Ekadasi Fasting is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is observed on the 11th day of waning and waxing phase of moon in a traditional Hindu calendar. This is one of the most popular Vrat observed in Hinduism. How to observe Ekadashi was narrated to Arjuna by Lord Krishna and is found in the Bhavisyottara Purana.
When to start Ekadasi Fasting?
Lord Krishna advices Arjuna to begin the Ekadasi fasting in the autumn season with Utpanna or Uttpatti Ekadasi occurring during the waning phase of the moon in November – December.
Ekadashi Vrat Fasting Method
Ekadasi is the name of the Goddess that arose from Lord Vishnu to defeat Demon Mura. Happy with her divine act, Lord Vishnu blessed her that anyone who observes Ekadasi fast will be freed of their sins and will attain Moksha.
Some people only take a single meal on the Dasami day, the day before Ekadasi.
Things needed for Ekadasi Puja and Prayer
- A picture or photo or idol of Lord Vishnu
- Fruits
- Tulsi leaves (The tulsi leaves should not be picked on the day but on the previous day)
- Yellow bananas
- And other normal puja items
Observance
- Wake up early in the morning. Take bath and offer prayers.
- Perform a simple puja to Lord Vishnu at home by lighting a lamp and offering fruits and Tulsi leaves.
- Pray or meditate for few minutes.
- If there is a Vishnu temple nearby visit the temple and witness morning pujas and rituals.
Complete fast or Upavas on the day is the main observance.
Ekadasi Fasting
- Fasting is for 24 hours. It is believed that a partial or total abstinence from food on Ekadasi is rewarded with bliss.
- If you have any health problem or are taking medicines, please consult your doctor before deciding on fasting. You can also opt for a partial fast by avoiding food made of rice.
- Do not eat food made from rice on Ekadashi.
- Strictly avoid eating rice and grains, honey, meat and eating on a bell metal plate. Do not apply oil on the day. (What food can be eaten on Ekadasi for those observing partial fast?)
- Those taking partial fast can consume fruits and milk.
Afternoon
Take bath and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu
Evening Prayers
- Take a bath in the evening.
- Repeat the morning puja to Vishnu
- Visit Vishnu temple and witness the evening puja and rituals.
Prayers for Ekadashi
- Vishnu Ashotharam
- Vishnu Sahasranamam
- Simple Chanting of –
- Or any prayers dedicated to Lord Vishnu or Sri Krishna
No Sleep of Keeping Vigil at Night
Staunch devotees who observe Vaikunta Ekadasi fasting do not sleep on the day. They spend the whole night at Vishnu temples or by singing prayers or listening stories dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
But those devotees who have health problems sleep at night. Those people who work, take rest at night and avoid keeping vigil at night
Next Day Morning
The fast is broken on the next day (Dwadashi) after taking bath. Offer prayers to Lord Vishnu by lighting a lamp and then you can break the fast.
71 comments:
in madhva tradition one can pluck Tulsi leaves on Akadashi and it should be totally avoided on Dwadashi day
which procedure we should follow when we decide to stop doing ekadashi fast?
Thanks for the steps explained to observe ekadashi-vrat
Dear friend
very informative and also praise worth urgoodself is really doing good job and i have sent urgoodself calender to my friends who would like to join fasting and thanks plz do update all withthe divinity and thus reach God plz pray for us too may there be peace and happiness to all poor desperate needy widow orphan's animals etc
thnx
Whosoever has drafted the details of entire fasting process has a very deep & correct knowledge.
I am starting today OM NAMO NARAYANA!
Thank you very much for giving us this very important information about the Transcendental day of Ekadasi, which is very dear to Lord Krishna.
It is also very very nice to chant the holy name of Lord Krishna on that wonderful day. Please Chant "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare"
This is the transcendental sound which is very dear to Lord Krishna i.e, Lord Vishnu.
Please Chant and be happy, by pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.
It is very very important to chant this wonderful mantra for getting out of the dangers and Illusion of this Kali yuga.
"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare"
In North India, I never heard that Tulsi leaves can not be plucked on Ekadasi day. Fresh leaves are plucked and offered to God Vishnu on the puja day which actually makes more sense from religious and hygenic point of view. In olden days there were no refrigerators and Tulsi leaves wilt very quickly. Wilted leaves and flowers are not offered.
thank you very fine information
Hare Krishna !
