Vaikunta Ekadasi * The gates of heaven open on this day !

Generally, the moon grows for 15 days so as to reach the full moon (Pournami) and this period has been called as Sukla bacham or Valar pirai and the remaining 15 days it gradually disappears and seen as no moon (Amavasai) and this period has been called as Krishna bacham or Thei pirai.

The 11^thday fall on both the 'full moon' and the 'no moon' has been called as Ekadasi. So, for each month there will be two 'Ekadasis' and totally there have been twenty four 'Ekadasis' for one full year.

The Ekadasi which comes on the Tamil month of Margazhi (Dec-Jan),Valar pirai has been called as Vaikunta Ekadasi. This has been calculated as the 25^th Ekadasi. This Vaikunta Ekadasi has been featured among all the other Egadasis in a year.

Why? The answer is here :

This is from Padma Purana :

Once there in the Treta-Yuga, There lived a wicked demon called Muran, who did many evils to the rishies and munis for a long time. They didn't bear enough these tortures and appealed to lord Vishnu for the demise of the demon Muran.

Vishnu, not having tolerated the the evils of the demon, had been ready for the war against the demon in order to save the celestial beings, with His Chakrayutham (Disc like weapon).

A severe battle had been in progress for several days. Even though the demon became helpless against the 'Chakra', he however tackled by having taken hallucinate appearances. The battle had started at the dawn and had ended at dusk.

Every day, after having ended up the battle, lord Vishnu went to a cave at Vathirikasiramam and had His sleep there. The next day morning, usually He was ready for the battle.

One day, unexpectedly, when lord Vishnu had been on sleep at the Vathirikasiramam, the demon Muran began to attack lord Vishnu. Then a 'power in the form of a beautiful lady' had came out from the body of lord Vishnu.

The demon became speechless and stunned for a while, having seen her beauty. That lady having all the arms with her and also in Viswaroopam (enormous size) killed that demon and had ended up the battle.

Having pleased with that incident, lord Vishnu named her as Ekadasi and told her that during the month of 'Margazhi', one who had done the ritual of fasting for her and had worshiped her, he would have been given the 'Vaikunta pathavi' (means immortality) definitely.

This Boon that lord Vishnu had given to 'Ekadasi' has been the key factor for the feature of this 'margazhi' Ekadasi. The power which had killed the demon on the 11^thday of valarpirai - Margazhi has been afterwards called as Ekadasi.

Once there lived two mighty demons called Mathukaidavarkal, who fought against lord Vishnu and got His blessings (the dharshan of Vaikuntam) and they wanted the same to be experienced by the devotees also.

They pleaded lord Vishnu that on the day of Vaigunta Ekadasi, through the north gate (paramapatha vasal) of Sri Rangam (situated at Trichy/Tamil Nadu/India), when the devotees would pass by, they should be awarded the blessing of attaining the 'Moksha' (immortality) definitely,even if they had done any type of sin.

Lord Vishnu also accepted their plea and hence, from that day onwards it had been a regular custom that in the Sri Rangam temple, the north gate called 'Sorka vasal' or 'Vaikunta vasal ' has been opened and through which lord Namperumal (the processional deity) enters and reaches the 'Thirumamani mantapam' in the 'Thousand pillared hall'. There the whole day the hymns of 'Naalaayira thivya prabantham' has been recited and the devotees also follows His way through the entrance and gathers before Him and sing and chant on Him.

Once there a king called Ambarish had been a fierce devotee of lord Vishnu and he who had practiced the 'Ekadasi fasting' for one full year, that is, he had practiced 25 'Ekadasis' for one full year.

One season he had practiced the 'upavasam' (fasting) for 3 full days. when he about to finish the fasting, then there came a maharishi called Thurvasar who had been noted for his extreme anger. The king Ambarish welcomed him and asked him to have the meals with Ambarish.

Having accepted the request of the king, Thurvasar asked him to wait till he would finish his bath. He also had gone to the river to take bath. The sage didn't return even passing a very long time. The king Ambarish, having in dilemma that if he had eaten without the presence of the sage, he would curse him, or not, if he didn't finish the fasting without having any meals, then it would get unfulfilled.

In this critical situation, he didn't know what to do, except he drank some water only and had finished his fasting. Having taken bath, Thurvasar returned and knew everything, what had happened in between the time of his taking bath. As usual, he got very much angry over the king Ambarish and he picked on hair from his head and had thrown it on the king Ambarish, by asked it to kill him.

That hair had transformed as a disc and rushed towards the king Ambarish in order to kill him. Lord vishnu, with having the thought of rescued His devotee from danger, He interfered that disc of the sage Thurvasar with his powerful 'Chakrayutha', which overpowered it, not only but also it rushed towards Thurvasar to kill him.

