Mokshada Ekadashi Katha

• Deity: Lord Vishnu • When: Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi • Fast: Fruit diet or according to capacity • Parana: On Dwadashi after sunrise • Main lesson: The spirit of merit and service

The Ekadashi vrat is kept on the eleventh tithi of every paksha for the worship of Lord Vishnu. Mokshada means the one who gives moksha. It is believed that on this very day the teaching of the Gita was given at Kurukshetra, so it is also called Gita Jayanti. The vrat is regarded less as strict rules than as a practice of restraint, good conduct and devotion.

• Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi. • See the Panchang for the tithi and the parana time.

• An idol or picture of Lord Vishnu • Yellow flowers, tulsi leaves, sandalwood paste, akshat • Incense, lamp, panchamrit • Fruit and sweets

1. Take sattvik food on Dashami and make the resolve for Ekadashi in your mind. 2. On the morning of Ekadashi bathe and worship Vishnu Ji, offering tulsi and yellow flowers. 3. Chant 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya'. 4. Listen to the katha and perform the aarti. 5. Keep a fruit diet or fast according to capacity through the day and do bhajan. 6. On Dwadashi do the parana after sunrise and give charity to someone in need.

• Stay sattvik and do bhajan-kirtan. • Offer water to tulsi. • Give charity and do service. • Follow the parana time.

• Avoid grain and rice (tradition). • Avoid anger, slander and lies. • Do not eat tamasic food.

It is believed that the Ekadashi vrat helps in purifying the mind and in restraint. Do not take it as a guarantee of any result; faith and good conduct are the main thing.

• Mantra: "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" • Aarti: https://divyavani.app/aarti/om-jai-jagdish-hare • Vishnu Sahasranama: https://divyavani.app/stotra/vishnu-sahasranama

Q: When does this Ekadashi come? A: On Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi. See the Panchang for the tithi. Q: What can one eat during the vrat? A: Fruit, milk, sabudana, kuttu and water chestnut. Avoid grain and rice. Keep the fast only according to your health. Q: When should the parana be done? A: On the Dwadashi tithi after sunrise, within the parana time given in the Panchang. Q: Can everyone keep this vrat? A: Yes, anyone can keep it with faith. The sick, the elderly and pregnant women should keep it on a doctor's advice. Q: What is the relation between Mokshada Ekadashi and Gita Jayanti? A: In tradition it is believed that on this very tithi Shri Krishna gave the teaching of the Gita to Arjuna.

Take care of your health while fasting and consult a doctor if needed. This katha is a retelling of a traditional story. The method and the form of the katha differ by region.