Ekadashis

Ekadashi (ekadashi) is the eleventh tithi of the lunar month, a special day of fasting and spiritual practice. The name comes from the Sanskrit "ekādaśī" — "the eleventh." In the Hindu calendar it is one of the most widely observed and honored days: every ekadashi in the year has its own name, its own legend, and its own character. This section is an overview: it explains what ekadashi is, how it relates to tithi and Parana, and how to read its names in the Indian calendar.

What ekadashi is

Ekadashi is the eleventh tithi, a lunar day. Two ekadashis pass in a lunar month: one in shukla paksha (the waxing moon) and one in krishna paksha (the waning moon). There are 24 ekadashis in a year, and 26 in years with an adhika masa.

Ekadashi is a special day of fasting from grains and legumes. Tradition prescribes light food on this day — fruit, milk, nuts, water — and abstention from rice, legumes, heavy food. This fast is counted among the most widely kept in Hinduism: many devout Hindus keep it strictly, without exceptions.

Ekadashi is also a day of spiritual practice: prayer, mantra recitation, meditation. Tradition connects ekadashi with Vishnu and considers this day especially favorable for prayer and japa.

The date on which ekadashi is observed is a school-dependent question: in the smarta and vaishnava traditions it sometimes differs by a day, when ekadashi is touched by the neighboring tithi (dashami). In such a case vaishnavas move the fast to the following day, while smartas keep it on the day of the tithi itself. Indian calendars often publish such disputed ekadashis under two dates.

Parana — breaking the fast

The ekadashi fast lasts a full day. It ends the following morning — on the twelfth tithi (shukla dwadashi or krishna dwadashi) — with a meal called Parana. This Parana is taken within a specific favorable window, calculated from the rising of the Sun and the moment dwadashi ends.

If Parana is missed (that is, the fast is not broken at the proper time), tradition considers such a fast incomplete. In practice this means ekadashi is a serious day, not one to keep as a formality.

Names and legends

Each of the 24 ekadashis in the year has its own name and an associated legend. Most of the legends involve Vishnu, some other forms of the Supreme. The names describe the character of the tithi:

• Kamada ("the wish-fulfilling"), Mokshada ("the bestower of liberation"), Nirjala ("the waterless"), Prabodhini ("the awakening") — each name points to a special quality of the day.
• The legends explain the name of the day: whose vow, whose deliverance, or what event it is tied to.

The list of 24 ekadashis by month, from Chaitra, given separately for each paksha. The names follow the purnimanta reckoning: the dark half of the month comes before the light half, so, for instance, Papamochani falls earlier than Kamada even though both are named for Chaitra:

Shukla paksha (12): Kamada (Chaitra), Mohini (Vaishakha), Nirjala (Jyeshtha), Shayani (Ashadha), Putrada (Shravana), Parshva (Bhadrapada), Pashankusha (Ashvin), Prabodhini (Kartika), Mokshada (Margashirsha), Vaikuntha Putrada (Pausha), Jaya (Magha), Amalaki (Phalguna).

Krishna paksha (12): Papamochani (Chaitra), Varuthini (Vaishakha), Apara (Jyeshtha), Yogini (Ashadha), Kamika (Shravana), Aja (Bhadrapada), Indira (Ashvin), Rama (Kartika), Utpanna (Margashirsha), Saphala (Pausha), Shattila (Magha), Vijaya (Phalguna).

In a year with an adhika masa one more pair is added — Padmini in shukla paksha and Parama in krishna paksha — bringing the year's total to 26.

How to read this section

Each ekadashi has its own page: name, month and paksha, legend, the character of the fast, the practical meaning of the day. Neighboring ekadashis are linked through "Related terms," which is a convenient way to reach tithi, Parana, and Tara Bala, which adds a personal layer to any day.

As you read, keep in mind: ekadashi is, above all, a fast from grains and legumes, kept on the 11th tithi of each half of the month. The names and legends are layers laid over that core practice, giving it its particular color.