The real meaning of Ekadasi fast doesn’t mean eating less or not eating at all. The real purport of Ekadasi is fasting for the body and feasting for the soul. This means to increasingly chant the holy names of Lord Krishna, eat less, and be sleepless- because when we eat less, we stay active throughout the day and are less likely to fall asleep. In this blog, all you need to know is about Sat-Tila Ekadashi.
IMPORTANCE OF SAT-TILA EKADASHI
In Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada underlines that Ekadashi Vrata is mandatory for one who wishes to progress in Krishna Consciousness steadily. Today, we will discuss the Ekadasi, which appears in the Magha month of Krishna Paksa named Sat–Tila Ekadashi.
SAT-TILA MEANS– Sat means Six.
Tila means Sesame.
Most noble Dalbhya Muni, black sesame seeds are especially befitting for formal worship and fire sacrifices, whereas white or brown seeds are meant to be eaten by qualified brahmins.
Pulsya Muni Mentions About Sat–Tila Ekadasi:
“With the arrival of Sat-Tila Ekadashi day in the Magh month (January- February), one must take a bath early in the morning. And by keeping the senses under control especially, Kham, Krodh, Lobh, Moh, Mad, Matsarya, i.e., lust, anger, pride, jealousy, fault finding, and greed, he should meditate on the Supreme Lord Krishna, worship him with love and devotion and chanting his holy names. He must pray to the Lord in this manner. He must worship the Lord of the three worlds, with Gandh, Pushp, Dhoop, Deep, and Naivedya. By taking up the resolution that today he will obey the Ekadasi, he should offer Lord Krishna pumpkin, coconut, guava, etc.
He should pray to Lord Krishna in the following manner: “Oh Janardhan! Having fallen into the pit of material existence, I’m always engaged in sinful activities. Oh, lotus-eyed Lord, please save me and provide me with the refuge of your lotus feet. Please be kind to me! May you and your eternal consort, Srimati Lakshmi Devi, accept all that I’m going to offer to you!” and by praying in this manner, he should offer delicious and luxurious food to the Lord. Besides this, the devotees should donate umbrellas, clothes, Paduka, etc., to qualified brahmins and please them by begging them for blessings to attain unalloyed love for Lord Krishna.
In the Vedic scriptures, it is mentioned how a devotee is always concerned with the welfare of others, “How would a sinner get liberated?”
So, once Dalbhya Rishi approached Palastya Muni, saying, “When a spirit soul comes in contact with the material energy, he begins to perform sinful activities like stealing, killing and illicit relations; and when his condition starts degrading, he starts killing Brahmins. These are the types of sinner whose destiny will stop in hell! Oh pure hearted One, please tell me, how would they get liberation? How to get rid of from this sinful condition? Please tell me that how to be saved from this by just a minimal donation and service?”
When Palastya Rishi heard this, he smiled. “This most confidential question hasn’t been asked even by Brahma, Mahesh or Indra. So, please listen to the answer I’m giving attentively.”
On this Sat-Tila Ekadashi, an observer should:
1.) Add Sesame to the water he’s bathing in.
2.) Should rub the paste of Sesame on his body.
3.) Should give the oblation of Sesame in yajana by chanting the Purushottam strotra. If one cannot do this, he can offer the Sesame to the Lord in the temple.
4.) Intake the sesame seeds
5.) Should donate the Sesame to qualified Brahmins.
6.) Accept the charitable gifts of sesame seeds.
These six activities are mandatory for spiritual purification. This is called the Sat – Tila.
Also Read: Untold facts of Lord Krishna and Radha
Tale of Sat-Tila Ekadashi
Once, Narad Muni approached Lord Krishna and said, “O! Supremely powerful Krishna. Oh you who are most affectionate to your devotees, please accept my most humble obeisance. Oh Lord, kindly enlighten me what are the advantages of following the Sat – Tila ekadashi?”
Lord Krishna replied, “O! Greatest among twice-born Brahmins, now I shall narrate to you an incident.
Long ago on the planet of Earth lived an old Brahmini. She used to worship me with much love and devotion and, for my satisfaction, observed all the types of Vratas dedicated to me like Janmasthami, Ram Navami, Vaman Dwadashi, Nrisimha Chaturdashi, etc. She kept her senses under control and deployed in my service with much love and affection. As she strictly observed the vratas, her body soon became frail. She used to give many donations to Brahmanas and young maidens and donated to such extent that once she decided to donate her entire house. She always lived in the spiritual ideology, but she had one strange quality: she never used to give any food to Brahmanas and the devtas. She had certainly become eligible to come to my planet Goloka by her devotion unattainable even by ordinary persons.
Nevertheless, I was very curious to know the reason for that quality. So, disguising myself into one of the followers of Lord Shiva’s, I went bearing the garland of skulls around my neck and my begging pot, to beg alms from her. When I approached to beg alms from her, in anger, she threw a heap of soil in my begging bowl! I was very surprised by watching the mix of kindness and miserliness in her. In time, the promising lady, by the power of her penance, donation, and devotion, achieved Golok in herself the same body. And because she had indeed offered me the heap of soil, I built a beautiful house for her from the very same.
Also Read: Krishna Mantra
Seeing that, she became tensed and prayed as follows, “I have performed so much penance and austerity making my body weak, and given so much in donation but despite that, there is nothing to eat in my house and there is no money. O! Janardhan, what is the reason for this?”
I replied, “For now, please return to your home and in due time some wives of demigods will come to meet the new arrival. They all will knock on your door but do not open it until they describe you the importance and glories of Sat – Tila Ekadasi.”
And as promised, some wives of the Demigods came to meet the Brahmini, and knocking on her door, they said, “We have come here for your Darshan. Oh, auspicious One, please let us see you.”
The Brahmini then replied, “Oh beautiful ladies, I shall open this door on the condition that you may describe me the importance and glories of the Sat – Tila Ekadasi. When all the Demigods’ wives heard that answer, they returned to their homes but returned later to answer her.
Upon hearing the importance of the Ekadashi, the Brahmini opened the door shocking the wives of the demigod that neither was she from Devlok, nor was she a Gandharvika, nor was she a Naagpatni or even a she-demon, but she was an ordinary woman.
When the Brahmini heard about the Sat – Tila Ekadasi, she started to obey the most auspicious day, which awards material enjoyment and liberation.
So, by the effect of the Sat – Tila Ekadasi, she got a body of a beautiful lady who was not materialistic, but Sac-cid-Anand. Her home in the spiritual world was adorned with the most glorious gold, diamonds, and jewels.
O! Narada, anyone should not obey the Sat – Tila vrat with greed or out of hope of obtaining wealth dishonestly. One should obey the Ekadasi with great devotion, selflessly, donating according to his capacity.
Anyone who will obey the Sat – Tila Ekadasi strictly and donate Sesame, clothes, and food shall achieve great health and spiritual consciousness. My statement is that ‘the one who will obey this Ekadasi, shall achieve my abode of Goloka.”
Golden Advantages of Observing Sat-Tila Ekadashi
Palastya Muni states, “One who shall obey this Ekadasi, all types of poverty whether it is spiritual, physical, mental, and social, will all weather away. The all-inauspicious will be auspicious in his life. All the types of bad omen will be destructed. The person who will obey this Ekadasi, by donation, by yajna, or by chanting Lord Krishna holy names, without any doubt, all his sins will be destroyed. One who obeys this Ekadasi with much devotion and reverence, all sins shall be demolished, and he shall attain the Supreme Loka/ Vaikunth Dham.
Sat-Tila Ekadashi Mahamahotsav Ki Jai
Sri Sri Rukmani Dwarkadhish Ki Jai
