादशी

aja ekadashi
bhagavan vishnu|200px|center
any nam	jaya ekadashi', 'kamika ekadashi'
anuyayi	hindoo anuyayi
tithi	bhadrapad mas, krishna paksh ki ekadashi
dharmik manyata	aja ekadashi vrat karane se poorvajanm ki badhaean door ho jati haian. vyakti ko sukh-samriddhi ke sath hi hazar gaudan karane ke saman phal milata hai.
sanbandhit lekh	vishnu, ekadashi, bhadrapad mas, harishchandr
any janakari	aja ekadashi ke din bhagavan vishnu ke 'upendr' svaroop ki pooja-aradhana ki jati hai tatha ratri jagaran kiya jata hai.

aja ekadashi ya 'kamika ekadashi' ka vrat bhadrapad ke krishna paksh ki ekadashi ko kiya jata hai. is ekadashi ke din kiya jane vala vrat samast papoan aur kashtoan ko nasht karake har prakar ki sukh-samriddhi pradan karata hai. aja ekadashi ke vrat ko karane se poorvajanm ki badhaean door ho jati haian. is ekadashi ko 'jaya ekadashi' tatha 'kamika ekadashi' bhi kahate haian. is ekadashi ke din bhagavan vishnu ke 'upendr' svaroop ki pooja aradhana ki jati hai tatha ratri jagaran kiya jata hai. is pavitr ekadashi ke phal lok aur paralok donoan mean uttam kahe gaye hai. aja ekadashi vrat karane se vyakti ko hazar gaudan karane ke saman phal prapt hote haian. vyakti dvara jane-anajane mean kie gaye sabhi pap samapt hote hai aur jivan mean sukh-samrihddhi donoan use prapti hoti haian.

katha

ek bar raja harishchandr ne svapn dekha ki unhoanne apana sara rajy dan mean de diya hai. raja ne svapn mean jis vyakti ko apana rajy dan mean diya tha, usaki akriti maharshi vishvamitr se milati-julati thi. agale din maharshi unake darabar mean pahuanche. tab satyavadi raja harishchandr ne svapn mean diya apana sara rajy unhean sauanp diya. jab raja darabar se chalane lage, tabhi vishvamitr ne raja se paanch sau svarn mudraean maangi. raja ne kaha- "he rrishivar! ap paanch sau kya, jitani chahean mudraean le sakate haian." vishvamitr ne kaha- "tum bhool rahe ho rajan, rajy ke sath rajakosh to ap pahale hi dan kar chuke haian. kya dan ki huee vastu dakshina mean dena chahate ho."

tab raja harishchandr ko bhool ka ehasas hua. phir unhoanne patni tatha putr ko bechakar svarn mudraean jutaeean to sahi, parantu ve bhi poori n ho sakian. tab mudraean poori karane ke lie unhoanne svayan ko bech diya. raja harishchandr ne jisake pas svayan ko becha tha, vah jati se dom tha. vah shmashan ka svami hone ke nate mritakoan ke sanbandhiyoan se 'kar' lekar unhean shavadah ki svikriti deta tha. us dom ne raja harishchandr ko is kary ke lie tainat kar diya. unaka kary tha, jo bhi vyakti apane sanbandhi ka shav lekar 'aantim sanskar' ke lie shmashan mean ae, harishchandr usase 'kar' vasool karake use aantim sanskar ki svikriti dean, anyatha sanskar n karane diya jae. raja harishchandr ise apana kartavy samajhakar vidhivat palan karane lage.

raja harishchandr ko anek bar apani pariksha deni p di. ek din raja harishchandr ka ekadashi ka vrat tha. harishchandr arddharatri mean shmashan mean pahara de rahe the. tabhi vahaan ek stri apane putr ka dah sanskar karane ke lie aee. vah itani nirdhan thi ki usake pas shav ko dhakane ke lie kafan tak n tha. shav ko dhakane ke lie usane apani adhi sa di pha dakar kafan banaya tha. raja harishchandr ne usase kar maanga. parantu us avala ke pas kafan tak ke lie to paisa tha nahian, phir bhala 'kar' ada karane ke lie dhan kahaan se ata? kartavyanishth maharaj ne use shavadah ki ajna nahian di. bechari stri bilakh kar rone lagi. ek to putr ki mrityu ka shok, oopar se 'aantim sanskar' n hone par shav ki durgati hone ki ashanka. usi samay akash mean ghane kale-kale badal mandarane lage. pani barasane laga. bijali chamakane lagi. bijali ke prakash mean raja ne jab us stri ko dekha, to vah chauank uthe. vah unaki patni taramati thi aur mritak balak tha, unaka ikalauta putr rohitashv, jisaka saanp ke katane se asamay hi dehant ho gaya tha.

