Vaikunta Ekadashi - Vaikuntha Ekadashi Significance

Vaikuntha Ekadashi Significance

It is important to look at the significance of this auspicious day from the spiritual angle.

The demon Muran stands for the Rajasic and Tamasic qualities in people, which attributes to lust, passion, inertia, arrogance etc. When one conquers these tendencies, one attains the purity of mind, Satva, indispensable for attaining moksha, liberation or realization of the self.

For realizing the self as pure awareness, purity of mind is required. Fasting helps to keep tendencies at bay, which could be triggered by intake of certain food. Keeping vigil in the night is symbolic of awareness, or being watchful of the contents of the mind. When the mind is looked at, it becomes still. To abide in the stillness is to attain freedom or peace, acquired through merging of the mind with the self. This is symbolic of the mind automatically being absorbed at the sight of Vishnu after the arduous fast and vigil.

The belief that rice is prohibited, because Muran dwells in it, symbolically signifies the fact that eating of rice could get one feel heavy and hamper the vigil to be kept up. This signifies that entertaining negative tendencies could hamper one's progress towards awareness or consciousness.

Observance of the rituals on this auspicious day even without understanding its importance is beneficial. Hence the merits accrued through observing it with piety is believed to be immeasurable.

In the Mahabarata, Bhagavad Gita - the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna at the beginning of Kurukshetra War is said to have occurred on this day.