Ekadashi means the eleventh day of both the waxing and waning lunar phases. The day holds great spiritual significance in Hindu mythology. It is believed that by keeping the fast of Ekadashi, a person can attain Moksha, which means liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
The fast is connected with Lord Vishnu and it’s one of the most powerful days for praying and feeling spiritually uplifted.
How the fast helps attain Moksha and aids in spiritual cleansing, we will get to know deeply about it here in this blog, so let’s check it out.
The Spiritual Importance Of Ekadashi Fast
Eka means ‘one’ and Dasha means ‘ten’; combining them means eleven. As per the Padma Purana, Ekadashi was born from Lord Vishnu’s energy to defeat the demon Mura. Pleased by the victory, Lord Vishnu said that by keeping the Ekadashi vrat, one can destroy evil and attain liberation.
How Does Ekadashi Help Attain Moksha?
It’s how this: you feel at peace and attain Moksha keeping Ekadashi Vrat:
Inner Enlightenment:
On Ekadashi, if you keep a fast, you can sense Lord Vishnu’s divine energy beside you. The fast connects you with the deity, making you feel enlightened from within if you stay regular in keeping the vrat. In a short time, you can attain spiritual wisdom and break free from the cycle of life and death.
Elimination of Past Sins:
When you start believing in religion and spirituality, you naturally follow the path of righteousness. This leads you to the divine path, the path of following what is right, as it is the will of God. This helps in the clarification of past wrong sins of a human.
Physical and Mental Cleansing:
Following the divine path of spirituality and observing Ekadashi, one gets rid of negative thoughts or feelings lurking in the body and mind, which leads to mental cleansing.
In addition, fasting gives the digestive system a boost and cleanses toxins. Reduced food calms the mind and fasting helps enhance overall body function.
Control Over Senses & Desires:
One of the most difficult things to do in this world is to control our mind and heart. Ekadashi fasting lets you have a rigid grip on your senses and unnecessary desires. Spiritualism teaches the body to remain calm and balanced and understand the path of self-mastery which can only be achieved when we can keep good control over our greedy thoughts and desires.
Accumulation of Punya (Spiritual Merits)
It is also believed that by keeping Ekadashi Vrat, one can get the merits of attaining about 1000 Ashvamedha Yajnas. In addition, one also gets their negative karma's effect lowered down on the horoscope if the Ekadashi vrat is observed rightly. The soul is directed towards liberation following Ekadashi vrat rituals.
Moksha & Ekadashi: The Ultimate Liberation
What’s moksha? Well, it means you are no more trapped in the cycle of birth and death. It means that you are a free soul now whose past wrong karmas have been burnt.
There is more to this concept of Moksha; let’s dwell deeper into it:
It’s said that every karma a body does on earth binds the body and soul to the material existence. Observing fasting on Ekadashi can help the people burn their past karmas. Even in the Skanda Puranas, it is said that by keeping 24 Ekadashi vrats, a soul can get rid of the trap of birth and death.
In addition, fasting also enhances Ojas, which means spiritual energy. This helps the seekers experience higher states of awareness and many saints, too, like Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, also emphasized keeping the Ekadashi fast for self-realization and attaining Moksha.
Scientific Perspective Of Ekadashi Fasting
Scientific Effect, which means the lunar effect or the biological clock effect on the human body. Just as the moon affects the ocean tides, similarly it also affects the bodily fluids.
On the 11th day during Ekadashi, the gravitational pull alters the digestive efficiency of the human body. Fasting resets the body’s internal clock, which improves sleep quality and also hormonal balance.
In a study of cell metabolism in the year 2017, it was found that with intermittent fasting, circadian rhythm regulation can be enhanced, which helps in reducing inflammation.
Circadian rhythm means the body’s natural 24-hour internal clock, which causes biological processes to function. Such as sleep-wake-up cycles, hormone production, body temperatures, cognitive function, mood, and so on.
During the fasting cycle going on, the body’s digestive system rests and cleans itself. Modern science calls it the process of autophagy when the body cells repair themselves.
Even different medical practitioners also suggest skipping heavy meals because it helps to take relief from various body ailments such as diabetes. In addition, fasting also produces a brain protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which helps enhance mental clarity and focus. It’s a protein that acts like a fertilizer for brain cells.
The Takeaway
So, in the end, we can say that Ekadashi fasting, especially Nirjala without water can help cleanse, repair, and refresh your body system inside naturally.
Not only the physical or mental cleanse, but you also climb up on the edge of attaining spiritual wisdom, which ultimately leads you towards the path of Moksha.
So, keep the fast and attain science-backed spiritual wisdom, Hari Om Tatva!
