Ekādaśī Devī

Ekādaśī Devī is the presiding devī of the Ekādaśī tithi, the eleventh day of each lunar fortnight. This day is counted among the most auspicious in the Vaishṇava calendar.

She arose from the sleeping body of Bhagavān Vishṇu as a maiden of bright and fierce look, when the asura Mura tried to kill Bhagavān Vishṇu in his cave. She killed Mura with her hūṃkāra (the sound “hūṃ”). When Bhagavān Vishṇu woke and offered her a vara (a boon), she asked that those who fast on her day be freed from all pāpa (sin). Bhagavān Vishṇu named her Ekādaśī and made her the presiding devī of the eleventh tithi.

Origin from the body of Bhagavān Vishṇu

Ekādaśī Devī was not born from a womb and was not made from outside things. She arose from within the sleeping body of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Bhagavān Vishṇu had been fighting the asura forces for a long time. He went to a cave to rest. The asura Mura followed him there and meant to kill him while he slept. Then the protective power within Bhagavān Vishṇu took the form of a maiden. She arose from his tejas (radiance) and was born from his own form.

She is therefore part of Bhagavān Vishṇu himself. She is not a power called in from outside. She came out of his own divine nature to protect him and to do what his weapons had not yet done.

The killing of Mura

Mura had driven all the devas out of svarga (heaven). He had also stood against Bhagavān Vishṇu in the long battle. Ekādaśī Devī challenged Mura face to face.

Her hūṃkāra decided the fight. It was the sound “hūṃ” spoken with the full force of her divine power. It killed Mura where ordinary weapons had failed. This victory is the first act of her sacred identity.

The vara given by Bhagavān Vishṇu

Bhagavān Vishṇu woke and saw that Mura was dead. He understood at once what had happened. He was full of joy at the maiden who had arisen from his own body and freed the devas. He offered her any vara she wished.

Ekādaśī Devī asked that those who fast and keep devotion on this day, the eleventh tithi, be freed from all their pāpa and gain moksha (liberation).

Bhagavān Vishṇu gave this vara. He named her Ekādaśī. He made her the presiding devī of the eleventh tithi of every lunar fortnight for all time. Fasting and worship on Ekādaśī bring freedom from pāpa.

The twenty-four Ekādaśīs

A year has twenty-four Ekādaśī days. Each of the twelve lunar months has one in the bright half (śuklapaksha) and one in the dark half (kṛshṇapaksha). There is one more Ekādaśī in adhika-māsa, the extra month added to the calendar.

Each of these days has its own name and its own fruit. Most also have their own narrative. The Uttara Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa gives the teaching for each Ekādaśī in narratives told by Kṛshṇa to Yudhishṭhira. It begins with the bright half of Mārgaśīrsha (Mokshadā) and goes through the year.

The Ekādaśīs covered in the Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapters 39 to 50, include Mokshadā, Saphalā, Putradā, Shaṭṭilā, Jayā, Vijayā, Āmalakī, Pāpamochanī, Kāmadā, Varūthinī, Mohinī and Aparā.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 38
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapters 38–50