BhaktiLoopKamika Ekadashi
Varies annually (typically falls in July or August)
Significance
Observed to seek forgiveness for sins, attain spiritual merit, and achieve liberation. It is believed to remove obstacles and grant peace and prosperity. Often considered equivalent to performing great sacrifices or bathing in sacred rivers.
Associated Deities
Key Rituals & Practices
- Complete or partial fasting (Nirjala, Phalahari, or simple fast) from sunrise on Ekadashi until sunrise on Dwadashi.
- Worship of Lord Vishnu/Krishna with offerings of flowers, fruits, sweets, and especially Tulasi leaves.
- Chanting Vishnu Sahasranama, Bhagavad Gita, or Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.
- Reading or listening to the Kamika Ekadashi Mahatmya (glories and story) from sacred texts.
- Performing Aarti and offering lamps (diya) to the deity.
- Observing Jagaran (staying awake throughout the night in prayer, chanting, or meditation).
- Charity and donations to the needy and Brahmins.
- Breaking the fast on Dwadashi (the day after Ekadashi) during the prescribed Parana time.
Hindu Calendar Details
Month:
Shravana (Amanta/North Indian Calendar) / Ashadha (Purnimanta/South Indian Calendar)
Paksha:
Krishna Paksha (Dark Fortnight)
Tithi:
Ekadashi
Historical & Mythological Context
The glories of Kamika Ekadashi are narrated by Lord Krishna to Yudhishthira in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana (sometimes cited in the Skanda Purana or Bhavishya Purana). Lord Krishna explains that observing this Ekadashi is immensely meritorious, capable of purifying even the gravest sins, including the sin of killing a Brahmin. It is said that offering a single Tulasi leaf to Lord Vishnu on this day brings more merit than donating the entire earth. Observing this fast is believed to relieve ancestors from suffering and grant liberation to the devotee.