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- Contributed Phanindra Mankale on Sumadhwa forum
Significance:
The Ashada Shukla Ekadashi is a very significant Ekadashi. This marks the end of Uttarayana and the begining Dakshinayana. Also marks the begining of festival season. Chaturmasya Vratams begin from this day. Taptha Mudra Dharana on this day is very significant for both physical, and spiritual health. The main diety for this Ekadashi is Vamana roopi Sri Hari. People worship him especially with lotus flowers.
This Ekadashi is also called Shayani as Sri Hari enters yoga Nidra for the next six months.
Practice:
It is said in Puranas that no other tithi is better than the tithifor this Shayani ekadashi.
On this day worship Shanka Chkra dhari Sri Hari. Complete fasting,with Jagarne and Hari pooja. People who do all three are dearest to Sri Hari. Even a dog eating person, who does this ekadashi vratam becomes dear to Sri Hari. This marks the begining of ChaturmAsya. During Chaturmasya people donate lamps (Deepdaana), eat food on Muttala leaves, sleep on floor, Vrat and Upvaas are dear to Sri Hari.
ShravaNE vrajryayEth ShakaM, dadhi BAdrapadE taTHA |
dugdamAshyayuDhi tyAjyaM kAtrikE dvidaLaM tyajEt ||
aTHavA brahmacharyastha: sayAdi paramAM gatiM ||
in Shravana give up vegetables and greens. In Bhadrapad give up yogurt/curds. in Asvina give up milk. in kArtIka give up lentils.
EkAdasyA vratEnaiva pramAn pApEnaiva vimuchyatE |
kartavyA, sarvadA rAjan vismartavyAn karhichit ||
on Ekadashi day fasting results in all sins being washed away.
ShayanI bODhnI maDhyE ya kraSHNeaikAdashi BhavEt |
saivOpOshTA grahasthasya nAnyA kraSHNA kadAchana ||
Ashada Shyani ekadashi and KArtika BhodinI Ekadashis and inbetween the dark fortnight ekadashis are very auspicious. All the darkfortnight Ekadashis are very dear to Sri Krishna.
Story from Purana:
Just by listening to this Sri Hari's mahima all the sins will be washed away. In tretayuga Bali was great asura emperor. He was a great devotee of Sri Hari and worshipped Him by doing yagna, yaga and vrats. on the same line the devendra who had lost his position was also worshipping Sri Hari along with his acharya Brhaspathi. Pleased by both their requests Sri Hari took Vamana avtar and came to the earth for the fifth time. Bali Chakravarthy gladly ave away three steps of land to vatu Vamana. At that instance Sri Hari took the trivikrama form and grew into the Universal form that spread throughout the universe.
The Feet covered the Bhooloka and the kness covered the Bhuvarloka and all other lokas were covered up to his waist.Maharloka was covered by his abdomen, chest covered the jana loka, tapoloka was covered by neck, satya loka by face..all the heavenly bodies like planets, stars etc., became part of him. Thus he covered the universe with three foot lengths and covered Emperor Bali's back with the half foot, which made Bali to go all the way to the Rasatala.
On the day of Ashada Shukla, Shayani ekadashi one of Sri Hari's murthy will be with emperor Bali, the other murthy will be on the back of Sri Adishesha in the milky ocean till KArtika masa. Thus from Shayni ekadashi day to kArtika Shukla's prabhodhini ekadashi this second murthy will be sleeping in the middle of the milky ocean. This period is called Chaturmasya. All the vrtas, pooja etc., during this time are very auspicious. This day when Sri Hari sleeps on Adishesha is called Shayani ekadashi. by listening to the story of Shayaniekadashi the benefits are equivalent to Ashvamedha yagna..
-from Padma Puran Part 3 Uttarakhanda 54th chapter explaining the significance
of Shayani ekadashi.