Pavitra Ekadashi

Pavitra Ekadashi

It was the night of Ekadashi, in the bright half of Shravan month. Shri Mahaprabhuji was resting under the Chhonkar tree at Govind Ghat, Shrimad Gokul. Aapshri was in deep contemplation. There was a big challenge before Him- to reunite the separated souls with Shri Thakurji. It wasn't big because there would be a large number of such souls; but because the souls were full of flaws, shortcomings and dosh, whereas Shri Thakurji is pure and divine. How could such a union take place? This was the cause of His concern.

The benevolent, blissful Prabhu Shri Krishna appeared before Shri Mahaparbhuji as an answer to all His worries. He promised to Shri Mahaprabhuji that, if a jeev is brought to Him through the process of Brahmasambandh by Shri Mahaprabhuji, He would accept him along with his flaws, the jeev would be removed of his dosh to be able to perform His seva , and such a jeev would always belong to Him.

It was midnight. Shri Mahaprabhuji was overjoyed, not just because Shri Thakurji was so kind to grant such a blissful course, but because His beloved was before Him at that time- saakshaat- in real!

At that time, Shri Mahaprabhuji offered Shri Thakurji a soot-pavitra made with 360 rounds of cotton-thread, Mishri bhog, and sang His praises with the Madhurashtakam.

Pavitra Ekadshi was the birth of Pustimargiya seva-prakaar where the jeev, full of flaws, could reunite with the ever-blissful nirmal swaroop Shri Krishna, through His seva.

Damodardas Harsani, Shri Mahaprabhuji's disciple was lying down at a distance. He witnessed the divine incident. When Shri Mahaprabhuji asked Him if he heard something, he humbly replied, "I heard, but didn't understand". He showed the perfect humility expected in a swami-das relation, and of course, how may a disciple know more than what his Gurudev intended to tell him?

Shri Mahaprabhuji narrated Shri Thakurji's vachan to Damodardas Harsani verbatim, through the Siddhant Rahasya granth (one of the Shodash Granth) and the next day, it is said, on Dwadashi, Damla (as he was fondly called by Aapshri) offered a pavitra to Shri Mahaprabhuji.

Ever since then, on Ekadashi, we offer Pavitra to Shri Thakurji; and on Dwadashi, to our Gurudev.

It is an occasion of immense joy- twofold joy:

One, Shri Thakurji has blessed us with this unbelievable and extra-ordinary  boon of getting to serve Him and interact with Him like His beloved Vrajbhaktas did; to fondle Him, pamper Him like Shri Yashodaji  did; and to love Him and experience it reciprocate like with the Gopijan!

Two, we are ever-so grateful to our Shri Gurudev, for whose Kripa we are being able to be called a Brahmasambandhi Pushtimargiya Vaishnav and are eligible to serve our Pushti Prabhu and be the recepients of eternal Parmanand!!

Pavitra:

Literal meaning of Pavitra is 'Sacred'. Pavitra is a cotton mala made up of 360 cotton threads knotted together. It is not necessary that ALL pavitras offered to thakurji must have 360 cotton threads. There are various types of pavitras offered to Shree Thakurji. Shri Hariraiji Mahaprabhu has written a treatise named 'PAVITRAMANDAN'. In a 360 thread cotton pavitra 180 knots are tied just as there are 108 knots in a mankamala (Japmala) through which, Bhagavad bhajan and bhava is perfected. The different types of pavitras are below:

1. Cotton 360 threaded kesari pavitras

2. Reshami i.e. Silk Pavitras with different colors like Red, Blue, Yellow and Kesari

3. Badlani Pavitra made from threads of Gold and silver (specially offered to Lord Shree Dwarkadhish Prabhu - Kankroli)

Why 360 threads?: Poorna Purushottam Lord Shri Krishna is an ocean of 16 divine qualities. Apshris leelas span the 6 seasons. 16 * 6 = 96. If this is multiplied by 3, representing the three types of devotees, rajas, tamas and satvik, it reaches the sum of 288. Adding to that, the 12 months, one reaches 300. By adding the 60 minutes of an hour a total of 360 is obtained and therefore a 360 thread cotton pavitra is offered to Prabhu.

In Maryada marg, Lord must be offered different 'Vastras' on each day of the year. Thus total 360 different vastras has to be offered to Lord as per Maryada of Vedas and other shastras. But in Pushtimarg, bhakti bhav of bhaktas is more important then mere rules and 'Kriya'. Thus in Pushtimarg, if we look into the Seva Pranali, we find that shringars/vastras of Shree Prabhu are repeated many times in an year.