Harishayani Ekadashi Wrata/Chaturmaas Wrata Aarambha

According to the Vedic Sanatan Hindu calendar 'Panchang', the time it takes for a full moon to reappear in the new moon is divided into fifteen equal periods and each moving time part of the moon is called a date, lunar date.

The eleventh day of the date fixed according to the position of the moon is called Ekadashi. In Vedic Sanatan Hinduism, Ekadashi is considered as a day to worship Lord Vishnu. The glory of Ekadashis is clearly described in Bhavishyottar Purana. It is customary to observe a brat, chant hymns, listen to Ekadashi Mahatma Stories, perform Hoom and vajan etc.

Harishyani Ekadashi, which falls on the Ashadha Shuklapaksha, is described in the Vedic scriptures as an important Ekadashi. Since the creator Lord Hari i.e. Vishnu is going to sleep in the Ksheer Sagar for four months from this Ekadashi, this Ekadashi is also called Harishyani Ekadashi or Devashyani and Asare Ekadashi. It is believed that people the lord Vishnu who sleeps on this Ekadashi wake up only on Haribodhini Ekadashi of the month of Kartik. The sleeping time of lord Vishnu is therefore cited as chaturmas, or the four months era.

Let me simplify Chaturmasa for you, shall I?

What is Chaturmasa?
Chaturmasa commences on Asadh Dwadashi and ends on Kartik Dashami, a day after Ashadh Ekadashi and a day before Kartik Ekadashi. Srimannarayana who is sleepless, hungerless, and is equipped with a divine and Paramatma soul pretends to sleep from this Ekadashi, which is acknowledged as Yogi Nindra, he sleeps till Kartika Dwadashi and the sleeping tenure is exactly 4 mounts which is Chaturmasa or the period of four months. No marriages or upanayana will be performed during these four months, Sri Hari will be in deep sleep and any auspicious functions performed during this time will be ignored by the supreme soul and divine power, as per Skanda Purana. Adding logics into these restrictions, these are the super busy time for farmers where they plant paddy, irrigate, clean the fields and protect their fields. This is also a busy time for animal farming, greenery, and newer leaf in the trees and the prevailing monsoon makes community functions harder. Logically, these busiest months of the year finds harder to accommodate auspicious functions like marriage, Upanayana, and all, so Chaturmasa deals with this and restricts them with religious logic. Chaturmasa states everyone to focus on work and productivity as their god is sleeping. Everyone should observe Chaturmasa irrespective of caste, creed, gender, women irrespective of their menstruation period and age, this means everyone should focus on their profession and agriculture in these four months.

Harishyani Ekadashi is also called Tulsi Planting Day. Basil seeds sown on Nirjala Ekadashi are worshiped by sowing on this day. The fasts of Shravan, Ganesh Chaturthi, Haritalika Tij, Rishi Panchami, Nagpanchami, Navratri, Kojagrat Purnima, Govardhan Puja, etc., which are performed during the four months of Lord Vishnu's sleep, are the major fasts of Chaturmasa.

The story of Harishyani Ekadashi
Mandata, a religious king, ruled a prosperous kingdom in the ancient period, but three consecutive years of drought caused problems in the kingdom, the rivers dried up, and the trees lost their greenery. King Mandata thought that Lord Narayan, the god of rain, was angry with him due to some mistake of his, but he could not find out the mistake he had made. One day, the king meets a sage named Angira and learns about the glory of Harishyani Ekadashi as a solution to the problem.

No matter what the legends and stories say, good and true deeds are an invaluable asset of human life. Keep moving towards the path of truth, progress will be with you. Have a nice day

Suyog Dhakal