patni tatha putr ki is din dasha ko dekhakar maharaj vichalit ho uthe. us din ekadashi thi aur maharaj ne sara din upavas rakha tha. doosare parivar ki yah durdasha dekhakar unaki aankhoan mean aansoo a ge. vah bhare hue netroan se akash ki or dekhane lage. mano kah rahe hoan- "he eeshvar! abhi aur kya-kya dikhaoge?" parantu yah to unake pariksha ki gh di thi. unhoanne bhari man se anajan banakar us stri se kaha- "devi! jis saty ki raksha ke lie ham logoan ne rajabhavan ka tyag kiya, svayan ko becha, us saty ki raksha ke lie agar maian is kasht ki gh di mean n rah paya to kartavyachyut hoooanga. yadyapi is samay tumhari dasha atyant dayaniy hai tathapi tum meri sahayata karake meri tapasya ki raksha karo. 'kar' lie bina maian tumhean putr ke aantim sanskar ki anumati nahian de sakata." rani ne sunakar apana dhairy nahian khoya aur jaise hi sharir par lipati huee adhi sa di mean se adhi pha dakar 'kar' ke roop mean dene ke lie harishchandr ki or badhaee to tatkal prabhu prakat hokar bole- "harishchandr! tumane saty ko jivan mean dharan karane ka uchchatam adarsh sthapit karake acharan ki siddhi ka parichay diya hai. tumhari karttavyanishtha dhany hai, tum itihas mean amar rahoge." raja harishchandr ne prabhu ko pranam karake ashirvad maangate hue kaha- "bhagavan! yadi ap vastav mean meri karttavyanishtha aur satyacharan se prasann haian to is dukhiya stri ke putr ko jivan dan dijie." aur phir dekhate hi dekhate eeshvar ki kripa se rohitashv jivit ho utha. bhagavan ke adesh se vishvamitr ne bhi unaka sara rajy vapas lauta diya."

vrat ki vidhi

'aja ekadashi' ka vrat karane ke lie uparokt batoan ka dhyan rakhane ke bad vyakti ko ekadashi tithi ke din shighr uthana chahie. uthane ke bad nityakriya se mukt hone ke bad sare ghar ki saphaee karani chahie aur isake bad til aur mitti ke lep ka prayog karate hue, kusha se snan karana chahie. snan adi kary karane ke bad bhagavan vishnu ki pooja karani chahie. bhagavan shrivishnu ka poojan karane ke liye ek shuddh sthan par dhany rakhane chahie. dhanyoan ke oopar kumbh sthapit kiya jata hai. kumbh ko lal rang ke vastr se sajaya jata hai aur sthapana karane ke bad kumbh ki pooja ki jati hai. isake pashchath kumbh ke oopar vishnu ji ki pratima ya tasvir lagaee jati hai. ab is pratima ke samane vrat ka sankalp liya jata hai. bina sankalp ke vrat karane se vrat ke poorn phal nahian milate haian. sankalp lene ke bad bhagavan ki pooja dhoop, dipak aur pushp se ki jati hai.

smaraniy tathy

'aja ekadashi' ka vrat karane ke liye dashami tithi ko vrat karane vale vyakti ko vrat sanbandhi kee batoan ka dhyan rakhana chahie. is din vyakti ko nimn vastuoan ka tyag karana chahie-

1. vrat ki dashami tithi ke din vyakti ko maans kadapi nahian khana chahie.
2. dashami tithi ki ratri mean masoor ki dal khane se bachana chahie. isase vrat ke shubh phaloan mean kami hoti hai.
3. chane nahian khane chahie.
4. karodoan ka bhojan nahian karana chahie.
5. shak adi bhojan karane se bhi vrat ke puny phaloan mean kami hoti hai.
6. is din shahad ka sevan karane se ekadashi vrat ke phal kam hote haian.
7. vrat ke din aur vrat se pahale ke din ki ratri mean kabhi bhi maang kar bhojan nahian karana chahie.
8. isake atirikt is din doosari bar bhojan karana sahi nahian hota hai.
9. vrat ke din aur dashami tithi ke din poorn brahmachary ka palan karana chahie.
10. vrat ki avadhi mean vyakti ko jua nahian khelana chahie.
11. ekadashi vrat ho ya any koee vrat, vyakti ko din samayavadhi mean shayan nahian karana chahie.
12. dashami tithi ke din pan nahian khana chahie.
13. datun nahian karana chahie. kisi pe d ko katana nahian chahie.
14. doosare ki ninda karane se bachana chahie.
15. jhooth ka tyag karana chahie.

panne ki pragati avastha

adhar

prarambhik

madhyamik

poornata

shodh