Sri Vaikundha Ekadasi & Putrada Ekadashi

Putrada Ekadasi on 1st January 2014.Also today is Sri Vaikuntha Ekadasi.

The fantastic glories of Putrada Ekadasi are told in the Bhavisyottara Purana, they cannot be vilified by any means. This Ekadasi occurs in the waxing moon of the month called Magha (December/January).

Sri Krsna said to Maharaj Yudhistira: "Oh my dear King, the Putrada Ekadasi is very great; It's power is incalculable. Anyone who practices penance by abstinence of eating on this day, receives immeasurable benediction from the Personality of Godhead. All ones sinful reactions are eradicated and great wealth, fame and sagacity await with folded palms, eager to serve one who observes this Ekadasi.

"There was once a great city named Bhadravati, and a revered King named Suketumana ruled that land. His principle queen was Saivya and she was exquisitely beautiful. Despite being surrounded by great material opulence the maharaja was despondent, for they had no son. The King and Queen spent much time performing religious activities, with a hope to one day conceive an heir.

"Because they were afflicted with great sorrow and misfortune, their tempers grew hot and their brains boiled with furious agitation for the chance to have a son. As a result their offerings were always hot. Meanwhile the Kings forefathers also worried and aggrieved by the inauspicious atmosphere, thought thus: "If there are no offspring there will be no one to offer oblations to us and deliver us from pitrloka."

"King Suketumana could feel the anxiety of his forefathers and grew ever increasingly determined to fulfil his obligation to them and beget a son. He also grew more and more morose, however. He found no pleasure in his sports or recreations; he lost the taste for hunting, found no pleasure in the music of the courtiers, and he even became recluse from his friends and well-wishers. Merged in a fathomless ravine

Nammalwar in whose Honor Vaikuntha Ekadashi is Celebrated

Nammalwar stands fifth among the twelve alwars of the Srivaishnava Sampradaya. Nammalwar was born as the son of Kariyar on the full moon day of Vaikasi month in the very first year of Kali-yuga, which is called Pramathi-nama-samvatsara according to the Tamil calendar, when Vaishaka star was prevailing. According to the English calendar Nammalwar was born in 3102 B.C. His mother was Udiaya-Nangiyar. 

Nammalwar appeared on this planet just 43 days after Lord Krishna disappeared from this planet. Kariyar’s happiness of becoming a father, very soon turned into despair as his newly born son neither moved his limbs nor responded to the sounds made to fondle him, nor cried or opened his eyes to see the outer world. Nammalwar’s parents took care of him for eleven days thinking he might start behaving like a normal child soon and, as it was customary to bathe the new born child on the twelfth day, they gave him a head bath and named him Maran. As Maran continued to stay still, the distressed Kariyar couple took the child to Lord Vishnu’s temple that was situated on the banks of Thamarabharani River at Kurugur and abandoned the child at the base of a tamarind tree. Having resigned the fate of their new born child to the Lord of Kurugur, the Kariyar couple returned home with a heavy heart.

Nammalwar slowly crept into the cavity of the tamarind tree, which is supposed to be a manifestation of Adi-sesha, and meditated on the Lord without any break. Though