Yogini Ekadashi

Yogini Ekadashi is the Krishna paksha Ekadashi of Ashadha, with Vishnu as the presiding deity. It arrives as the monsoon begins in much of India and shortly before Devshayani, the Ekadashi on which Vishnu is said to enter his long sleep. The name comes from yogini, a term linked with spiritual power, and the Brahma Vaivarta Purana tradition treats the day as one of healing and renewal.

The story is of Hemamali, a yaksha who tended flowers for Kubera, the lord of wealth, for his daily worship of Shiva. Distracted by his wife, Hemamali once failed to bring the flowers on time, and an angry Kubera cursed him with leprosy and banishment. Wandering in suffering, he met the sage Markandeya, who advised him to keep Yogini Ekadashi. As told, the curse ended and he was restored. It is best read as legend rather than as a medical explanation.

The observance includes the usual Vishnu worship, a grain-free fast, and reading of the katha. Because the story speaks of illness, some families remember sick relatives in their prayers, and some offer food to those in need. