Ekadashi Significance-Ekadashi Mahatmya

Ekadashi Significance-Ekadashi Mahatmya

Ekadashi is one of the most popular  fastings in Hinduism. Ekadash means Eleven in Sanskrit and Ekadashi is the eleventh day of Indian lunar calendar. There are two Ekadashi in one lunar month one in vexing moon phase(Shukla Paksha) and another in waning moon phase(Krishna paksha). Both Ekadashis are  considered highly auspicious as this is the day of Lord Vishnu and Devi Ekadashi . Ekadashi is also the name of the Goddess who sprung out of Lord Vishnu and killed a daemon Mur when Lord Vishnu was asleep. The day she was born was Ekadashi and thus she was called Ekadashi. Her birth Ekadashi day was called Utpanna (birth) Ekadashi . This day falls in around November now.

However Ekadashi fast is observed on both Ekadashis of the month. People usually fast on this day and stay awake at night , doing meditation or singing devotional songs. One should see everyone and everything as the extension of same supreme consciousness and should not commit any sins or have bad thoughts .

Once there was an assembly of Eight eight thousand Rishis in Naimisharanya . All Rishis asked great learned scholar and sage , Shri Sutjai , “How will the people in Kaliyuga will  get delivered from their sins.” Then Sutaji who was also a great renowned disciple of Shri Vyasaji, told them about Ekadashi fasts. In and year there are 12 Lunar months and eahc month has 2 Ekadashis of Shukla Paskha and Krishna Paksha. Apart from this there is and extra month added after every couple of years , which is called Adhik mas and it has 2 Ekadashis too.

Names of all Ekadashis:

Total there are 26 Ekadashis. Their names are as follows:

1. Utpanna (When Ekadashi Devi was born-First Ekadashi)
2. Mokshada ( Granting Moksha)
3. Safala (Success)
4. Putrada (Grants child)
5. Khsatatila ( Six ite of Til-Sesame are used)
6. Jaya
7. Vijaya
8. Amalaki ( Amala tree is worshipped)
9. Papamochini (Absolves you from sin)
10. Kamada ( Grants Wishes)
11. Varuthini
12. Mohini ( Mohini incarnation of God is worshipped)
13. Apara
14. Nirjala (Fasting without water)
15. Yogini
16. Devashayani ( Vishnuji goes to cosmic sleep)
17. Kamika
18. Putrada (Grants Childs)
19. Aja
20. Parivartini (Lord Vishnuji changes sides while sleeping)
21. Indira
22. Papankusha
23. Rama
24. Prabodhini
25. Padmini (Also called Kamala-Falls in Adhik Mas only)
26. Parama (Also called Kamada- Adhik Mas only)

The last two Ekadashis fall in Adhik Mas only. Therefore they are not observed every year.

When certain Nakhstras fall on any of these Ekadashis,  the Ekadashi obtain names like Jaya, Vijaya, Papanashini.

If a Shukla Paksha Ekadashi is accompanied by Punarvasu nakshatra it is called ‘JAYA’ and if the Shukla paksha Dwadashi (a day after Ekadashi) has Shravan nakhsatra then it is called ‘VIJAYA’ and if Shukla Pakhsha Dwadashi has Rohini Nakhstra then Ekadashi is called ‘JAYANTI’.

It is said that eve listening to their names give the results in accordance with their names. If someone is not extremely poor health and is not  able to carry out the Ekadashi fasting then he could obtain great results of fasting by listening to the name of these Ekadashi itself.

One could also cal Ekadashi as Ek Dasha( Same State) throughout the fasting and this state should be of total devotion and seeing everyone and everything as an extension of divine supreme consciousness of supreme God head Lord Vishnu. People should try and meditate , do self study of spiritual sciences and do devotional services , sing devotional songs and do great virtuous acts on this day.

Importance of Ekadashi enhances greatly by its association with nakhsatras and the Tithis(dates) events as well. It is said that the 10 persons on father’s side and 10 generations on mother’s side and 10 persons of his wife’s side attain liberation and go to Vaikuntha.

Ekadashi fasting gives worldly desires like wealth, children, and fame as well.Lord Shiva once said to Narad in Padma Puran that Ekadashi gives great spiritual merits and even Rishis should observe this fasting.

It is said that the good merits attained by marrying daughter, donating land, cow,gold, grains or food and the merits attained at the time of bathing during eclipse, doing penance, holy pilgrimage and Ashwamedh  yagna – Merits attained by observing Ekadashi surpasses all of the above.

I enjoy this practice of Ekadashi the most as when I  feel every thing as part of same supreme reality, my days used to be very surreal. I kept Ekadashi fast for around 7 years and then had to do udyapan (closing ritual) . But I still keep one Ekadashi fast of the year, which is Nirjala(Without water or food) Ekadashi. It is said that if you cannot do fast on all Ekadashis , fasting of ‘Nirjala Ekadashi’ itself can gives merits of all 24 Ekadashis. I had many great experiences while carrying our Ekadashi, mostly on feelings and in dhyana. I will start it again full fledged in near future sometime for sure.

My best take was the feeling of oneness with everything on Ekadashi day. It is said that it burns your bad karma and doing good deeds on this day gives you many-fold results. Ekadashi is single-handedly capable of getting you through the worldly maze of problems and obstacles and deliver you all the material benefits and above all get you salvation.

Note: धर्मसिंधु के अनुसार एकादशी दो प्रकार की होती हैं, पहली विद्धा और दूसरी शुद्धा. यदि एकादशी तिथि दशमी तिथि से युक्त हो तो वह विद्धा एकादशी कही जाती है. यदि सूर्योदय के समय एकादशी तिथि द्वादशी तिथि से युक्त होती है तब वह शुद्धा एकादशी कही जाती है. सामान्य जन साधारण को शुद्धा एकादशी का व्रत रखना ही पुण्यदायक माना गया है.

Links To All 26 Ekadashis of 13 Months (Adhikmas Included)