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What is Vaikunta Ekadasi? Meaning & Celebrations
Mukkoti Ekadasi
Madhukaitaba
Another reference pertains to the slaying of the twin demons ‘Madhukaitaba’ by Maha Vishnu. After they were killed, the demons attained a divine form and appealed to God to offer liberation to all those performing ‘Ekadasi Puja’ and approaching Him through the northern entrance (Uttara Dwaram) on this day.
God, who is synonymous to kindness, readily accepted the proposal and gave the word ‘Thathasthu’. Hence this day ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi’ came to be known as the golden moment for every devotee wishing to avoid rebirth and attain salvation. The day is generally known for fasting and staying awake. The devout all over the world attach utmost significance to undertaking fast on this day and pray to the Almighty for liberation.
In the real sense, undertaking fast does not only mean staying away from food and enduring hunger and sleep. The inherent meaning is to keep away from worldly pleasures and mundane activities by chanting ‘Hari Nama’ to stay connected with the power within.
Not only humans but even the Devas and Asuras observed fast on this auspicious day before churning the milky ocean. It was then their ‘Ksheera Sagara Mathanam’ led to the appearance of Goddess Mahalakshmi from the ocean to bless them.
Murasura
An interesting tale associated with the day is the appearance of ‘Ekadasi Devi’. Once upon a time in Krutha Yuga, a demon called ‘Murasura’ defeated the Devas and tortured them. Upon the request of Devas, Sri Maha Vishnu entered the battlefield, fought with him for a thousand years and got thoroughly exhausted.
On an Ekadasi day, he entered a cave and slept inside due to fatigue. Coming to know of Maha Vishnu’s location, Murasura rushed to the spot to kill him. It was then that a divine beam of light came out of Maha Vishnu’s body and attained the shape of a young girl, armed with an array of lethal weapons.
When Murasura reached the spot, the protective girl killed the demon. On waking up, Vishnu found the demon dead and offered a boon to the girl. As she came out of the Lord’s body on ‘Ekadasi’ Day, she was called ‘Ekadasi Devi’. She requested Him to grant the boon of salvation to all those praying to her on this sacred day.
Since then, those praying to ‘Ekadasi Devi’ are assured of a place in Vishnu Lokam.
Vaikunta Ekadasi at Tirumala
At Tirumala, Vaikunta Ekadasi has always been a special occasion for the visiting devotees and it is a feast to the eyes and solace to the soul. In recent times, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management decided to observe the event as a ten-day festival by throwing open the ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ to the visiting pilgrims for ten days.
This is followed by a procession of Sri Malayappa Swamy’s deity on the golden chariot and the conduct of ‘Chakra Snanam’ on Vaikunta Dwadasi. Since this event is a celestial spectacle, lakhs of devotees plan to visit Tirumala on this occasion, but only some of them get the opportunity to pass through the ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ on this day.
Devotees who could not make it to Tirumala for the auspicious day in the past were a disappointed lot. Now, several thousands of pilgrims get the satisfaction of walking through the ‘Uttara Dwaram’ and praying to the Lord of Seven Hills for salvation, due to the decision of the authorities to keep the northern entrance open for ten days.
It is a devotional bliss to enter the ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ and pass through the inner precincts around the sanctum sanctorum, which is believed to rid a person of all sins of the past and provide salvation. On this special occasion, the ‘Praakaaram’ is tastefully decorated with rare and exotic flowers of multiple colours, which almost look like heaven.
Devotees get the mesmerising experience of passing through the original ‘Vaikuntam’ while walking on this path. May Lord Venkateswara grant liberation of the worldly shackles to all the devotees worshipping Him on this most auspicious occasion.
