From: Sriprasna A:gama – 47th Adhaya:ya.
One day Lakshmi Devi asked Srimanna:rayana, to explain the importance of Vaikunta Ekadasi Maho:thsavam(The festival celebrated on the 11thLunar day when the Sun is in Sagittarius)
Srimanna:rayana, elaborated the significance and the events of Vaikunta Ekadasi.
Once, after retracting the universe into HIM, God was going to re-start the process of creation. And then, as part of His past-time, HE appeared floating on a Vatapathra leaf as a little baby. During that period, He created Bramha from His naval and gave 4 faces to him. Each face was meant to obtain a type of knowledge needed for creation and sustenance. That is Veda.
He taught Bramha the process of procreation and after giving the knowledge to Bramha, Swamy (God) disappeared. But Bramha was not alert. And due to lack of attention when Swamy was instructing, two demons evolved from Brahma’s ears. Madhu, Kaitabha. These demons pounced on Bramha, roughed him up, seized all the knowledge from Bramha and got away. Bramha grieved at losing the Vedas due to his carelessness, and started searching for the demons. He could not find them anywhere! Then Bramha saw Swamy reclining in Kshe:ra sa:garam(Divine Milky Oceans). He lamented before God about how he lost the Vedas.
Swamy knew that the divine knowledge Ve:das was sequestered by Madhu Kaitabha. He approached the demons and offered them a boon, in return for Ve:das. But the demons, unware and ignorant of the omnipotence of Srimanna:ra:yana! retorted arrogantly and asked God to choose a boon from them!!
Swamy smiled and asked them to give up their bodies and go back to the place from where they had come. But they refused to go without a fight (wrestling).
And so Swamy fought them for several days. In the end, when the demons lost the fight, Swamy decided to deliver them to Vaikunttham. But how could HE send them to that Vaikuntham – the demons have not accrued any goodness and qualification to step into the divine abode of Vaikunttham.
A normal procedure could not be followed for them to go directly. But Swamy promised them their original place after the fight. So Swamy took them to Vaikunttham via the North entrance, and pushed them across the barriers of Vaikunttham transcending all laid rules and procedures.
Vaikunttham has a special quality. Whoever resides in that abode, acquires the same form as Vishnu. So the demons became De:vathas with Sankha Chakram, Vanamala etc…(All the divine armaments and ornaments adorning Vishnu)
They were very happy to have attained the form and place. Being very amazed they said ” Swamy, when You were ready to grant us any boon, we refused. Instead we turned arrogant and have commanded You to ask one! But You were kind, to ultimately send us to Vaikunttham by quenching our impulsion to fight with You! And this place is so amazing! wonderful and beautiful. You have accorded this blessing to demonic natured people like us! There is no limit to your kindness. Now, we have a desire. Please grant us.”
When God agreed,
The demons continued “Today is Suklapaksha E:Ka:dasi(11th Lunar Day) when Su:rya is in Dhanur Ra:si (Sun enters the Sagittarius). Today is the day we were blessed with this beautiful abode of Vaikunttham and have been pushed into this place, through the Northern Entrance that You kindly opened for us. So, whoever remembers this event and enacts it the same way in their homes and places, by having huge entrances with You placed on high pedestals having us both on Your either side; unto such people please grant the same results as we have attained. Our intention is to let people know of Your magnanimous heart even on Ra:kshashas like us.”
And it was granted!
-From the discourse of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
