Saphala Ekadashi – 19th Dec 2022

"Saphala Ekadashi"

Ekadashi means “Fasting for body and feasting for the soul.

'Saphala Ekadashi', one of the auspicious fasting days in Hindu culture, falls on the 11th day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of 'Paush.' This year, it is going to be on 19th December, 2022. On this day, Lord Vishnu is worshiped.

The amazing story behind this day says that there was a prince named Lumpaka, the eldest of the five sons of the king Mahishmata, ruler of Champaavati. He was so sinful that he always used to insult and condemn the gods & goddesses, eat meat, and drink alcohol. Angry by this, his father sent him on an exile out of the kingdom.
Lumpaka still continued performing sins by stealing valuable items from the city at night and returning again to the forest the next morning.
One day, Saphala Ekadashi arrived & till its eve, his condition became so bad due to very cold weather. He couldn't even sleep the whole night & wasn't able to pass the forest to the city due to severe cold & hence, returned back tired to his place by sunset. Then, he tried to regain strength by drinking some water & went to pick some fruits for eating. All of a sudden he started cursing himself. Afterwards, he cried to Lord Vishnu to accept his offerings (fruits collected by him) by placing them near the roots of a tree. Unknowingly, he had kept Saphala Ekadashi fast the whole day successfully due to which he started walking on the path of 'Dharma.' His father called him back when got to listen to the same & handed his throne over to him. After some years of successful ruling, Lumpaka handed over power to his son, Manojna & devoted himself completely to Lord Vishnu to achieve salvation.

The word 'saphala' means 'to prosper', therefore, people fast on this day by consuming Satvik food to get success, prosperity, and fortune in life. Lord Vishnu is offered Tulsi leaves to remove all sins.

In the 'Brahmana Purana' also, the glory of 'Saphala Ekadashi' has been personified as a conversation between Lord Krishna & elder Pandava, Yudhishthira who asked Lord Krishna about Ekadashi in detail. Krishna told him that, 'The day of Ekadashi is as best as Shesha is as best among the snakes, Ashwamedha or horse sacrifice is best among the sacrifices, Ganga is best among the rivers, Lord Vishnu is best among the demi-gods, and Brahmans are best among the human beings. A single day of Ekadashi can provide an amount of piety equal to austerities of 5000 years. Lord Krishna specifically mentioned about a fasting person to stay awake all night on Saphala Ekadashi & offer him with fresh fruits, leaves, nuts, etc.