Ekadashi

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Ekadashi (Sanskrit - & laquo; eleven & raquo;) - the eleventh day ( tithi ) after the full moon and new moon of each lunar month in the Hindu calendar. In Hinduism and Jainism, the days of Ekadashi are considered especially favorable for performing penance and penance. In the days of Ekadashi , Hindus fast either fully or abstain from legumes. Of particular importance to the Ekadashi is Vaishnavism.

Value

On the day of Ekadashi , Hindus refrain from eating grains and legumes and make special efforts in spiritual practice. The followers of Hinduism believe that performing spiritual penance in the days of Ekadashi helps the soul achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death. In addition, Ekadashi promotes purification on the physical, mental and spiritual plane. So, Ayurvedic medicine advises fasting in order to maintain and improve health. It is said that fasting in Ekadashi prevents and cures many diseases, and is also economically feasible: fasting twice a month can save a huge amount of food.

Observing the Ekadashi is one of the cleansing ceremonies established by the Vedic scriptures designed to enable one to be spiritually elevated. Followers of various areas of Hinduism perform this post also in order to gain the mercy of God and free themselves from the illusion of material existence. It is said that the power of Ekadashi is so great that constant observance of fasting these days can lead to the liberation of the individual from the cycle samsara . Therefore, Ekadashi is sometimes called the "best of all possibilities."

Ekadashi compliance rules

The best fasting on Ekadashi is to abstain completely from food and drink. Those for whom this is excessive, it is recommended to eat only food that does not contain grains or legumes, and preferably once in the afternoon. This food is called nakta (dinner). It can consist of any root vegetables except beets; fruits, water, dairy products, nuts, sugar and all vegetables except mushrooms. In Ekadashi , you should try to drink and eat no more than once. In one of the texts of Hinduism, Krishna tells Arjuna that one who fully fasts in Ekadashi will receive the full reward, and one who accepts naktu will gain only half. p>

To get the full spiritual benefit of fasting, you should avoid daytime sleep, shaving, rubbing butter, eating betel nuts, eating food from bronze dishes, touching a woman during her period, talking to drunks, weavers and laundresses. When eating food, in addition to grains and legumes, you should also avoid: spinach, honey, eggplant, asafoetida and sea salt (other types of salt, such as table salt, are acceptable), as well as eating in someone else's houses.Only patients can take homeopathic medicines on the day of Ekadashi . One who is unable to fast due to a serious illness or old age must find a particularly spiritual person and donate something to him. He can also just listen or read about the meaning of each Ekadashi . This practice is recommended as one of the methods to achieve the full result of the post.

If the Ekadashi was not accidentally observed, you can hold it the next day - dvadashi and stop the post on the third day - trayodashi . If in the lunar calendar Ekadashi coincides with dashas - the tenth lunar day, then there is no need to limit oneself to fasting, but if it coincides with dvadasi - the twelfth day the moon, then this Ekadashi is called "pure Ekadashi " or Mahadvadashi and it is recommended to strictly observe it. Mahadwadashis are usually also called Ekadashes .

After observing the Ekadashi , you must interrupt the fast within 2.5 hours after sunrise the next day, in dvadashi . According to the Hindu scriptures, anyone over five years old must observe the post in Ekadashi .

Benefits of fasting on Ekadashi days

The Hindu scriptures say that giving charity on the first day with the full moon receives a reward 100,000 times more than a regular donation, and one who charity on the day sankranti (equinox) , benefits 400,000 times the normal result. However, simply by observing the post in Ekadashi , a person achieves all these good results. It is also said that fasting on Ekadashi gives the same result as visiting the holy pilgrimage site of Kuruksetra during a solar or lunar eclipse. In addition, a person who observes full fasting on Ekadashi achieves a benefit that is one hundred times greater than the performance of ashvamedha-yagya . Moreover, one who at least once perfected fasting on Ekadashi deserves the same thing as feeding 1,000 beggars every day for 60,000 years. A person who once correctly observes the Ekadashi gains a benefit that is ten times the benefit of distributing 1,000 cows to the Brahmins who know the Vedas perfectly. It should be noted that a person who fed one brahmachari is paid ten times more than he fed ten good brahmanas in his house. But he who grants land to the needy and pious Brahman achieves 1,000 times more than the fed Brahmachari , and 1,000 times more benefit from giving a pure girl to marry a young, well-educated and decent person. But 10 times more favorable than this is the correct upbringing of children and instruction in their spiritual path, without waiting for any reward. However, it is 10 times better than this to serve bread to the hungry. That is, the benefit of observing a full post in Ekadashi is simply impossible to measure or compare with anything.