The Ekadashi of Shukla Paksha, Margashirsha Masa is called Mokshada Ekadashi. In the year 2024, this Ekadashi will be on 11 December. This Ekadashi fast removes many sorts of sins of a person. This Ekadashi is also called Vaikuntha Ekadashi in South India. It is believed that on this day Lord krishna gave Arjun the lesson of Srimad Bhagavad Gita before the commencement of Mahabharata.
Worshipping Lord Krishna and Geeta on this Ekadashi gives favourable results. Brahmans are given donations and food. Lord Damodara is worshipped with incense sticks, lamps, Navedy etc., on this day.
Moksha Ekadashi Puja
The person observing fast should go to the temple for performing Puja after taking the bath. Vishnu Path should be performed either in the temple or at home while taking the resolution of fast in front of God. The fast is concluded on Dvadashi (a day after Ekadashi), after giving donations to the Brahmans. Performing Jagran on the night of Vrat, increases the virtues obtained by fasting. By observing the fast of Mokshada Ekadashi, ancestors of a person reach to heaven, who were staying in hell, after death.
Significance of Moksha Ekadashi
In ancient time, a king named Vaikhanas used to live in the city of Gokul. His kingdom had the scholar Brahmans of the four Vedas. One night, king dreamt of his father in hell. He became upset by seeing the condition of his father.
Early morning he reached the Brahman and narrated his dream. He said after seeing the condition of his father all comforts and luxury seemed useless for him. He requested the Brahmans to tell him about any meditation, charity, Vrat etc. which could give salvation to his father’s soul. Brahmans told him about a Muni named Parvat, who knew about the past and future. And, they suggested the king to get solution from the Muni.
King reached the Ashram of Muni and saw many sages performing meditation in silence. King approached the Muni, bowed to him and told about the problem. Muni immediately closed his eyes and after sometime, he said “Your father had committed some wrong works in his last birth, so, he went to hell, after death.”
Listening this, king pleaded Muni to tell him a way for his father’s salvation. Muni said him to observe the fast of Ekadashi of Shukla Paksha, Margshirsha Masa. And told that, by the virtues of this Ekadashi fast, father of the king shall get salvation. Hence, the king observed the fast together with his family. As a result, his father received heaven and, his father gave him blessings while going to heaven.