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EKADASI
THE DAY OF LORD HARI
What is Ekadasi ?
The Sanskrit word Ekadasi literally means eleven.
Ekadasi is the eleventh day of the fifteen-day lunar month.
In one of the lunar months (called the light month) the moon grows from
new moon to full moon and in the following lunar month (called dark month)
it diminishes from full moon to no-moon.
Thus every calendar (solar) month there are two Ekadasis,
the light Ekadasi that occurs on the eleventh day of the waxing moon,
and the dark Ekadasi that occurs on the eleventh day of the waning moon.
It is recommended that all Vaisnavas should fast on this day of Ekadasi.
Hare Krishna devotees either fast completely, or simply refrain from eating
grains, peas and beans as an extra restriction to their pure vegetarian diet.
Such austerity is said to be greatly beneficial for ones devotional life.
Fasting on Ekadasi day also bestows great spiritual and material boons
even if followed unknowingly.
In the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana it states ...
'One who observes fasting on Ekadasi day is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life. The basic principle is not just to fast, but to increase one's faith and love for Govinda, or Krishna. The real reason for observing fast on Ekadasi is to minimize the demands of the body and to engage our time in the service of the Lord by chanting or performing similar service. The best thing to do on fasting days is to remember the pastimes of Govinda and to hear His holy name constantly.'
The aim of this new website is to provide useful information, dates, recipes for,
and details of each Ekadasi days origins to aid our understanding and increase our enthusiasm when observing this most auspisious fast. There are recipes especially for Ekadasi day and a calendar so you can plan for the next Ekadasi.
We are presently undertaking a wonderful project to record a complete set of audio renditions describing each Ekadasi days history.
Until the full audio versions of these stories are ready you can read them by clicking on the name of an Ekadasi day using the left-hand navigation bar.
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This website is maintained by
Dwarakadisa das.
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LORD SRI KRISHNA SAID ... |
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"I do not become as pleased by sacrifice or charity as I do by My devotees observance of a full fast on Ekadasi. To the best of one’s ability, therefore, one should fast on Ekadasi, the day of Lord Hari. Upon anyone who observes it, Ekadasi bestows material enjoyment in this life and liberation after the death of this present body. It destroys the sins of all and saves people from the miseries of repeated rebirth. " |
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SRILA VYASADEVA SAID ... |
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"Oh my child Jaimini, therefore the lunar day of Ekadasi is the self same form of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu, and the Supersoul within the heart of the living entities. Sri Ekadasi is the utmost pious activity and is situated as the head among all vows. It is definately necessary that one give up eating grains on Ekadasi. I very strongly say again and again, 'On Ekadasi, don't eat grains, don't eat grains, don't eat grains!' |
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LOMASA RISHI SAID ... |
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"Oh lion among men, this Ekadasi also awards the eight perfections of life, fulfils all kinds of desires, purifies one's life of all sinful reactions, and makes a person perfectly virtuous. Thus, Oh king, the great benefit of fasting on Ekadasi is that whoever does so with faith and devotion will have all his sins completely destroyed." |
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SRI SUTA GOSWAMI SAID ... |
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"It was to the devoted Yudhisthira that Lord Krishna glorified the twenty-four primary Ekadasis, which destroy sin. Great-learned sages have selected these twenty-four narrations from the eighteen Puranas, for they are truly sublime." |
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