The Transformation of a Wicked Brāhmaṇa through Ekādaśī

In a once-prosperous town, there lived a brāhmaṇa whose conduct was far from noble. Though born in a family of learning and piety, he had fallen deeply into the clutches of sinful life. Pride swelled in his heart. He gambled recklessly, drank without restraint, and kept company with immoral women. Disrespectful toward the Vedas, saints, and the Supreme Lord, he scoffed at the sacred, considering religious life a fool’s pursuit.

The townspeople feared him, but they also felt compassion. Many saintly brāhmaṇas prayed for his transformation, but his ears were closed, his heart hardened.

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The Glorious Chance Encounter

A Hunter Is Liberated by the Grace of a Sacred Bath on Ekādaśī – by Madhu Chanda das

 A Life of Violence and Ignorance

In the remote outskirts of a dense forest, there lived a hunter. Hardened by years of killing, his life was steeped in cruelty and devoid of compassion. He hunted animals relentlessly, seeking food and gain, with no regard for dharma or virtue. Scriptures, saints, or sacred days held no meaning for him. His heart was darkened by violence, and his mind, clouded by instinct and survival.

The Sacred Day Arrives
One morning, the sun rose upon an Ekādaśī—the sacred eleventh day of the waxing moon, beloved of Lord Viṣṇu and renowned for its power to purify even the most grievous sins. Yet the hunter, unaware of the day’s divine significance, picked up his bow and set out into the forest, as he had done countless times before.

But something was different. No animals appeared. Birds flew high, deer stayed hidden, and the forest was strangely silent. Hunger gnawed at him, and thirst parched his throat as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Still empty-handed, he wandered deep into the forest until he stumbled upon the banks of a sacred river.

The Unknowing Bath
There, sages and brāhmaṇas were assembled, observing the Ekādaśī fast and bathing in the river with prayers and mantras. The air was charged with purity and devotion. The hunter, ignorant of their intentions, approached only to cool his exhausted body and quench his thirst.

He stepped into the river. As he submerged himself in the cooling water, droplets from the sages’ own sacred baths splashed upon him. Unaware, he had bathed on Ekādaśī—in a holy river and in the association of Vaiṣṇavas. Without intending to, he had performed one of the most purifying acts in all of dharma.

A Hungry Jackal in the Village Outskirts

 

A Hungry Jackal in the Village Outskirts

In a small village surrounded by dense forests, there lived a starving jackal. Old and weak, he could no longer hunt and was barely surviving on scraps. Driven by hunger, he would sneak into the outskirts of the village, scavenging for remains, constantly in fear of being beaten or chased away.

One evening, after a temple festival, the villagers had thrown away the leftovers of a large prasāda feast, including many preparations offered to Lord Viṣṇu. These were discarded outside the temple grounds near a garbage pit.

That night, the jackal, driven by unbearable hunger, wandered into the area and smelled the rich fragrance of the discarded food. He approached cautiously and, seeing no one around, began to devour the remnants voraciously.

The Effect of Sacred Remnants

Though unaware of the significance of the food, the jackal was consuming Mahā-prasāda—remnants directly offered to the Supreme Lord. That night, after his belly was full, he slept peacefully for the first time in many days.

While sleeping, he had a remarkable dream. In the dream, a divine figure of Lord Viṣṇu appeared, shining with brilliance, holding conch, disc, mace, and lotus. The Lord smiled at him and said: