Modern India has largely moved away from that ancient Vedic culture, the ideals of which are still a model primarily of spiritual tradition. By and large, it is necessary to talk not about the culture of India or even about the culture of ancient India, but about the culture of relations, the remains of which can be discovered when studying ancient cultures.
What is at the heart of the ancient tradition of celebrating the sacred days of Ekadashi? Purity, mercy, asceticism and truthfulness — these are the four grounds for preserving and maintaining a cultural tradition designed to elevate a person. The truthfulness of these four foundations is the most recent possibility of improvement, allowing one to rise even when all other possibilities are completely lost.
It is no coincidence that Sri Krishna’s words regarding the celebration of Apara Ekadashi have been preserved in the Vedas: «A person who feignedly or ridiculously praises another, weighs, does not fulfill the duties prescribed to him, invents his own laws and scriptures, deceives others, false astrologer, swindler official and false doctor — they are all considered to give false assurances and end up in hell.
Anyone who neglects his duty and flees the battlefield goes to hell. That disciple who, having received true spiritual knowledge from his guru, turns away from him and criticizes him, incurs boundless suffering. But simply observing Apara Ekadashi, all these sinners are completely freed from the suffering to which they doomed themselves».
Apara Ekadashi — is an ax used to cut down the ripe tree of sinful acts. Apara Ekadashi — is the sun flaring up in front of someone's black atrocity. Apara Ekadashi — is an ego lion sneaking behind the doe of godlessness. To free himself from the worldly and sinful, from the bodily and sensual, from the selfish and demonic, a reasonable person strives to use the favorable opportunity to use priceless life to satisfy God. Studying the scriptures, serving saints and teachers, as well as helping those in need are those actions that attract the attention of God, who with one of His eyes is able to cleanse the soul that has surrendered to him.
So one day the elephant king Ganjendra, who decided to drink from the river, was attacked by a huge crocodile. It is said that the elephant is strong on land, the crocodile is — in the water, the monkey is — in the tree, and the bird is — in the sky. Since the crocodile was in his native element, Ganjendra felt the proximity of his imminent death.
In the most difficult seconds of his life, Ganjendra turned to Vishnu for help, just as the great devotees of the Lord do. Vishnu immediately appeared to protect Ganjendra, who had surrendered to Him. If, like Ganjendra, a person realizes the fragility and danger of the situation in which he finds himself and seeks help, the answer will not be long in coming.