The only intention of a devotee is to give pleasure to the Supreme Lord and nothing else. The Lord is pleased if one follows Ekadashi vow. One should serve the Supreme Lord without any motivations. Ekadashi can also bestow material benefits. Maharaj Ambarish followed Ekadashi at Mathura Dham for a year . This pleased the Lord so much that the infallible curse of Durvasha muni , who was not an ordinary Brahmin but a very powerful one, couldn’t touch him . This is not an ordinary matter. Among the 64 limbs of devotional practices, one is following Ekadashi. Guru padasraya (taking shelter at the lotus feet of Divine master) is mentioned first. Ordinary people observe Ekadashi tithi for material benefits, like some observe Ekadashi to get good progeny, money etc.

An example is given here—a young boy was sick and the doctor was insisting him repeatedly to take medicine to which he was repeatedly denying . The doctor even warned him that he would never get cured if he didn’t take the medicine, but still the boy was firm in refusing to take the medicine even at the cost of his life. Then the doctor asked the parents what eatable does the boy like to which the parents replied that he likes rasagulla. So the doctor tempted him with rasagulla but on the condition that he would have to first take the medicine and then only he can have the rasagulla. The boy being too greedy for the rasagulla was compelled to take the medicine to get the rasagulla. The main aim of the doctor was not to feed him rasagulla but to somehow make him take the medicine in order to cure him. Likewise we are also diseased in this material life and relations and thus the scriptures mention material benefits for one following Ekadashi vrata only to tempt us with those benefits in order to make us follow the vrata. We do not pay attention to the real benefit of observing the vow.

So the desire to obtain religiosity, money, fulfilment of desire and ultimately liberation is the highest degree of deceitfulness which makes Krishna-bhakti disappear, completely. These benefits are only mentioned to make the people follow Ekadashi. The ideology followed by Gaudiya math doesn’t mention to follow Ekadashi to achieve material benefits. Srila Narada Goswami scolded his disciple Srila Vyasadeva for writing scriptures which encouraged people for getting material sense gratification (dharma , artha , kama). Srila Vyasadeva told him that he had also written scriptures which will show people how to get liberation. Srila Narada Goswami became even more displeased on hearing that and told him that he had done further damage to the living entities by writing the scripture on liberation which will eradicate any chance of the living entity to attain Krishna prema. Srila Vyasadeva asked him for solution to which Narada Goswami said to sing the glories of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Vyasadeva told that he had mentioned about the glories of Krishna but Narada Goswami told him that those glories he mentioned are not sung with the aim to satisfy Krishna but are aimed to make one achieve liberation. Narada Goswami further said that Vyasadeva did not clearly mention that the glories of the Supreme Lord are to be sung for his His satisfaction and neither did he mention clearly the glories of Sadhusanga (association of pure devotees). Real happiness (ananda) can never be obtained without the association of pure devotees. One pointed devotion to the Lord should be practiced only with the aim to please Him and nothing else.

I am advised not to talk much, not to sing or dance either. I am advised to take rest. Though our Paramgurudev has told that actual taking rest is speaking Harikatha , but do not pay any heed to his advice. We hear instructions from one ear and let it go out through the other ear. It is proper if one leaves the body while speaking Harikatha . If taking rest is most essential then one should take rest by speaking Harikatha. If one goes on thinking about material things in the mind while taking rest, then is that taking rest properly? That is not called taking rest. But singing the glories of the Supreme Lord is indeed taking rest in actuality. We should regularly hear Harikatha with undivided attention. The above statement has lots of significance. I do not belong to the category of those who hear and speak Harikatha and then contemplate what they have heard or spoken with one-pointed attention from the core of their hearts. But the target should be one and that is to only please the Lord and nothing else. If we speak about material topics then matter will enter into our hearts . Likewise if we speak about the Lord then He will enter into our hearts. “Means is justified by the end”. If the target is wrong then all the means to achieve the target is wrong.