Mokshada Ekadashi falls on the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) Ekadashi of the month of Margashirsha (November-December). The name itself declares its supreme gift: Moksha (liberation) + da (giver) — the Ekadashi that directly grants release from the cycle of birth and death. In many traditions, this is considered the most important Ekadashi after Vaikuntha Ekadashi.
What makes Mokshada Ekadashi extraordinary is that it falls on the same tithi as Gita Jayanti — the day Sri Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The Gita itself, the supreme Upanishad distilled into seven hundred verses, was revealed on this very Ekadashi, imbuing the day with a unique confluence of fasting merit and scriptural glory. For a deeper exploration of the Gita's revelation, see our Gita Jayanti page.
The Story
The Padma Purana narrates the story through a dialogue between Lord Krishna and King Yudhishthira. In the city of Champaka Nagari, there ruled a righteous king named Vaikhanasa. Though devoted to Vishnu and just in governance, the king was tormented by a recurring dream in which his deceased father suffered in the lower realms, unable to attain a higher birth due to unresolved karmic debts.
Distressed beyond measure, Vaikhanasa sought the counsel of the sage Parvata Muni, who perceived through his yogic vision that the king's father was indeed trapped in a realm of suffering. The sage prescribed the observance of Mokshada Ekadashi, declaring that the accumulated merit of this single Ekadashi could be transferred to the departed soul and liberate it entirely. The king observed the vrata with perfect devotion — fasting, worshipping Lord Vishnu, and keeping vigil through the night.
The Liberation of Vaikhanasa's Father
When the king transferred the merit of his Mokshada Ekadashi observance to his father, the departed soul was immediately freed from suffering. Vaikhanasa's father ascended to Vaikuntha, the eternal abode of Lord Vishnu. This story demonstrates the extraordinary power of this Ekadashi — its merit is so potent that it can liberate not only the observer but also the souls of departed ancestors, making it a day of supreme filial devotion and cosmic redemption.
The Ekadashi of the Gita
The convergence of Mokshada Ekadashi with Gita Jayanti is no mere calendrical coincidence. The Bhagavad Gita is itself the supreme teaching on moksha — Sri Krishna's final instruction, the Charama Sloka(“Sarva Dharman Parityajya Mam Ekam Sharanam Vraja”), is the distilled essence of Prapatti, the path of unconditional surrender that leads directly to liberation. That this teaching was delivered on the very Ekadashi named “giver of moksha” reveals the deep coherence of the sacred calendar.
In Vedic tradition, this day is observed with special emphasis on Gita Parayanam — the complete recitation of all eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita — alongside the standard Ekadashi disciplines of fasting and vigil. Devotees who observe this Ekadashi with the Gita in their hearts and the Lord's name on their lips receive the double blessing of Ekadashi merit and Gita Shravana phalam.
How We Observe at JETNJ
Upavasa
A complete fast from sunrise on Ekadashi through sunrise on Dvadashi, with the mind absorbed in the teachings of the Gita and the names of Narayana.
Gita Parayanam
The complete Bhagavad Gita is recited in the temple, with special emphasis on chapters 12 (Bhakti Yoga) and 18 (Moksha Sannyasa Yoga) containing the Charama Sloka.
Vishnu Puja
Special abhishekam and archana for Lord Vishnu with tulasi and flowers, accompanied by the chanting of Vishnu Sahasranama.
Dvadashi Paranam
The fast is broken on Dvadashi morning with tulasi water and prasadam, completing the vrata with gratitude.
Sarva Dharman Parityajya Mam Ekam Sharanam Vraja
— Bhagavad Gita 18.66, the Charama Sloka
Based on the Padma Purana and the teachings of the Sri Vaishnava Acharyas. Published for educational and devotional purposes by JETNJ — Sanjeevani Jeeyar Asramam.