Having known the danger, Thurvasar had surrendered lord Vishnu, from being decapitated. Lord Vishnu explained the sage that since His (Vishnu) heart always been with the devotees, He had been enslaved to them. Again lord Vishnu added that the sage should go to the king Ambarish and should demand his pardon, then only he could have been rescued from His 'Chakra'.

As the sage also requested the king Ambarish from being decapitated, the king also saved the sage from the powerful Chakra of lord Vishnu. Then Thurvasar thanked him with his blessings. Thus the devotee, the king Ambarish had been rescued from the wrathful sage Thurvasar.

Normally, in all the Vishnu's temples, during the festival of 'Vaikunta Ekadasi', their gates of heaven (paramapatha vasal) have been seen opened, except one temple called Sri Saarangabani Swami of Kumbakonam at Tanjur district.

Again it's the 3^rd temple in the chronicle of 108 Divya Desams of lord Vishnu. At this temple the festival Vaikunta Ekadasi has been celebrated but the main feature of this function, that is the opening of paramapatha vasal has not been taken place.

The legend follows...

Once there a great sage called Hemarishi, who had been on penance towards lord Vishnu for having got the wealth of child, for a long time. He, then found one beautiful child on the golden lotus of the tank called 'Hema puskarni', who had been nothing but the Goddess Sri 'Komalavalli'.

Hemarishi, as a guardian father of goddess sri Komalavalli appealed lord Vishnu to marry Her, when she had attained Her marriage age. As per the wish of Hemarishi, lord Vishnu also accepted Komalavalli (incarnation of goddess sri Maha Lakshmi) as His wife. Again both, the sage Hemarishi and her daughter pleaded lord Vishnu to stay permanently there and should bless the devotees. Lord Vishnu also accepted their plea and stayed there in the name of 'Saarangabani' with goddess sri Komalavalli.

For that acceptance of the appeal of both the Hemarishi and her daughter, lord Vishnu came down to there with the chariot, which had been as His chariot in the Vaikuntam, and had stayed there permanently.

In order to make notify this fact, His sanctum has been designed with the chariot to which elephant and horses had been attached. So this isthala (place) has been called as 'Nithya vaikuntam' (permanent heaven) or 'Boologa Vaikuntam' (Heaven at earth).

Since this temple itself has been called as Sri Vaikuntam, there will be no need for 'Sorka vasal' or 'Vaikunta vasal' here. This temple has been famous for it's special feature that the departed couple could have the chance to get together again. Again for the people (ladies) who have been weak in their marriage proposal, this temple has been the remedy of cancelling their 'Maangalya thosam'.

Lord Rama, the incarnation of lord Vishnu, had once practiced the 'Ekadasi', named as 'Vijaya' which comes in the Tamil month of Panguni (Mar-Apr) and then only He could able to cross the ocean to Lanka.

Again 'Padma purana' had pointed out that Beema, one of Pandavas, had practiced not all the 24 but the one which fell on the Sukla bacham (moon's 1st 15 days period) of Tamil month of 'Aani' (June - July), which has been called as 'Nirjala' and could get the full benefit which could have been only got if any body could practice for the whole year.

The day before the Ekadasi, has been called as 'Thasami ', on that day, one should take food, one time only and on the next day of Ekadasi, he/she should getup early in the morning and should take bath, after then, the whole day, without having consumed any food, should worship the lord Vishnu by telling His name and mantra repeatedly.That day night he/she shouldn't sleep at all and the whole night, he/she should simply remain by having repeatedly said the name and mantras.

The next day of Ekadasi has been called as 'Thuvadasi ', on that day, the food we have taken, has been termed as 'Paaranai', and on that day, he/she should get up early in the morning and should take bath, then should do the prayer of lord Rama, after that he/she should eat the food that has been cooked without having added the salt, tamarind and accompanied with the side dishes of bitter berry, amla and the greens of 'Agathi' etc. Before having eaten that food, it should be sacrificed to lord Vishnu as 'Neivaethiyam' and then it should be shared with the others who are in hungry. After that only he/she should eat it by saying the 'Rama naama' or simply 'Govintha!', 'Govintha!'. That day full length up to night, he/she shouldn't sleep at all.

The persons in between the age group of 8 - 80, needn't to be in fasting at all.When having done like this, it would also help our predecessors to be get rid from their curses and pave them the way to heaven.

With this information that i had known, is to be shared here with you. I must thank for your patience to visit and read this hub.

Friendly yours

Selvaganapathy.