Padmini Ekadashi Vrat Katha · पद्मिनी एकादशी व्रत कथा

The story of King Kritavirya and his queen, the daughter of Harishchandra, who kept the Padmini Ekadashi fast of the extra month on the advice of Anasuya and were blessed with the mighty Kartavirya, retold from the published versions.

The story, retold

Krishna said that the Ekadashi of the bright fortnight of the extra month (Adhika masa) is called Padmini. Ordinarily there are 24 Ekadashis in a year; when the extra month comes there are 26, and the two Ekadashis of that month are Padmini and Parama.

King Kritavirya, of the Haihaya line, had many wives, yet none had borne a son who could take up the kingdom. He tried every means, sacrifices and remedies, without success. At last he resolved to practise austerities. His queen, the daughter of King Harishchandra, set aside her ornaments and went with him to Mount Gandhamadana, where the two performed austerities for ten thousand years. Still no son came.

The queen then asked the great and devoted Anasuya what she should do. Anasuya told her of the two Ekadashis of the extra month, and said that by keeping the fast and night vigil of Padmini Ekadashi in its bright fortnight, the Lord would surely grant her a son.

The queen kept the fast and the night vigil as Anasuya directed. Pleased, Vishnu appeared and offered a boon, and she asked for a son. Vishnu told the king that the extra month and the Ekadashi were dear to him, and granted a son greater than all, unconquerable by gods, demons or men.

The king and queen returned to their kingdom, and there Kartavirya was born, so mighty that none in the three worlds could defeat him.

This katha is given as a retelling only: published versions tell it in different words and with different details, and we have not compared an original text for it. Every point in it appears in at least two of the published versions linked below.

About this text

Padmini Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the bright fortnight (Shukla paksha) of the extra month (Adhika or Purushottama masa). Its story belongs to the series in which each Ekadashi's glory is told, often as Krishna's answer to the Pandavas. It comes only in years that have an extra lunar month (Adhika masa), which is why there are 26 Ekadashis in such a year instead of 24.

The published versions are in Hindi prose and differ in wording and in some names and details. The retelling above keeps only what at least two of the versions linked below agree on. For this year's date, see Ekadashi.