

Sun, 19 May
|Mohini Ekadasi
break fast from: 05:43 - 10:49
Time & Location
19 May 2024, 00:00 – 23:59
About the event
The glories of Mohini Ekadashi which occures during the waxing moon in the month of April/May is described in Surya Purana.
Once Maharaj Yudhisthira said to Lord Krishna, O Janardhana! What is the name of the Ekadashi that occures during the waxing moon in the month of April/May and what is the process for observing this Ekadashi. Also what is the merit one obtains by following this Ekadashi please explain all these to me in details.
Lord Krishna replied, O son of dharma! Please hear me attentively as I describe to you the story that sage Vasistha once told Lord Ramachandra.
Long ago once Lord Ramachandra asked the great sage Vasistha, ‘O respected sage! I am feeling great distress due to separation from Sita the daughter of king Janaka. Kindly explain to me about the great vow by following of which all once sinful reactions and distresses are meticated.
The great sage Vasistha the spiritual master of Ramachandra said, ‘My dear Rama your intelligence is sharp and mixed with faith. Your question is benefitial for the entire huminity. Just by chanting and remembering your all auspicious holy names all living entities can become purified and become eligible to achieve all auspiciousness. Still for the benefit of the ordinary people I will discribe to you about a great vow. O Lord Rama! The Ekadashi that occures during the waxing moon in the month of April/May is famous as Mohini Ekadashi . This Ekadashi is very auspicious. By following this Ekadashi all ones sinful reactions, material meseries and network of illusion are distroyed. Now please hear attentively as I narrate the most pious topics of this Ekadashi.
There was a beautiful city named Bhadravati situated on the bank of sacred river Saraswati. A king named Dyutimana ruled this city. O lord Rama! This king was born in the dynasty of moon. He was tolarant and truthful. A pious and prosperous devotee of Lord Vishnu lived in that city. His name was Dhanapala. He was a Vaisya{Mercantile community} by profession. For the benefit of the ordinary people this devotee Dhanapala built many Dharmashalas or Guest houses schools temples of Lord Vishnu, charitable hospitals, wide roads and market places. He aslo made arrangements for distributing water and food stuff, dug wells for cool drinking water and ponds for clear water, built gardens for flowers and fruits. In this way he properly utilised his wealth for the benefit of all and thus successfully demonstrated the true meaning of his name. This pious devotee of lord Vishnu who was always peaceful, a benefactor of others and engaged in devotional service to Vishnu had five sons namely Samana, Dyutimana,Medhavi , Sukriti and Dhristabuddhi . Among his five sons Dhristabuddhi was most sinful. He was extremely wicked, ill natured, always engaged in bad association, having illicit connection with unchast women . He was found of gambling and drinking wine. He took pleasure in killing and torturing other living entities. In this way he engaged in all kinds of sinful activities and soon turned into a abominable son of the most pious father and a disgrace to the family. He never showed respect to the demigods, guests, old forefathers and brahmins. He was constantly engaged in thinking of committing sinful activites and thus lived a contemptible life. The sinful wriched Dristabuddhi misused all his fathers wealth in many useless activities. He always ate abominable food stuff and remained always absobed in drinking wine. One day on seeing his shamless son walking in the public place while placeing his hand on the shoulder of a prostitute father Dhanapal became extremely hurt. On that very day he threwout his spoiled son from the house. Dristhaduddhi became bereft of every ones affection includiing his father mother brothers, relatives and friends. Soon he degraded from his position of caste society and pious community and became an object of hatred for everyone.
After being drewn out from his fathers house Dristhabuddhi continued to fulfill his sinful propencities with the money he received by selling his personal clothes and ornaments. Soon that also came to an end. Gradually due to lack of sufficient food his body became weak and skinny. On realising that he has become poor and his so called deceitful boys and girls friends left him while condeming him on various pretex.
Dristhabudhi was now full of anxiety. He had no foods or clothes hence he was extremely afflicted with hunger. So he began to contemplate. ‘What should I do now? Where should I go? By which means will I survive.’ After contemplating in this way he decided that there is no other alternative than to start stealing for his survival. Si with a desire to steal he began to wonder throughout the city. Some times the kings guard would arrested him and after considering his fathers greatnss he would release him. After being caught and released in this way for a few times once he was formally arrested due to commiting a special kind of theft. He was taken to the king who awarded him severe punishment. The King said, O sinful foolish creature you cannot stay within this kingdom any more. For you are the greatest sinner. I am realising you now but leave this kingdom immediately and go where ever you wish.
Thereafter Dristhabuddhi became afraid of being punished again and left the kingdom. He went far away and entered into a dence forest. Within the forest he became so much afflicted with hunger and thirst that he began to kill beasts and birds indiscriminately and ate their raw flesh for their survival. He wondered within the forest like a hunter, holding a bow and arrows in his hands and continued to kill innocent animals. In this way Dristhabuddhi lived in that dence forest for some years while engaging in sinful activities.
Dristhabuddhi was always meserable and anxious, but one day due to some fast pious deeds he arrived at the sacred ashrama of the great sage and asetic Kaundinya while wondering about within the forest. It was the month of Vaisakha (April /May) and the great sage Kaundinya was just returning home after taking bath in the Ganges. At that time by providence Dristhabuddhi who was very much agreed with distress and lementation happened to touch a drop of water falling from the sages cloth. Dristhbuddhi was immediately relieved- from his sinful reactions. With folded hand and great humility he said to sage Kaundinya, ‘ O great brahmin I am the most sinful person. There is no such sin that I have not commited. Now please instruct me about a highest type of atonement which a most wriched person like me can easily perform. As a result of commiting unlimited sinful activities till now I have been bereft of my house, wealth,relatives and friends. I am spending my time with great deal of mental agnoy.
After hearing these statements of Dristhabuddhi the great sage Kaundinya who feels distress by seeing others distress said, ‘ I am telling you a sublime method by which all your sinful reaction can easily be nullified in a very short time, please hear me attentively. Mohini Ekadashi which occures during the waxing moon in the month of April/May totally distroyes a persons sinful reactions as big as Sumeru mountain accumulated from many many life time. Therefore you should faithfully observe this Ekadashi .
Hearing these words from the great sage Dristhabuddhi became joyful and properly observe that Ekadashi accoring to the rules and regulations instructed by the sage. O best of the Kings! By observing this Mohini Ekadashi the most sinful Dristhabuddhi soon became devoid of all sinful reactions and after assuming a divine body he returned to the all auspicioous abode of Lord Vishnu by riding on the back of Garuda. O Ramachandra! This vow certainly removes all kinds of illusion and darkness of ignorant. Any piety accumulated by taking bath in the holy waters, giving in charity and performance of sacrifice can not be compared with the piety one attains by observing this Mohini Ekadashi.