Kaisika Ekadasi and the story of NampAduvAn

Nampaduvan, was a Bhagavatha (devotee of Vishnu) born in an underprivileged family. He used to fast and sing praises of Vishnu in the Kurungudi Nambi temple every ekadashi.

Once, while on the way to the temple, he was stopped by a fearsome Brahma Rakshas (demon). The Rakshas had not eaten food for several days. It caught Nampaduvan. Nampaduvan did not resist, but appealed to the Rakshas to allow him to have darshan of Sri Nambi and complete his prayers, before offering himself as food.  

Famished, the rakshas refused to let him go. Then Nampaduvan takes an oath that if he did not come back, he would bear a multitude of grave sins. When he declared the last sin, the rakshas was shaken.  “Let that sin befall on me, which accrues to those who say Narayana is equivalent, or inferior to other devathas.”  The rakshas lets him go.

After completing his musical prayers, Nampaduvan started walking back. An old man appeared before him (it was Lord Nambi). He told Nampaduvan to take another route to save his life. Nampaduvan, insisted on obeying dharma. Nambi smiled and blessed him. Nampaduvan returned to the Rakshas.

Rakshas was moved when Nampaduvan offered himself to the Rakshas.  It narrated its own story.  He was Soma Sharma, a Vedic scholar in his previous birth. He incurred a curse due to his arrogance and some mistakes made during a yagna (ritual). 

The Rakshas then asked Nampaduvan to give the merits accruing from his musical prayers for it to be liberated.  Nampaduvan refused, saying that he sang to Narayana with devotion and never sought any reward for it. 

Brahma Rakshas felt he was doomed to live in his fierce form. He begged for the merits of at least the last verse, in the raga Kaishika.

Nampaduvan relented. He offered the rakshas the fruit of the last song in praise of Nambi.  The Rakshas was transformed into his original form and liberated.

This was narrated by Sri Varaha to Bhumidevi in the Varaha Purana.