The scientific and spiritual significance of fasting on 11th lunar day (Ekadashi)

Today is the eleventh day of the lunar cycle, also called ‘Ekadashi’. Once a year we also celebrate a special eleventh lunar day called ‘Vaikunth Ekadashi’ which usually falls in the month of ‘Margashira’ late December or early January (mid-winter time), on 11th day of the waxing moon. Today being Vaikuntha Ekadashi (6th of January 2020) I would be talking about the importance of fasting on Ekadashi from a scientific and spiritual point of view.

It is a common practice in Southern India to observe fast on Ekadashi. But for any reason, if we are not able to fast on Ekadashi (we get 12*2= ‘24’ eleventh lunar days- Ekadashi's in a year) it is enough to fast on this special day of ‘Vaikuntha Ekadashi’. According to the Vishnu Purana, fasting on Vaikuntha Ekadashi is equivalent to fasting on the remaining 23 Ekadashis of the year :)

Here are a few words from my master — Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, about ‘Vaikunth Ekadashi’ and fasting. “You can fast and remain hungry, even though there is no scarcity. If there is a shortage and you have to be hungry, then that is poverty. When there is no shortage of anything and everything is in abundance, and you are fasting, that is Vaikunth Ekadashi”.

Fasting according to Ayurveda and Astronomy

Moon has an influence on the waves in the ocean. The waves in the ocean are higher on full moon day. Especially with the waxing moon, the…