Bhadravati nagari ke raaja Suketuman aur rani Shaibya dharm-paraayan aur prajaa-priya the. Unke paas dhan-vaibhav aur sukh sab kuch tha, par ek hi peeda unhe sataati rahti — unke koi santaan na thi. Vansh aage badhaane waala koi na hone se raaja-rani din-raat chintit aur udaas rehte the. "Mere baad mera shraddh-tarpan kaun karega?" — yeh vichaar raaja ko ghulaaye jaata tha.
Santaan ke abhaav se vyathit hokar ek din raaja ghode par sawaar hokar nirjan van ki ore nikal pade. Bhookh-pyaas aur thakaan se vyaakul, ve ek sundar sarovar ke kinaare pahunche, jahaan kinaare par rishi-munijano ke aashram the. Sanyog se us din Pausha (Paush) maas ke Shukla paksha ki Ekadashi thi, aur munijan vrat-poojan mein leen the.
Raaja ne saadar munijano ko pranaam karke apni vyatha sunaayi. Munijano ne kaha — "He raajan, aaj Putrada Ekadashi hai. Yeh vrat santaan-prapti ke liye atyant phaldaayi hai. Tum aur tumhaari rani shraddha se is din upvaas rakho, Bhagwan Vishnu (Narayan) ki pooja aur raatri-jagran karo." Raaja ne aashram mein hi rehkar vidhi-poorvak yeh vrat kiya aur dwadashi ko paaran karke ghar laute.
Bhagwan Vishnu ki kripa aur vrat ke prabhav se kuch hi samay mein rani Shaibya garbhwati huin aur unhone ek atyant tejasvi va sundar putra ko janm diya. Yeh balak aage chalkar daanveer, dharmaatma aur pratapi raaja bana, jisne praja ka kalyaan kiya.
Seekh: Pausha Putrada Ekadashi santaan-sukh aur vansh-vriddhi ke liye shraddha, sanyam aur Bhagwan par vishwaas ka maarg dikhaati hai. Sachhe man se kiya gaya yeh vrat suyogya santaan ka aashirvaad deta hai.