manav jivan ke kalyan ke lie tapodhan maharshiyon ne anek sadhan niyat kie hain; unmen se ek sadhan vrat bhi hai. vrat ke prabhav se vyakti ke anek janmon ke pap dur ho jate hain. indira ekadshi vrat karne se pap to dur hote hi hain, nich yoni men pare hue pitron ko bhi sadgati milti hai. vraton ke prabhav se kayik, vachik, mansik aur sansargajanit pap, uppap aur mahapapadi bhi dur ho jate hain.
vraton ke prabhav se manushyon ki atma shuddh hoti hai. sankalp shakti men vriddhi hoti hai, buddhi, vichar, chaturai ya gyan tantuon ka samagra vikas hota hai. vraton ke prabhav se hamare purvajon ke jivan men ae vyavdhan bhi dur ho jate hain aur unko uttamottam lokon ki prapti evan aishvarya bhog prapt ho jate hain.
unke nikatasth bandhu-bandhvon ke shubh sankalp hi asadgatiyon ko prapt purvajon ke advitiya kalyan ka sadhan ban jate hain. vrat karne vala dashmi tithi ko ek samay bhojan grahan kare.
ekadshi tithi ko purn vrat ka palan karta hua, dvadshi tithi men devpujnoprant brahman bhojan karake dakshinadi se santusht kar niyamanusar bhojan kare, to nishchay hi kalyan hota hai. ek samay nandnandan bhagvan shri krishn ke charnon men sashtang pranamakar dharmaraj yudhishthir ne pucha - madhusudn! kripa karke mujhe yah bataiye ki ashvin mas ke krishn paksh men kaun si ekadshi hoti hai?
bhagvan shri krishn bole- rajan ! ashvin krishnapaksh men 'indira' namki ekadshi hoti hai. uske vrat ke prabhav se bare-bare papon ka nash ho jata hai. nich yoni men pare hue pitron ko bhi yah ekadshi sadgati dene vali hai. rajan! purvakalki bat hai, satyayug men indrasen namse vikhyat rajkumar the, jo mahishmatipuri ke raja hokar dharmapurvak praja ka palan karte the. unka yash sab aur fail chuka tha.
raja indrasen bhagvan vishnu ki bhakti men tatpar ho govind ke mokshadayak namon ka jap karte hue samay vyatit karte the aur vidhipurvak adhyatmatattva ke chintan men sanlagn rahte the. ek din raja rajsbha men sukhpurvak baithe hue the. itne hi men devarshi narad akash se utarakar vahan a pahunche. unhe aya dekh raja hath jorakar khare ho gaye aur vidhipurvak pujan karke unhen asan par bithaya.
iske bad ve is prakar bole - 'munishreshth ! apki kripa se sarvatha kushal hai. aj apke darshan se meri sanpurn yagya-kriyaen safal ho gayin. devarshe! apne agaman ka karan batakar mujhapar kripa karen.' narad ji ne kaha - nripashreshth ! suno, meri bat tumhen ashcharya men dalne vali hai. main brahmalok se yamlok men aya tha. vahan ek shreshth asan par baitha aur yamraj ne meri bhaktipurvak puja ki.
us samay yamraj ki sabha men mainne tumhare pita ko bhi dekha tha. ve vratbhang ke dosh se vahan aye the. rajan ! unhonne tumse kahne ke liye ek sandesh diya hai, use suno. unhonne kaha 'beta ! mujhe 'indira' ke vrat ka punya dekar svarg men bhejo.' unka yah sandesh lekar main tumhare pas aya hun. rajan ! apne pita ko svargalok ki prapti karane ke liye 'indira' ka vrat karo.
raja ne pucha - bhagavan ! kripa karke 'indira' ka vrat bataiye. kis paksh men, kis tithi ko aur kis vidhi se uska vrat karna chahiye. nardji ne kaha - rajendra ! suno, main tumhen is vrat ki shubhkarak vidhi batlata hun. ashvin mas ke krishn paksh men dashmi ke uttam din ko shraddhayukt chitt se pratahkal snan kare.
fir madhyahnakal men snan karke ekagrachitt ho ek samay bhojan karen tatha ratri men bhumi par soyen. ratri ke ant men nirmal prabhat hone par ekadshi ke din datun karke munh dhoyen. iske bad bhakti bhav se nimnankit mantra parhte hue upvas ka niyam grahan karen-
adya sthitva niraharah sarvabhogvivarjitah.
shvo bhokshye pundarikaksh sharnan me bhavachyut॥ (60 ! 23)
'kamalanayan bhagvan narayan ! aj main sab bhogon se alag ho nirahar rahakar kal bhojan karunga. achyut ! ap mujhe sharan den.' is prakar niyam karke madhyahnakal men pitron ki prasannata ke liye shaligram-shila ke sammukh vidhipurvak shraddh kare tatha dakshina se brahmanon ka satkar karke unhen bhojan karayen.
pitron ko diye hue annamay pind ko sunghakar vidvan purush gay ko khila de. fir dhup aur gandh adi se bhagvan hrishikesh ka pujan karke ratri men unke samip jagaran karen. tatpashchat sabera hone par dvadshi ke din punah bhaktipurvak shrihriki puja kare. uske bad brahmanon ko bhojan karakar bhai-bandhu, nati aur putra adi ke sath svayan maun hokar bhojan kare. rajan ! is vidhi se alasyarhit hokar tum 'indira' ka vrat karo.
isse tumhare pitar bhagvan vishnu ke vaikunth dham men chale jayenge. bhagvan shrikrishn kahte hain - rajn! raja se aisa kahakar devarshi narad antardhan ho gaye. raja ne unki batayi hui vidhi se antahpur ki raniyon, putron aur bhrityonshit us uttam vrat ka anushthan kiya. vrat purn hone par akash se fulon ki varsha hone lagi.
pita shrivishnudham ko chale gaye aur akantak rajya ka upbhog karke rajarshi bhi apne putra ko rajya sinhasan par bithakar svayan svargalok ko chale gae. 'indira' vrat ke is mahatmya ko parhne aur sunne se manushya sab papon se mukt ho jata hai. jivan ko prakashit karne vala evan purvajon ki kripa v ashirvad ko prapt karane vala yah uttam vrat hai.
bhagvan shri krishn bole- rajan ! ashvin krishnapaksh men 'indira' namki ekadshi hoti hai, uske vrat ke prabhav se bare-bare papon ka nash ho jata hai. nich yoni men pare hue pitron ko bhi yah ekadshi sadgati dene vali hai.
jivan men jarurat hai jyotishiya margadarshan ki? abhi bat karen fyuchar point jyotishiyon se!