Bheems Control
Among all the five Pandavas, Bheem was the kind of person who couldn’t stay hungry for a bit. He is described as the most strongest and heavy weighed person of those times. Everyone else in the family including Draupadi- wife of five Pandavas, Kunti – his mother, Yudhisthir, Arjun, and Nakul Sahdev- his brothers observed fast, and donated clothes and grains to brahmins, poor and needy. However, Bheem did all the rest of the things for the Ekadashi but couldn’t observe fast because he couldn’t control his hunger. Ekadashi is a vrat that falls twice a month.
Ekadashi is considered to be the most auspicious day and when it comes to fasting it is to be done strictly even without water for the whole day and night which means for twenty-four hours. he was very guilty but he did not have a solution. On one such holy day, Bheem approached Ved Vyasji- the writer of Mahabharat and asked, ” Grandfather, I can do everything that is supposed to be done on Ekadashi. I give charity to the poor and brahmins, I donate clothes but, I am not able to observe fast, which leaves me with guilt in my gut”. VedVyasji had a solution. He suggested a remedy, He said that since he is not able to do all 24 Ekadashi which fall in a year, he should observe Ekadashi which falls on the waxing moon phase of Jyetha month which falls in the calendar month of May-June. Sun will have its presence in Zodiac Tauras- Gemini. Bheem though a person who couldn’t control his hunger, stayed hungry without a drop of water for a whole day and night. Which made him a person of will. Since then, This Ekadashi is known as Bheemseni Ekadashi or Nirjala Ekadashi.
It is said that whosoever is not able to observe Ekadashi fast for the entire year, same as Bheem can observe the fast on this day and he will still get all the benefits of doing Ekadashis for the whole year. This story is mentioned in Bhrama Vaivarata Puran.
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2 Comments
Sitharaam Jayakumar
I did not know the story involving Bheem for Bheem Ekadesi. Pauranic tales always interest me. My mother is 84 and she still makes it a point to fast every Ekadesi.
SWETA
Thats great. We need to make a point to pass it on to next gen coz that is the way epics n culture vl survive. 👍