Devshayani Ekadashi देवशयनी एकादशी
Dedicated to Vishnu
About Devshayani Ekadashi
Devshayani Ekadashi, also known as Ashadhi Ekadashi or Harishayani Ekadashi, marks the day when Lord Vishnu enters his cosmic sleep (Yoga Nidra) on the serpent Shesha in the Ksheer Sagar (Ocean of Milk). This four-month sleep period, called Chaturmas, lasts from Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi to Kartik Shukla Ekadashi (Devuthani Ekadashi). During Chaturmas, marriages, housewarming ceremonies, and other auspicious functions are traditionally avoided. The festival is especially significant in Pandharpur (Maharashtra), where a massive pilgrimage (Ashadhi Wari) brings hundreds of thousands of Varkari devotees to the Vitthal temple. It marks the beginning of a period devoted to intensified spiritual practice, meditation, and self-discipline.
देवशयनी एकादशी, जिसे आषाढ़ी एकादशी या हरिशयनी एकादशी भी कहते हैं, वह दिन चिह्नित करती है जब भगवान विष्णु क्षीर सागर (दूध के महासागर) में शेषनाग पर अपनी ब्रह्मांडीय निद्रा (योग निद्रा) में प्रवेश करते हैं। चतुर्मास कहलाने वाली यह चार माह की निद्रा अवधि आषाढ़ शुक्ल एकादशी से कार्तिक शुक्ल एकादशी (देवउठनी एकादशी) तक रहती है। चतुर्मास में विवाह, गृहप्रवेश और अन्य शुभ कार्य परंपरागत रूप से टाले जाते हैं। यह त्योहार पंढरपुर (महाराष्ट्र) में विशेष महत्वपूर्ण है, जहाँ विशाल तीर्थयात्रा (आषाढ़ी वारी) लाखों वारकरी भक्तों को विठ्ठल मंदिर लाती है।
Spiritual Significance
Devshayani Ekadashi marks the beginning of Chaturmas, the sacred four-month period of Vishnu's cosmic sleep. It signals a time for heightened spiritual practices and is believed to carry immense merit for those who observe the fast and commit to spiritual discipline.
देवशयनी एकादशी चतुर्मास — विष्णु की ब्रह्मांडीय निद्रा की पवित्र चार माह की अवधि — का आरंभ चिह्नित करती है। यह आध्यात्मिक साधना तीव्र करने का समय है और व्रत रखने वालों के लिए अपार पुण्य प्रदान करने वाली मानी जाती है।
Key Rituals & Practices
- Observe an Ekadashi fast (with or without water, based on your capacity)
- Worship Lord Vishnu reclining on Shesha Nag with tulsi and flowers
- Read or listen to the Devshayani Ekadashi Vrat Katha
- Take a sankalp for Chaturmas disciplines (additional fasting, japa, or charity)
- Visit a Vishnu temple or participate in the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are marriages not held during Chaturmas?
During Chaturmas (the four months of Vishnu's sleep from Ashadha to Kartik), auspicious ceremonies like marriages are traditionally avoided because Lord Vishnu — the preserver and sustainer — is believed to be in cosmic sleep and therefore unavailable to bless new beginnings. Additionally, this period coincides with the monsoon season in India, making travel and large gatherings difficult. Chaturmas is considered ideal for introspection, spiritual practice, and pilgrimage rather than worldly celebrations. However, in modern practice, some families do hold weddings during this period based on their regional traditions.
What is the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage?
The Pandharpur Wari is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, undertaken by Varkari devotees of Lord Vitthal (a form of Vishnu/Krishna) in Maharashtra. Pilgrims walk for 15-20 days from various towns to reach Pandharpur by Ashadhi Ekadashi. The processions (dindis) are led by palkhis (palanquins) carrying the paduka (footwear) of great Varkari saints like Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, and Namdev. Hundreds of thousands of devotees participate, walking together chanting 'Vitthal, Vitthal' in a moving display of community devotion.
How is Devshayani Ekadashi different from other Ekadashis?
Devshayani Ekadashi is unique because it marks the start of Chaturmas — the cosmic event of Vishnu entering his four-month sleep. While all Ekadashis involve fasting and Vishnu worship, Devshayani has the added significance of being a turning point in the Hindu calendar year. Devotees not only fast but also take a sankalp (sacred vow) for Chaturmas — committing to additional disciplines like giving up a particular food, increasing meditation, or performing extra charity. It is the counterpart to Devuthani Ekadashi (when Vishnu awakens), and together they bookend the sacred monsoon period.
Festival Details
- Deity
- Vishnu
- Category
- Vrat & Fasting
- Regions
- All India
- Calendar Basis
- Hindu Lunar (Panchang)
- Hindu Month
- Ashadha — Shukla Paksha, Ekadashi
- Importance
- normal