Ashadhi Ekadashi

Ashadhi Ekadashi

Ashadhi Ekadashi falls on eleventh day of the bright lunar fortnight in the month of Ashadh. It is also known as Shayani Ekadashi [The Sleeping Ekadashi] or Prathama Ekadashi [First Ekadashi]. It is believed that on this day Lord Vishnu goes to sleep (Yoga Nidra) in Cosmic Ocean known as Ksheersagar or Aakash Ganga. This is beginning of Chaturmas the holy four month period of rainy season. Some people also describe Chaturmas as inauspicious.

With the Lord Vishnu asleep, the devotees turn to Lord Shiva for protection the reason he is worshipped during the month of Shravan. With Cosmos under care of Lord Shiva Asuras, who are favored by Lord Shiva, rise in the sky taking form of Disease, Disaster & Dark Clouds to attack Sky Gods. Indra and Other Sky Gods like Varuna fight them with their weapons like Vajra & Pasha which makes Asuras release the water to churn out underground wealth of Asuras.

In Maharashtra Ashadhi Ekadashi is celebrated with great pomp. The Palaki or Palanquin of Tukaram Maharaj from Dehu, Palaki of Sant Dnyaneshwar from Alandi and numerous other Palaki’s carrying the silver Padukas of various saints arrives at Lord Vithal Temple in Pandarpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi after a 21-day journey.

Name Vithal is originated from two words “VIT” meaning Brick & “THAL” meaning standing. Vithal thus literally means standing on the brick. He is believed to be manifestation of Lord Krishna and hence is depicted in Dark complexion. Coincidently Krishna is the only avtar of God born during the Chaturmas at the end of Dwapar Yuga. He was also well known for his penchant for breaking rules which probably makes him most suitable God to cope with Kali Yuga, the age of spiritual darkness.

There are many legends associated with Ashadhi Ekadashi. The most popular is that of Pundalik, an ardent devotee who he decided to pay a visit. Unmindful of the divine visitor at his doorstep, Pundalik who was attending to his parents inside threw a brick in his direction for the visitor to stand on. Obediently, Vithal stood outside the door with his arms akimbo waiting for Pundalik to see him.

 Vithal also has another name Pandurang which literally means White God or Lord Shiva. In their writings, Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram address Vithal, who is Krishna to most Maharashtrians, as ‘Vithai’ or Mother Vithal; God is Mother and not Father, for in love and devotion, gender is sublimated. Does it suggest that Vithal is Ardhanarnarishwar a form of Supreme God The Hara or Shiva whose bhakti requires lot of austere….