Wonderful Info for Beginners like me !
Thank You Moderator !
My friend is an iyengar. She told that their community will not do the do the prayer overnight with out sleeping. But many told that we should awake all the night to complete the prayers. please tell me which one is right
With due respect to your iyengar friend, there is nothing wrong in praying through the night or passing time remembering HIM and HIS greatness. People follow their own ways and the bottom line is that these are practices to remember HIM, stay close to HIM and experience HIM always.
Thank you so mucch concise and well informed input which I will certainly use hare krishna
how to break the fast on dwadasi?
How to begin the fast on dasami?What should we do on dasami day? what shall I eat on dasami day?
Plz explain.
-Jai sriram !
kirti Ranjan Mohapatra
i am from orissa.thank you verymuch to giving us.this is the very important information transcendental day of ekadasi.
OM NAMO NARAYAN
God bless you for the act of maintaining this blog which is a valuable resource to others. Thank you.
For dasami, you can start the fast by eating once a day - and food without salt. Then you do upavas throughout the day of ekadashi and break the fast before noon on baaras i.e. day after ekadashi. As far as staying up all night to pray, my family and I do so. We read Srimad Bhagvatam, sing songs in praise of Krishna and also meditate. To start and end the fast, you can do a "sankalp" routine - by taking some water and a basil leaf in your right hand and praying to Lord Krishna to support you during your fast and help you stay strong for it. Repeat the same, thanking him, and praying to him when ending the fast on the morning of baaras. Hope this helps!
In Nepal; People, early morning take bath, pray lord vishnu recite the Ekadashi katha, Plant new Tulsi, fast without taking food, salt, go to temples and offer pooja. Next day take bath after pooja offer Sidha (rice,dal,salt,vegetables)to the prists and the brat fasting breaks.
karnjee@yahoo.com
Thank you very much :)
I AM NOT TAKING FOOD ON EKADASI DAY. ONLY TEA - SOMETIMES MILK, BANANA. MOSTLY I FIND DIFFICULT TO DO DWADASI THAT IS BEFORE 1PM I CAN'T TAKE FOOD AS I AM EMPLOYED I HAVE TO TAKE LUNCH AFTER 1 PM. SECOND THING, SOMETIMES PRADOSHAM FOLLOWS EKADASI, SO,ON THAT DAY EVENING AFTER 7.30 OR SO I EAT FOOD. IS IT RIGHT I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY MIND SAYS I DO ALWAYS.
What you are doing is absolutely right? The most important thing is devotion. Methods can always be flexible.
simla i have been fasting on ekadasi but unknowingly i have taken coffee on ekadasi will my fast count
Taking coffee eat etc is permitted during fasting. Your fast will count.
Cofee and Tea are intoxicants and should be a voided atleast on ekadashi
What are you supposed to eat before the fast begins? Like Karva chauth women wake up before the sun rises to eat, is it the same thing here?
Please tell me whether a woman with fatty liver can fast on ekadashi who has been asked to refrain from going on drastic fast. I want to observe ekadashi fasting.
You can eat vegetarian food like Sabudana Khichadi before fast begins.
No people with diseases and medical conditions are not supposed to fast on Ekadasi. This is specifically mentioned in many puranas.
Hare Krishna, I am Yudhveer Bartwal According to Hindu scripture veda, purana, Bhagwat, How to begin fast on Dashami How to do puja on Ekadashi What should we do on Dashami How to break fast on Dwadashi I want to observe Ekadashi please inform me thank you.
I mostly suffer hyperacidity therefore I cannot begin fast from dashmi tithi.Please give me some alternate way. Even on ekadashi i cannot completely fast.Last time i tried to do so but i fell ill due to acidity. Please guide me.. i really want to observe fast on ekadashi.
You should observe ekadashi fast. It is clearly mentioned that children old and sick people should not observe vrats.
You can instead chant the name of Vishnu and do puja and prayers. You can also visit temples and read Srimad Bhagavad Purana.
