Ancient Indian. culture has many important, traditions. One of these traditions holds divine importance and has been influential through the ages. This tradition teaches us today's knowledge of modern science along with devotion and rituals. The tradition is Ekadashi, the festival of Lord Vishnu,, which is celebrated on the 11th day of Harshukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha.. Today we will talk about one of them Mohini Ekadashi. It is not just a festival , but a tradition that purifies the body, mind and soul, and opens the way to liberation. So. what is the tradition of Mohini Ekadashi? Why do people observe fasting on this day every year?. What is the importance of this tradition? The gods and the asuras were combining. all their energies to. create the ocean. Their objective was to obtain the elixir, which. could make one immortal. After mixing for a long time many divine substances came out of the sea and finally. nectar was obtained from the sea. But as the nectar. appeared, the demons. tried to capture it. Then. Lord Vishnu assumed his beautiful Mohini form,. which was his female avatar, to stop the Asuras. Mohini's form is so, attractive that time stands still. The brightness of his eyes, attracted everyone. Mohini snatched. nectar from the demons and, gave it to the gods. By the time the demons realized this, it was. too late., This story is told every year on Mohini Ekadashi. Where we praise. Lord Vishnu's wonderful plan and His justice. In the form of Mohini, Vishnu not, only conquered the gods , but also showed us how we can discern the difference between right and wrong in our lives by confronting illusion and attachment.. Similarly, devotees who observe the vows of Mohini Ekadashi vow to get rid of their sins and. attain spiritual purification. So we observe this ritual, every year, in the name of Mohini Ekadashi on the auspicious day of Boishakh month. A . total of 24 Ekadashis are, described in Hinduism., On the 11th day of each side, comes an Ekadashi who is. associated with Lord Vishnu. And if you follow them, you will. get salvation. So Sri Rama, and Pandava son Yudhishthira also questioned Mohini. Ekadashi to attain Sadhana and knowledge.. During the Mahabharata,. Lord Krishna told the Pandava son Yudhishthira about the importance of Mohini Ekadashi.. He said that the, story that sage Vasishtha had told to Sriram, he is also telling him that story. Once upon a time King Datuman ruled in the city of Bhadravati. King Diatuman was considered a king who followed great principles. He had 5 sons and his 5th son's eyesight was as sharp as his name. But his life, took a very wrong turn. His eyesight was very poor in his youth. And he gets addicted to drugs,. gambling, eating meat and other anti-social.
activities. It not only defamed him but had a. bad effect on the entire state. The king, tried hard to guide his son,, but all in vain. Finally, King Diyatuman, disheartened, exiled his son from the kingdom., Drashitbuddhi wandered and, reached a forest, where he killed birds and animals and, lived on their flesh. But one day, he met Maharishi Kondinya on the, bank of a river.. Maharishi, saw his bad condition and. explained the importance of Mohini Ekadashi vows. He explains how this vow can purify a person's soul by washing away his sins. After listening to Maharishi Drashtibuddhi, he , observed the vow of Mohini Ekadashi with full faith. Due to the effect of the vow, he regains his insight. and repents of his actions. He. decided to turn his life in the right direction again. On Ekadashi, he worshiped Lord Vishnu and sought his forgiveness for his mistake. Seeing his true faith and repentance, Lord Vishnu heard his prayer. and absolved him of his sins. His story still teaches us that salvation is possible if a person truly repents in heart., This story is not just a recounting of old events, it shows us how a day of fasting and worship can change our lives and take us far spiritually. Any good deed done on Mohini Ekadashi. , such as donation, is helpful in purifying the soul, and can lead us to spiritual salvation. But it is very important to do this. fast with faith and in the right, way. The fasting period in 2024 is May 19, 2024. The fast will begin on May 18, 2024 at 11.22 am and end on May 19 at 1.50 pm. To perform puja on this day, devotees get up early in the morning to bathe, wear holy. clothes. and clean their place of worship. For this day, the. idol of Lord Vishnu is bathed in holy water , which shows his holiness. Then Tulsi leaves are offered to Lord Vishnu dressed in new clothes. . Ghee lamps are lit and incense sticks are lit in front of Lord Vishnu's idol. All these works are done in the auspicious time of morning , which is. considered the best time of the day.. During worship, Lord Vishnu's Sahastranama or Narayana Kabacha. is recited, which recites thousands of names of Lord Vishnu and acts as his protective shield. Also, some chapters of Bhagavad Gita are recited , which teach about Bhakti and Moksha.. Devotees do, not eat or drink anything during the fasting day. If for some reason a full fast is. not possible, fruit, food or, water can be substituted. All these options are given keeping in mind the mental. and physical possibilities. The. fast ends on the next day on the Dwadashi Tithi. The timing of breaking the fast is 5.44 am to 8.24 am on May 20. On, this occasion, people break the fast by worshiping Lord Vishnu, offering Tulsi leaves, and eating Sattvic food. At this time, sugar,,
fruits and dairy foods are added to the sattvic diet , which. restores lost energy to the body. Donations made on this day are also very important. Donation of food, donation of clothes and donation of money are done in a special way, which is. considered important for the purification of the soul. The importance of Mohini Ekadashi is described in various forms in Puranas and religious. texts.. This day is associated with the glorification of the Mohini form of Lord Vishnu in texts. like Vishnu Purana and Padma Purana., . According to Padma Purana, fasting on Mohini Ekadashi, destroys all sins of a person. On the day of Ekadashi, the. power to fulfill the resolve taken from fasting and worship comes to the soul.. This day is considered very auspicious for. gaining the grace of Lord Vishnu., And by worshiping on this day, devotees are. freed from worldly bonds. Mohini. Ekadashi is also called Papamochini Ekadashi in the scriptures , which means Ekadashi that frees from sins. This fast is especially important for those who are looking for spiritual cleansing and inner peace. The. , religious rituals performed on this day and the worship of Lord Vishnu gives the devotee spiritual peace. and divine experience. Thus, Mohini Ekadashi is, honored as a day in the Hindu religious calendar , on which deeds purify man. spiritually and. give him an opportunity to purify his deeds. But. its importance is not only as a ritual , but the influence of this practice can be seen very well in today's modern world., Mohini Ekadashi is not only spiritually, and culturally important in contemporary society , but also has many scientific and health benefits. Fasting on Mohini Ekadashi, helps to detoxify the body and increase mental clarity., Scientific studies show that. fasting improves insulin sensitivity and, increases cellular repair processes. Moreover,. there is a very deep logic behind the tithi of Ekadashi. Ekadashi comes. 11 days after Purnima and Purnima, when it is. believed that due to the position of the moon ,, people's psychological cycles are in a state where they do not need to eat much., . Fasting at this time is beneficial for the natural rhythm of the body.. Digestive system is relieved and, overall health is improved. In today's age, when people are caught up in social and physical strife , traditions like Mohini Ekadashi offer an opportunity to purify the mind and body.. By understanding the significance of this day people can maintain balance in their lives. And thus, following Mohini Ekadashi is not only. associated with deep tradition, but also. scientifically beneficial for today's generation., What do you say about this? Let us know in the comments section., Like and share the video if you like it. And subscribe Raaaz for more such unseen. and unheard stories. See you in the next video.