Jaya Ekadashi vrat katha

The story of Malyavan and Pushpavati

As told in the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda, chapter 43 (the Gita Press edition numbers its chapters two higher), checked against the Sanskrit, Deshpande’s English translation and the Gita Press Hindi.

Yudhishthira said, “Krishna, you are the first of the gods; you create, sustain and dissolve all beings. You have told me of Shattila Ekadashi in the dark half of Magha. Now, of your kindness, tell me which Ekadashi comes in the bright half, what its rite is and which deity is worshipped that day.”

Krishna said, “Lord of kings, the Ekadashi of the bright half of Magha is known as Jaya. It takes away all sins, purifies, fulfils wishes and grants liberation. It removes even the sin of killing a brahmin and ends the state of a pishacha; one who keeps its fast never becomes a ghost. So it should be kept with care. Now hear its ancient, auspicious story.”

Once Indra was ruling in heaven. The gods lived there in ease, drank nectar and were waited on by the apsaras. One day, in the Nandana garden full of parijata trees, Indra in good spirits called for dance and song. The Gandharvas Pushpadanta and Chitrasena were singing there.

Chitrasena’s wife Malini had a daughter, Pushpavati. The Gandharva Pushpadanta had a son, Malyavan. Malyavan was captivated by Pushpavati’s beauty, and Pushpavati too had won his heart with her glances. That day both had come to sing for Indra’s pleasure.

As they sang, they had eyes only for each other. With their minds astray they could not sing true: now the rhythm broke, now the song stopped. Indra saw where their hearts were, and taking it as an insult to himself he grew angry.

Indra cursed them: “Shame on you both, you fools! You have broken my command. Go to the mortal world as pishachas, husband and wife, and reap the fruit of your deed.”

Grieved by the curse, the two came to the Himalaya and became pishachas. They forgot that they had ever been Gandharvas. At night they found neither sleep nor rest. Talking of their misery to each other, they wandered the mountain caves. In the cold of the snow their teeth chattered and their hair stood on end.

One day the pishacha said to his wife, “What dreadful sin did we commit, that our own wrongdoing has brought us to this pishacha life? Hell is terrible, and to be a pishacha is just as painful. So one must keep from sin with all one’s strength.” In this sorrow they were wasting away.

As fate would have it, the Ekadashi of the bright half of Magha came, the one known as Jaya. That day, in their misery, the two neither ate nor drank. They killed no creature and ate no leaf or fruit. All day they sat in sorrow beside a peepal tree.

The sun set, and a dreadful, deadly cold night came on. Trembling, they lay on the ground clinging to each other, but neither sleep nor any comfort came. So, tormented by Indra’s curse, they passed that night, and the sun rose on Dwadashi.

Krishna says, “I had resolved in my heart to free them, for they had kept the Jaya fast and the night’s vigil.” On Dwadashi, by Lord Vishnu’s power, their pishacha form fell away. Pushpavati and Malyavan were themselves again, with their old love and their old ornaments, and they rode a celestial chariot back to heaven.

They went and joyfully bowed to Indra. Astonished to see them so, Indra said, “Tell me, by what merit did your pishacha form leave you? You were bound by my curse; which god set you free?” Malyavan said, “Lord, it was the grace of Lord Vasudeva and the fast of Jaya Ekadashi that freed us.”

Indra said, “Then you are both made pure and are worthy of honour even from me. Mortals who keep the fast of Hari’s day and live in the Lord’s refuge are worthy of worship even by us gods. Now live happily in heaven with Pushpavati.”

At the end Krishna says, “So, O king, the Ekadashi fast should be kept. Jaya takes away even the sin of killing a brahmin. One who has kept the Jaya fast has, as it were, given every gift and performed every sacrifice.” According to the katha, the one who fasts rejoices in Vaikuntha for an age beyond counting, and reading and hearing this katha bring the fruit of an Agnishtoma sacrifice.