Rāmā Ekādaśī 2006

Sri Krishna told Yudhishthira of the pious king Muchukunda, in whose kingdom everyone kept Ekadashi. His daughter Chandrabhaga married Shobhana, a gentle but frail prince.

Shobhana came to his father in law's house just before this Ekadashi. Though he was weak, he resolved to fast with everyone, and he died before dawn. By the merit of the vow he was reborn as the lord of a splendid celestial city on Mount Mandara, but the city was not stable, because his fast had not been kept with full faith.

A brahmana pilgrim saw him there and carried the news to Chandrabhaga. Blessed by the sage Vamadeva, she went to her husband and gave him the merit of all the Ekadashis she had kept since childhood. The city became permanent, and the two lived there together. Rama Ekadashi falls a few days before Deepavali and is linked with Lakshmi.