Mokshada Ekadashi fasting will be held on December 11 in this year. According to the Panchang, the fast will begin at 3:42 AM December 11 and closing at 1:09 AM of December 12. According to the Udayatithi, the fast for Mokshada Ekadashi will be on December 11, 2024. The act of observing these fast remedies adversity and bestows joy which in turn liberates ancestors too.
Mokshada Ekadashi: Favorable Time & The Story of Vrat
Mokshada Ekadashi being a Vrat or fast, devotees spiritually observe the day, worship Lord Vishnu and seek his blessings to liberate their ancestors’ souls. This Ekadashi is given extra importance in Hindu lunar calendar since it has relation with Lord Krishna and the Bhagavad Gita.
They consider that Mokshada Ekadashi occurs at an auspicious moment from the early morning to the next morning; the devotees have to fast and perform rituals. For the purpose of fasting, one must consult the local priest or the Panchang – the Hindu calendar to know the precise timings of the fast.
Mokshada Ekadashi is linked with “Vrat Katha of Yudhishthira and Krishna”. On one day, when King Yudhishthira inquired from Lord Krishna about the process of achieving this very end, Lord Krishna described the importance of observing fast on Ekadashi. He said to Yudhishthira that by fasting on Mokshada Ekadashi one could obtain the blessings of Lord Vishnu and punish one’s forefathers for rebirth and get them the salvation. They firmly believe that when the fast is done whole heartedly, the liberation is brought not only to the person fasting but also to the dead members of his family.
Some of the Dos and Don’ts for Mokshada Ekadashi Vrat
The fast of Mokshada Ekadashi is closely followed when people go for worship. People have to perform several activities to pay respect to the day and for their wishes. Here are the essential “rules and methods (Vidhis)” for observing the Mokshada Ekadashi vrat:
1. Fasting: Of all the events that characterize the day, fasting is the one that draws a line between the morning and the evening up to the following morning. Fasting could be total or only consuming fruits or any food products that are not grains.
2. Purification: Bathing is the first thing that followers perform in the morning having a bath with water from rivers or any other source of holy water. This is a significant action plan to flush out body systems in preparation for the forth coming fasting process.
3. Lord Vishnu Worship: On this day rituals ie Pooja is offered to Lord Vishnu using flowers, fruits and any other octane items. Reciting the hymns of thousand names of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranama) and reading any sacred books like Bhagvad Gita are preferred.
4. Prayer for Ancestors : Since Mokshada Ekadashi is observed as a day for giving salvation to ancestors, devotees plead for the soul’s salvation of their near and dear ones who passed away. Some also do Tarpan – washing the foreheads of the idols and feeding them with water; and also giving in charity in the name of their dead forefears.
5. Breaking the Fast : This fast is broken the very next morning after offering a small prayer – puja to Lord Vishnu and expressing thanks for the blessings received. This is followed by taking a light food in the form of fruits, milk or other satvic food only.
The Significance of Mokshada Ekadashi: A Cure for the collected Souls.
Mokshada Ekadashi is therefore regarded as a special moment in which to bestow “Moksha (salvation)” upon the souls of one’s ancestors. A primary system of beliefs attributed to Hinduism is that the disposition of the souls of dead ancestors takes them through lives of reincarnation until their families free their souls through offerings and supplication. Mokshada Ekadashi is a special caliber for people to free their forefathers from the negative cycle of karma and to enlighten their soul.
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