Some of my friends asked me to write an article about Ekadashi Day. Find some helpful information about this kind of fast, somewhat exotic for Western culture but very effective in everyday life.
What Is Ekadashi
Ekādaśī (ekāhdaśī, “Eleven”), also spelt as Ekādaśi, is the eleventh lunar day (tithi) of each of the two lunar phases which occur in a Hindu calendar month – the Sukla Paksha(the period of the brightening moon also known as the waxing phase) and the Krishna Paksha (the period of the fading moon also known as the waning phase). In other words, Ekadashi is celebrated 4 days before the Full Moon or the New Moon.
Wikipedia states that the timing of each Ekādaśī is according to the moon’s position. The Hindu calendar marks the progression from a full moon to a new moon as divided into fifteen equal arcs.
Each arc measures one lunar day called a tithi. The time it takes the moon to traverse a particular distance is the length of that lunar day. Ekādaśī refers to the 11th lunar day, corresponding to a distinct phase of the waxing and waning moon. The celestial body will be illuminated about 75% or 25% on Ekādaśī day.
General Information about Ekadashi Day
There are usually 24 Ekādaśīs in a calendar year. Occasionally, two extra ones happen in a leap year.
Each of these days is purported to have particular benefits and blessings because they are attained by the performance of specific activities. Fasting is one of them.
These days are described here more thoroughly. I will only mention some of them to give you an idea of what happens in the Hindu world. You can find it as an inspiration and guidance for your own life.
Intentions of Ekadashi Day Fasts according to Birthastro:
Putrada – For the blessing of a boy
Satilla – For freedom from sins and acquiring a heavenly abode.
Jaya – For gaining merit of donating ten times more than offering a thousand cows to a Brahman.
Vijaya – For victory and success in all spheres of life.
Amalaki – For gaining merit of donating ten times more than offering a thousand cows to a Brahman.
Papmochani – For the freedom from sins and wrongful acts.
Kamada – for the fulfilment of desires.
Varuthni – For overall happiness.
Gauna Mohini – For relief from all kinds of suffering.
Apara – For achieving name and fame.
Nirjali – For control over senses and relief from all sufferings.
Yogini – For performing pious deeds.
Devshayani Ekadashi.
Padma/ Devashyani – For Moksha (Salvation and liberation).
Kamika- For freedom from sins committed.
Aja – For gaining spiritual knowledge and higher consciousness.
Vamana, Parivartini or Parsva Ekadashi – For overall purification of body, mind, and soul.
Shravana Putrada / Pavitropana – For being blessed with a child.
Indira – For liberating ancestors from the hell of Yamraj.
Padmini – For a joyous life and ultimate salvation and liberation.
Parama – helps wash away all sins and leads to the heavenly abode.
Papankusha – For fulfilment of desired and Moksha.
Rama – For elevation to higher consciousness.
Devathuna – For purification of the body and mind.
I have to add that some of the kinds listed above have very precise rules to observe during the fast. Here, let’s focus on the general rules on Ekadashi day as the number of practices is as huge as the number of gods in Hinduism.
The Benefits of the Ekadashi Day Fast are:
- Body Detox
- Weight loss
- Better hydration
Fasting on Ekadashi Day
In Hinduism and Jainism, Ekadashi day is considered a spiritual day and people usually observe it by a partial fast that spans three days. Devotees take a single meal in the afternoon a day before the fasting day so that no residual food is found in the stomach on the next day.
Then the strict fast on Ekadashi day starts at sunrise that day and ends on the next day, also after sunrise.
You can choose to observe fasting without water, with only water, with only fruits, and with one-time latex food according to your will and body power. However, it should be decided before starting the fast.
Therefore, you should also not eat all types of grains and cereals during Ekadashi fasting. You are not allowed to consume beans and grains because according to the Hindus and the Jainists, they are believed to be contaminated by sin.
Dates
Every year I update this article so that you have the freshest dates of this festival. For 2024, here is the current list of dates.
To practise Ekadashi properly, do not forget to check the local times of sunrise on a given day.
There are a good bit of websites stating the days and times of Ekadashi on the Internet. I have chosen a calendar published on Birthastro.
Find an Ekadashi Day in 2024
7th January 2024 (Sunday) – Saphala
21st January (Sunday) – Pausha Putrada
06 February (Tuesday) – Shattila
19 February (Monday) – Jaya
06 March (Wednesday) – Vijaya
20 March (Wednesday) – Amalaki
05 April (Friday) – Papmochani
19 April (Friday) – Kamada
04 May (Saturday) – Vaishnava Varuthini
19 May (Sunday) – Mohini
02 June (Sunday) – Apara
17 June (Monday) – Nirjala
01 July (Monday) – Yogini
17 July (Wednesday) – Devshayani
31 July (Wednesday) – Vaishnava Kamika
15 August (Thursday) – Shravana Putrada
29 August (Thursday) – Aja
14 September (Saturday) – Parsva
28 September (Saturday) – Indira
13 October (Sunday) – Papankusha
27 October (Sunday) – Rama
12 November (Tuesday) – Devutthana
26 November (Tuesday) – Utpanna
11 December (Wednesday) – Mokshada
26 December (Thursday) – Saphala
Other Important Information about Ekasashi Day
Ekādaśī is different for Vaishnavites and Smarthas. Check by clicking the link above for more information.
According to Kala Prakashika, a Jyotish text discussing auspicious times for beginning an activity (“Muhurta”), the Ekādaśī fast is performed on a day which is not touched or ruined by any influence of the tenth lunar day. The cut-off time is 96 minutes before sunrise.
If the tenth day ends just 96 minutes before sunrise, then people celebrate it as Ekādaśī. However, in the case of incomplete at 96 minutes before sunrise, the Ekādaśī fast is performed on the following day.
On the other hand, Birthastro distinguishes 3 kinds of fast:
- Sajala Ekadashi – to fast on water and juice,
- Nirjala Ekadashi – to fast without water,
- Farali Ekadashi – to intake only fruits and milk.
Ekadashi Vrat
Masters recommend Ekadashi fasting on two consecutive days. Smartha and with family should observe fasting on the first day only. In turn, Sanyasis, widows and those who want Moksha should observe the alternate Ekadashi fasting. Staunch devotees who seek for love and affection of Lord Vishnu, observe both dates.
Significance
It might sound a bit exotic to us in the Western world.
However, there is a good point in having a special day every two weeks and if you want, it can be Ekadashi, not necessarily for worshipping Hindu gods, but for increasing general spirituality.
You will also have some time to reflect on your life and an opportunity to cleanse your body.
Meditate
Combining fast and meditation and be very beneficial because it is easier to focus on the Source and Higher Beings of Light while your body is not preoccupied with food. It does not mean to be sad or suffer deliberately.
Rather, travel with your mind and astral body to the happy memory, then cleanse yourself under the waterfall and recharge with the energy of Mother Earth.
In A Nutshell
Today I have made you familiar with Ekadashi day, worshipped by the Hindus. It is celebrated on the eleventh day after each New Moon and Full Moon when people fast for one to two days. Good luck with finding your own, special day. Maybe Ekadashi? With lots of love and light,
Vicky Yang
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