VERY GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF EKADASHI VARAT LORD VISHNU POOJA IS VERY BIG PART OF VARAT
Thank you so much for the valuable information. I am so grateful to you. May god bless you and fulfill all your desires.
Can girls recite the vishnu sahasranama and vishnu mantra while they are on their periods? I have a printed copy of the vishnu sahasranama which i read everyday. Can i continue chanting during my periods? Does it bring any bad effect?
Please, I really need to know.
There is no bad effect. You can always chant prayers to Vishnu and other gods at any time. There is no restriction.
Thank you so much, Praveena :-)
I am an employed woman.I can't fast because I exert myself so much. I get up early on ekadasi,take bath, recite vishnu sahasthranama, sing vishnu kirtans, cook for the family and then have one full meal with rice, no onion garlics. Thereafter, I eat nothing at all through out the day. If thirsty, I drink warm water. In the evening, I take bath again and go to vishnu temples.
Thank you Parvathi. God bless you..
i wish to start ekadashi fast..but now i have perods..so should i wait till the next cycle to begin?
No you can start the fast during periods there is no problem. You can just avoid visiting temples.
can i observe Ekadhashi as i finish my 6th day of menstrual period on Ekadashi , can i go to temple?
Yes you can go to temple and also do Ekadasi Vrat. There is no problem.
Only the first three days of menstrual period is when you should skip temples.
what is the procedure of following of putrada ekadashi
need to confess,when i was 15yr old, i got period while travelling to dharmastala, i found guilty to tell it to my parents, and i entered the temple during my period time, how to rectify my mistake, am carrying the guilt in me
i could do fasting meals for ekadesi, but am unable stay awake during night, will my fast count?
I had a question, I wanted to keep the Nirjal Ekadarshi vrat, however, I have been reading online and found that involves fasting from food, as well, I like eating. Is it okay, if for the Nirjal fasting, I fast only by not drinking water?
Chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya that Dhruva chanted to glorify Lord Vishnu in your heart.
Dear sir/MAdam
I want to start ekadashi fasting from today .shall i start now
Yes you can...any day you can start fasting.
i was always told not to enter a temple or pray to God or even touch anything holy when a girl has their cycles, I never understood why?
There is no scriptural sanction for such practice. These are created by people. You can ignore them.
King of king, Lord of lords, God of gods....Om Namo Narayana...
Please kindly tell if death occurs in a persons home, then can we observe ekadashi fast, & if we could, what is the procedure for that.
Thanks.. :)
what we will take on ekadashi what we will not take
water or tea or milk what we will take on ekadashi what we will not take pls tell me
I eat once on Dashami and take some milk, then ekadashi only milk or yogurt. Should we eat only once on Dwadashi ? i did eat more than once earlier. Also i do not stay awake at night as i have a baby and i'm working.
I read somewhere there are extreme punishments (like death of family members and separation from loved ones)for making mistakes with the vrat. I know Shri Krishna is all merciful. But is it true. I did make a mistake last ekadashi, for which I feel horrible and I asked for forgiveness.
Please clear my doubts. Thank You very much
k
@ Yogesh: Incase of death or birh in the family, the entire family comes
under Mruta/Janma saucha. During this phase Ekadashi or any sort of vrat
is not permitted.
@ Nagesh: Ideally we should not consume anything after achamanam during sankalpan
However; practically this may not be possible from the first ekadashi that one fasts
Avoiding grain/gain based foods is a good start (rice, dal etc). Fruits ad milk
are OK. Eventually, the healthy should try to achieve the ideal standard.
To those who have spoken on the context of fasting/praying during a woman's
monthly cycle. Kindly refrain from giving such opinions. This is a violation
of natures law and shashtras. If you think our Rishis created these out of whims
and fancy you are wrong.
Leave alone the spiritual affect, you are causing tremendous physical and biological
-ve affects on your body by reciting Vishnu sahasranama (VS) during the cycle.
Kindly refrain from reciting any mantras/shlokas during the cycles.
VS & Ekadashi are the greatest boon humanity has received from the sages.
They are dual impact tools available to us. Both have spiritual & Physcial significance
and impact on our body and mind.
