Indira Ekadashi

Indira Ekadashi falls during the Krishna Paksha of the month of Asoj/Ashwin. It is one of the 24 Ekadashis in a year and is also known as Pitri Uddhar Ekadashi because it is believed to help ancestors attain salvation. Since it falls during the Pitri Paksha, this Ekadashi is considered very important for freeing souls from suffering. People also believe that by fasting and worshipping Lord Vishnu on this day, even ancestors in hell can reach heaven.

According to the Padma Purana, this Ekadashi is believed to remove sins and grant moksha (liberation). Lord Krishna told Yudhishthira that anyone who observes this fast with faith can help their ancestors reach heaven.

How to Observe the Fast

The Indira Ekadashi fast begins on Dashami. On this day, one wakes up early, bathes, offers water to the Sun, wears clean clothes, performs daily worship, and eats only once. Ancestral offerings (Shraddha) are also done with devotion.

On Ekadashi, the next day, devotees bathe early again and take a vow to fast. Lord Vishnu is worshipped with incense, lamps, sandalwood paste, flowers, and food offerings. In the afternoon, another Shraddha is performed. Fruits are offered to a Brahmin and remaining food is given to a cow. In the evening, the story of Ekadashi is read or heard, and people stay awake singing bhajans. On Dwadashi (12th lunar day), after bathing, food is offered to a Brahmin before breaking the fast quietly.

The Story Behind Indira Ekadashi

In ancient times, a righteous king named Indrasena ruled over the kingdom of Mahishmati. He was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu and a dutiful king who guided his subjects on the path of dharma. He was wealthy, prosperous, and beloved by his people.

One day, while King Indrasena was engaged in a discussion in his court, Sage Narada arrived. The king welcomed the sage with humility and inquired about his well-being. Narada then told the king that he had brought a special message.

According to Narada, he had gone to Yamaloka from Brahmaloka, where Yamaraj had respectfully received him. There, Narada saw the deceased father of King Indrasena in a sorrowful state. Upon inquiry, he learned that the king’s father had broken an Ekadashi fast in a previous life, and as a result, he was now suffering in Yamaloka. Narada conveyed the message of the king’s father to the king:

“O son! If you observe the Indira Ekadashi fast, which falls in the Krishna Paksha of Ashwin month, on my behalf, I shall be freed from my sins and go to heaven.”

Hearing this, the king was deeply saddened and immediately resolved to observe the fast. Narada explained the complete fasting procedure to him in detail. King Indrasena observed the fast properly from Dashami to Dwadashi.

After the completion of the fast, flowers rained from the sky, and his father attained Vaikuntha. Eventually, King Indrasena too ruled his kingdom peacefully for a long time and later handed over the throne to his son before ascending to heaven.