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In Sanatan Dharma, Ekadashi of Shukla Paksha of Sawan month i.e. ‘Sawan Putrada Ekadashi’ (Holy Ekadashi) has special spiritual significance. This is the last Ekadashi of the month of Sawan, which provides a sacred opportunity to receive the immense blessings of both Lord Shri Hari Vishnu and Devadhidev Mahadev. According to religious beliefs, the devotees who observe fast on this day as per the rituals and listen to the mythological story of King Mahijit of Mahishmati Puri, all the obstacles related to their children are removed, they get capable and long-lived children and the path to salvation is paved at the end of their life.
Sacred legend of Sawan Putrada Ekadashi: King Mahijit and Maharishi Lomash
On the request of Dharmaraja Yudhishthir in Dwapara Yuga, Lord Shri Krishna had described the significance and story of Sawan Putrada Ekadashi.
In ancient times, there was a prosperous kingdom named Mahishmati Puri, where a very pious, charitable and just king named ‘Mahijit’ ruled. King Mahijit loved his subjects like his own children and there was no shortage of any kind in the kingdom. But, despite all this, the king had no son or child. Being childless, King Mahijit remained extremely sad and worried day and night. He believed that for a person who does not have a son, both this world and the next world are desolate and painful.
The king performed many donations, penances and rituals to have a child, but he did not get any success. When the king started moving towards old age, he called his subjects and the learned Brahmins and expressed his grief, “O people! I have never committed any injustice in my life, never oppressed the people and always ruled the kingdom righteously, yet why did I not get the happiness of a child?”
Lomash Rishi’s divine ashram and the secret of previous birth
Seeing this deep pain of the king, the chief ministers of the kingdom, the people and the Brahmins set out towards the forest to find a solution. While traveling in the forest, he reached the holy ashram of Trikaldarshi Maharishi Lomash. Maharishi Lomash had a long life like Lord Brahma and was knowledgeable about all three periods of time. The people folded their hands and asked the sage the reason and solution for King Mahijit being childless.
Maharishi Lomash, with his meditation and tapasya power, looked at the deeds of the king in his previous birth and said: “O noble men! King Mahijit was a very poor and greedy Vaishya (trader) in his previous birth. Once on the twelfth day of the Shukla Paksha of Jyeshtha month, when he was wandering hungry and thirsty for two days in connection with his business, he reached a water reservoir. There a thirsty cow with her newborn calf had come to drink water. The Vaishya drove that thirsty cow away from there by beating him with a stick and drank the water himself first.”
The sage further said, “Due to the good deeds and donations that the king had made in his life, he got the position of a king and immense glory in this life. However, due to the great sin of stopping the thirsty cow and calf from drinking water, he has to suffer the terrible pain of separation from his children in this life.”
Fast of Putrada Ekadashi and blessing of having a child
The people became extremely distressed and asked Maharishi Lomash for a solution to that sin.
Then Maharishi Lomash kindly told, “The Ekadashi falling in the Shukla Paksha of the month of Sawan is called ‘Putrada Ekadashi’. If King Mahijit, his queen and all the people of the kingdom keep a waterless/fruitless fast on this Ekadashi with full devotion, worship Lord Vishnu by keeping vigil at night and dedicate all the merits of that fast to the king on the day of Dwadashi, then the sins of the king in his previous birth will be instantly burnt away. And they will definitely be blessed with a brilliant son.”
The people returned to the capital and narrated the entire message of Maharishi Lomash to the king and queen. When the date of Sawan Shukla Ekadashi arrived, King Mahijit, the Queen and the entire people regularly observed the holy fast of Putrada Ekadashi and worshiped Shri Hari. On the day of Dwadashi, everyone offered the virtue of their fast to the king.
Due to the divine influence of the fast, the sin of the king’s previous birth was removed and after some time the queen became pregnant. In due course of time, she gave birth to a very beautiful, talented, glorious and successful son. King Mahijit’s life was filled with happiness and after his death he attained Vaikuntha Dham.
Main rules of Putrada Ekadashi fast and worship
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Abhishekam of Lord Vishnu: After morning bath, anoint Lord Vishnu and Shaligram ji with Ganga water and Panchamrit and offer yellow flowers, fruits, sandalwood and basil leaves.
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Hearing and chanting the story: In the afternoon or evening, read or listen carefully to this sacred story of King Mahijit.
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Dwadashi Parana: Next day, in the auspicious time of Dwadashi Tithi, break the fast by feeding food and giving Dakshina to any worthy Brahmin or needy person.