VS if recited with the right pronunciation and chandas will have tremendous vibrations
in the chakras of our body. During the monthly cycle a woman's mualadhara is
already under enormous strain. Reciting VS will induce sever strain and hamper
the normal functioning of the body. This is a sincere request to all the woman who
are attempting to recite VS and other Shlokas. Please do not recite these during
your monthly cycles. You are hurting your selves more than anyone else.
Fasting should be avoided during the cycles as well. The body is focused on
a task gifted only to woman by mother nature. Fasting will hamper with the process
Especially Ekadashi should be avoided.
I am no vedic scholar. I am attempting to share a few scientific experiences I have
encountered while trying to do Ekadashi.
We need to start applying rational behind the fundamentals set by our sages.
Till date i have not come across one fundamental in our worships that is not
scientific and in accordance with monther nature. So before negating what
our scriptures say, try to find a reason, if we cannot conclude, ask others. Saying things that these are created by man and not god or things like there is no scriptural evidence is wrong. Unless we are vedic scholars we cannot say such things. Kindly show me a vedic scholar who would say it is OK to recite mantras or shlokas during cycles. Show me a vedic scholar who says it is ok to observe Ekadashi during cycles. Ask scholars for quotes from Smriti/Shruti/Puranas.
Apologies to those who might feel hurt by such open expression.
Sarvam shri krishnarpanamastu
thanx i like this fast
Jai Shri Krishna, i have been doing Ekadashi from sometime now.
This parsva ekadashi, I made a mistake, i did not check panchang of my city, it was on the previous day and i actually did the vrat on Dwadashi and did the paran on trayodashi.
I have asked for forgiveness, Can anyone tell me what would be the best way to correct my mistake. I'm feeling horrible.
PLEASE please reply to my question. thanks a lot.
AT KMADHAVARAO :
Sir, I completely condemn your comments on fasting not to be done for 1yr after death or birth...
Ekadhasi is the greatest vratha that has no restrictions, madi, aacharam and theetu that distrubs or spoils the fast...
If one father is dead and if the son fasts and gives away the merits to his father for that 1yr, It is such a great thing which nothing can equal.
It is told that a women should follow Ekadhasi even when she is going through her periods. I dont say she has to fast completely. She can have something.
Please dont spread wrong suggestions like this sir.
I have complete details on Ekadhasi in my blog, you may visit www.madhwasaints.wordpress.com
HI guys ,
I do Nirjal on ekadashi (Every ekadashi). On Dasami and dwadashi . I normally have food as every day .Is it right ?
I regular fast 24 hours on ekadashi after the dinner on dasami to the sun rise of dwadashi (nirjal).
Please tell me when should I have dinner on dasami ?
Thanx 4 the information . Krishna Krishna Mukunda Janardhana Krishna Govinda Narayana Hare.........
one can also chant mein pavitra atma hu main shudd atma hu, iam a pure soul iam clean soul, so that we can attaract pavitrata or purity and shuddata or cleaniness from our gurus blessings. JAI BABA SWAMI. wilesh goa.
Thanks for information ....om namo narayadayaa.......
Dhanyada ekadashi ki jankari ke liye ......
excellent informational support for the spiritual seekers........heartfelt appreciation and thanks......may this good work continues and enlightens the seekers........... amit ghosh,kolkata.
hi,
sometimes dwadasi ends early in the morning before 6'oclock then how we should break ekadesi fasting.
Here's how I perform my ekadashi ritual if it coincides with my monthly menstrual period.
1. I wake up, take bath.
2. I listen vishnu sahasra naama and I do something to keep my mind fixated on God like for e.g. reading the meaning of Bhaja Govindam.
I practise a form of moun-vrat as opposed to singing bhajans and chanting Vishnu-prayers which I would have done if I was free to observe Ekadashi normally.
3. Food is seen as a source of energy during this energy-depleting phase, not a souce of enjoyment. I don't use my periods as an excuse to eat whatever I enjoy. I still eat a humble gluten-free, rice-free garlic-onion-caffeine free diet.
4. I skip poojas, meditations, chants, visiting temples, preparing prasads and other worship-related activities. I don't see these "DO NOTs" as a punishment. There is a very good and healthy reason why women were given a break from cooking, cleaning, worship and other temple activities during their periods.
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