▁and ▁hence ▁the ▁most ▁sacred ▁of ▁all ▁ 2 4 ▁Ek ad ash is . ▁ ▁If ▁observed ▁religious ly , ▁it ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁most ▁reward ing ▁and ▁grant ing ▁the ▁virtue ▁gained ▁by ▁the ▁observ ance ▁of ▁all ▁ 2 4 ▁ek ad sh is ▁in ▁the ▁year . ▁ ▁Leg end ▁ ▁N ir j ala ▁Ek ad ashi ▁is ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁P and ava ▁Bh ima ▁Ek ad ashi , ▁or ▁P and ava ▁N ir j ala ▁Ek ad ashi . ▁This ▁name ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁Bh ima , ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁strong est ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁P and ava ▁brothers , ▁hero es ▁of ▁the ▁H indu ▁ep ic ▁Mah ab har ata . ▁The ▁Bra h ma ▁Va iv arta ▁Pur ana ▁narr ates ▁the ▁story ▁behind ▁the ▁N ir j ala ▁Ek ad ashi ▁vr ata ▁v ow . ▁Bh ima , ▁a ▁lo ver ▁of ▁food , ▁wanted ▁to ▁observe ▁all ▁ek ad ashi ▁fast s , ▁but ▁could ▁not ▁control ▁his ▁hung er . ▁He ▁approached ▁the ▁s age ▁V y asa , ▁author ▁of ▁the ▁Mah ab har ata ▁and ▁grand father ▁of ▁the ▁P and avas ▁for ▁a ▁solution . ▁The ▁s age ▁ad vised ▁him ▁to ▁observe ▁N ir j ala ▁Ek ad ashi , ▁when ▁for ▁one ▁day ▁in ▁the ▁year , ▁he ▁should ▁observe ▁an ▁absolute ▁fast . ▁Bh ima ▁att ained ▁the ▁virtue ▁of ▁all ▁ 2 4 ▁ek ad ash is , ▁by