Worship of Krishna

Bhishma said - I will tell you about some more rituals.
I have spoken of Ekadashi earlier. I will tell you something more.
You need to get up at dawn and have a bath. After that, wearing clean clothes, you will apply oil on your body and take the name of Narayana. You will sit facing Eastwards and the pray to Narayana. You will then give offerings of food. You will then distribute the food among the poor. I have told you about the Ekadashi earlier.


At this point Vaishampayana said Yudhistira was now at peace after listening to Bhishma. He now wanted to know of the merits of worshiping Krishna.

Bhishma said - Listen to me.

There was a Brahmin called Devmali. He was earning well but he and his wife had no children. One Narada came and asked brahmin why he was said. When brahmin told him about not having children, Narada asked him not to worry. He would have twins.
After sometime time, the brahmin performed a sacrifice and then were born two sons - Yagyamali and Sumali.

Sumali was the younger one and was engrossed in evil deeds. Seeing Devmali divided all his wealth equally among his two sons and retired into the forest along with his wife, to worship Narayana.

Yagyamali spent his days in worship and giving away alms to the poor. He soon earned a lot of respect and built temples and ponds for people.
Sumali on the other hand wasted away whatever wealth he had got.

Yagyamali tried to talk to Sumali, but Sumali began beating him. Seeing this the people of the town began beating up Sumali. They bound him up but he was rescued by the kind Yagyamali. Yagyamali was driven away from that place.


Years passed. When Yagyamali died, he was brought up to the abode of Narayana. On the way he saw Sumali being dragged by servants of Yama. Yagyamali asked the attendants of Vishnu is there was a way in which his brother could be relieved.
The attendant said let me tell you a story.
In a faraway kingdom lived an evil prostitute. Tired with her, the town people drove her away. Tired and hungry she roamed around till she came across a Krishna temple. Seeing a lake nearby, she had a bath there and came back to the temple. She found the temple to be dirty and cleaned that with her hands. She then slept there and got bitten by a snake. Having served Krishna, she was taken away from the attendants of Yama by the attendants of Vishnu.
Saying this attendant said if Yagyamali was willing to give a part of his good deeds to Sumali, he would be saved. Yagyamali did that. Both the brothers got salvation.

Bhishma then said If one worships Vishnu with humility and devotion, he gets salvation.

Ekadashi

Bhishma said-
One who lives in earth and performs good deeds gets rewarded in this life.
One who fasts on the eight day of the lunar cycle and prays to Shiva and Durga is greatly rewarded.
One who takes the name of Narayana and performs his worship is freed from all fears.
The eleventh day's fasting (Ekadashi) has great significance and I will tell you about that.
There was a sage called Galav whose son was named Bhadrasheel. He was a great devotee of Vishnu and fasted on the eleventh of Ekadashi, twice in a month.
His father wanted to know the greatness of doing this fasting.
Bhadrasheel said -
I was a king in Soma dynasty. I had received knowledge from Dharmakeerti and Dattatreya. I ruled continuously for thousand years. During this period, I committed various religious as well as irreligious tasks. In the company of impostors, I too became an impostor. Working diplomatically, I destroyed sacrifices. My subjects also followed me and began to behave in a foul manner. I received sixth part of their evil deeds. One day, I went to the forest, hunting. There, I killed many animals.
After a while, perplexed by thirst and hunger, I reached the bank of Narmada. I had strayed into deeper forests all alone. The intense sun was scorching my body. I was about to drop down because of hunger when I saw that people on the bank of Narmada were observing Ekadashi fasting. I joined them and stayed awake all along the night without taking any food. But I could not bear the starvation and exertion and died as a result. Fierce looking servants of Yama took me to him. Yamar asked Chitragupta to open the account of my life. Chitragupta thought for a moment and said: "Its true O Yama that this person is a sinner. But now he is free from his sins due to observing fast on Ekadashi and passing his night in the company of pious devotees." Hearing these words, Yama greeted me and worshiped me with devotion. Then, he called his servers."
Yama said - "Listen to me, O agents! I am narrating something to your interest. Never bring to me in future anybody who is engaged in religious task. Stay away from those who always recite the name of Hari. Greet them from a distance. This is my order as well as teaching to all of you. Spare all those who serve their teachers, love their religion, are helpless, serve the pious one and are truly deserving. Bring all such people who abuse their mother, hate the world, steal the wealth of temples and Brahmins, who are killers, who do not observe fast on Ekadashi, who are short tempered, criticize me and nurture hostility with others."
Hearing such words from Yama, fire of penance began to burn within me. More intense this fire grew, more of my sins were destroyed. I even got a vision of Hari. Even, Yama greeted me with respect. His action even surprised this servants. Worshiping me, Yama sent me on a divine chariot to the abode of Vishnu.
O father! I was passing my time happily. I did not know how and when many years passed. Then I arrived in the land of Indra. There I stayed with the gods for many years. It was after such a great experience that I have arrived on the earth. Having the knowledge of my previous birth, I always engaged in the worship of Hari and inspire others to follow suit. Earlier, I didn't know the virtues of Ekadashi . But now, because of the knowledge of my previous births, I have come to know about it. I observed it without any desire and without knowing that I was actually observing a fast and received so much in return. Hence, I cannot tell how much will one receive if he observes Ekadashi  with some desire. Those who devotedly worship Hari and observe Ekadashi  attain even the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu."
The words of his son gladdened sage Galav. He says- "My birth has been successful because I got such a devotee son like you who told me the complete method of worshipping Lord Vishnu."