Chander M Bhat
All the ten quarters are held firm by the one basic power, Ekadasi, the eleventh. All energy flows divided through ten turbulent organs and they are pervaded by the mind, the one basic power of the deity. That is Ekadasi.
A legend says that the Devas, unable to bear the tyranny of a demon, approached Shiva who directed them to see Vishnu in this regard. A battle ensued between Vishnu and the demon and Vishnu realized that a new weapon was needed to slay the demon. Vishnu without wasting any further time called a goddess named Haimavati. When the demon tried to slay Vishnu, a female power emerged from Vishnu that burned the demon to ashes with a glance. Vishnu was pleased and named the goddess ‘Ekadashi’ and gave her a boon that the people who observed a fast on that day and worshipped Ekadasi would attain Vaikuntha. Thus came into being the first Ekadasi.
Even in the mind of an average ignorant Hindu, Ekadasi and upavasa (fasting) have practically become synonymous! Fasting as a spiritual discipline…whether as an expiation for sins committed or for gaining self-control…has been an age-old practice. When fasting reduces the sway of the flesh over the mind, it is much easier to control it and direct it towards God, so that it can ‘live near him’. In fact, this is the literal meaning of the word ‘upvasa’ (upa = near, vasa = living).
Ekadasi (eleventh day in both halves of the lunar month…Sukla paksha and krsnapaksa) can be observed just as a spiritual discipline or as as ‘vrata’ with all the concomitant rules (in short a day of fasting and prayers). Again, if observed as a vrata, it can be ‘nitya’ (compulsory) or ‘kamya’ (motivated by desires). In the former case, only SuklaEkadasi needs to be observed. As a kamya-vrata, it can be observed on both days. This day is considered to cleanse the body, aid repair and rejuvenation, and is usually observed by complete fast (vrata). In Kashmir, we take gaariphalaahar and kasshiphal (ground) on this day.
Whenever it is undertaken as a vrata, apart from the fasting, sankalpa (resolve), worship of Visnu and jagarana (keeping vigil in the night) become obligatory. It is interesting to note that Ekadasi is also called ‘Harivasara’ (Hari’s or Visnu’s day) and only worship of Visnu has been prescribed. In fact, for the Vaisnavas (those belonging to the cult of Visnu) it is compulsory! Since fasting and keeping vigil on the Masasivaratri days (caturdasi of krsnapaksa in every month) was compulsory for the Saivas, they may have been omitted from its purview.
The Puranas and the dharmasastras, though they prohibit the partaking of cooked food on Ekadasi days, have made many concessions to the general human weakness towards food. If one eats only once in the day around noon, it is called ‘ekabhukta;’ if it is only in the night, it is ‘nakta;’ if the food is taken once a day, only when it is got by chance, without begging for it, it is ‘ayacita.’ The last, however, seems to apply only to prayascittas or expiations for sins. In all, there are 24 Ekadasi in a lunar year. They are given different names. The month-wise auspicious days falling on Ekadasi or kah are Caitra or tsithiur (Kamada &Varuthini), Vaisakha or vahek (Mohini & Apara), Jyestha or zeeth (Nirjala & Yogini), Asadha or haar (Sayani & Kamika), Sravana or Shravan (putrada& Aja), Bhadrapada or beuuderpeth (Parivartine& Indira), Karttika or Kartik (Prabodhini& Utpatti), Margasirsa or monjhor (Moksada& Saphala/Vaikuntha), Pausa (Pusya) or poh (Putrada& Sat-tile), Magha or Maag (Jaya/Bhisma & Vijaya), Phalguna or Phagun (Amalaki&Papamocani).
There is a shortfall of 10.90 days in a lunar year as compared to a solar year. This residual difference accumulates into one full lunar month in about 32 months. To overcome this anomaly the sages devised a method of symbolism for intercalation of an additional month called adikmasa and the Ekadasi’s in this adikmasa (extra month) are Parma Ekadashi and Padmani or Kamala Ekadasi.
Among these, however, Asadha SuklaEkadasi called ‘Sayani’ and Karttika Sukla Ekadasi named as ‘Prabodhini’ are important since Visnu is supposed to sleep on the Sayani day and wake up on the Prabodhini day, as the very names indicate. Sayani is also called ‘Prathamaikadasi’. The ekadasi of Margasirsasuklapaksa is known as Saphala or Vaikuntha-Ekadasi. On this day, thousands of people gather in Visnu temples. One of the main doors called ‘Vaikunthadvara’ which is normally kept closed throughout the year, is thrown open on this day. The devotees who pass through this door for the darsana of the Lord are believed to go to Vaikuntha, the abode of Visnu. It is said that long back, devotee Rukmangada who was being forced by an ogress to break his Ekadasi fast against the norms of the vratawas saved by Visnu and was taken to Vaikuntha on this day, hence the name.
This day is also the day on which the Bhagavadgita was taught by the Lord Sri Krsna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra before the Mahabharata was. Hence, it is celebrated as Gitajayanti even now. Apart from fasting and worship of the Gitacarya Krsna, there will be ceremonial chanting of the text and sometimes discourses expounding the same.
The Ekadasi of Chairta (fortnight of the waning moon) is also known as Varuthini (armored/protected) Ekadasi or BaruthaniEkadasi, is a holy day. Like all Ekadasi’s, God Visnu, especially his fifth avatar Vamana, is worshipped on this day. Vamana is the fifth avatar of Lord Vishnu and the first Dashavatara in the Treta Yuga after Narasimha. The greatness of Varuthini Ekadashi is narrated by Lord Krishna to King Yudhishthira in the Bhavishya Purna.
In the bright fortnight of Jyestha falls Nirjala Ekadashi. Nirjala Ekadasi is called known as Pandava Bhima Ekadasi. The latter name is derived from the second and strongest of five Pandava brothers. Bhima a lover of food, as per Brahma Vaivarta Purna, wanted to observe all Ekadasi fasts but fails as he could not control his hunger. He approached sage Vyasa for the solution and the sage advised him to observe Nirjala Ekadasi with absolute fast without taking anything even water.
On the bright fortnight of Karttika falls PrabodhiniEkadasi. This Ekadasi is also called DevotthamEkadasi. This day marks the end of the four-month period when god Vishnu is believed to wake up from sleep. Lord Vishnu sleeps on Shayani Ekadashi (bright fortnight of Asadha) and wakes up on PrabodhiniEkadasi thus giving the name of the day as Prabodhini (awakening eleventh).
MoksadaEkadasi falls in the bright fortnight of Margasirsa. This Ekadasi is also known as Vaikunta Ekadasi. It is believed that Vaikunta Dwaram (gate), ‘the gate to the Lord’s inner Sanctum’ is opened on this day. Special prayers and yagnas are arranged at Vishnu temples on this day.
AmalakiEkadasi falls in the bright fortnight of Phalguna. Lord Vishnu is believed to reside in the Amalaki or amla tree (Gooseberry). This tree is ritually worshipped on this day. The mantra chanted on this day is “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”.
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