Characteristics of the 24 images of God to be worshipped in the various Ekadashis.
The devotees asked:-may You please describe, one by one, the different manifestations of Lord Keshava that are supposed to be worshi- pped, on the days of Ekadashi with their special features. 1.
Sri Narayan-muni said:-
O you devotees, I shall explain to you the various formations of God Vasudeva, Keshava and others with their independent special features. 2.
Even though God Vishnu has only one form, still He appears in twenty four forms, in order to satisfy Ekadashi which also bears twenty-four forms. These twenty four forms of Lord Vishnu are said to be different from each other due to the changing positions of the conch, disc, club and the lotus in His four hands and thus twenty-four names are assigned to them. 3-4.
I shall explain to you the particular positions of holding the conch and other weapons. It is it to be understood as starting from the right lower hand and passing onwards to the upper right hand, then upper left hand and then lower left hand. Note: (Henceforth this order is always to be followed). 5.
Keshava wields lotus, conch, disc, club in aforesaid order. Narayana always holds: conch, lotus, club and disc. Madhava carries: club, disc, conch and lotus. Govind holds in His arms: disc, club, lotus and conch. 6 -7.
Vishnu bears club, lotus, conch and disc respectively. Madhusudana holds disc, conch, lotus and club. Trivikrama holds lotus, club, disc and conch. Vamana always holds conch, disc, club and lotus. 8-9.
Shridhara holds lotus, disc, club and conch in hands. Hrushikesha holds club, disc, lotus and conch. Padmanabha holds conch, lotus, disc and club in His hands. Damodara always holds lotus, conch, club and disc. 10-11.
Sankarshna is said to be the bearer of: club, conch, lotus and disc. Vasudeva is said to be the bearer of : club, conch, disc and lotus. Pradyumna is said to be wielder of : disc, conch, club and lotus. Aniruddha is the wielder of: disc, club, conch and lotus. 12-13.
Purushottama holds: disc, lotus, conch and club. Adhokshja holds: lotus, club, conch and disc. Narasimha holds: disc, lotus, club and conch. Achyuta always holds: club, lotus, disc and conch. 14-15.
Janardana holds : lotus, Sudarshana disc, conch and club. Upendra holds conch, Kaumodaki club, disc and lotus. 16. Shri Hari holds : conch, disc, lotus and club. Krishna holds : conch, Kaumodaki club, lotus and disc. 17.
O You devotees, I have described all the special characteristics of the idols of Keshava and others. They should be worshipped on the day of Ekadashi. 18.
Keshava and other aforesaid twelve are the presiding deities of the twelve Ekadashis of bright fortnights of twelve months. Sankarshana and others are the presiding deities of the twelve dark fortnights of the months. 19.
By the worshipers Keshava is to be worshipped on the day of Ekadashi of bright fortnight of Margshirsha month; likewise Sankarshana in the dark fortnight of the Margashirsha. 20.
In the same way, in the dark and the bright fortnights of Pausha and other months, Narayana and others should be worshipped. In the inter-calary month, i.e. Malamasa, Lord Purushottama should be worshipped. 21.
Here I have described the four images of Sankarshana and others, those should be understood to be different from the fourfold manifestation of Vishnu. 22.
O you people, you should never act miserly in the celebration of the celebration of Ekadashi vow. The God Lakshmi-kanta the bestower of all wealth, is pleased by performing this Ekadashi vow. 23.
A Man or a woman, whosoever, getting up in early morning, ever remembers these sin-annihilator forms: Keshava etc., of Krishna, the Lord of Vaikuntha, will surely get his or her wishes fulfilled. 24.
Thus ends the thirty fifth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of description of characteristics of the idols of Lord Keshava and others,’ in the third prakaran of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra, (the rules of the code of conduct). 35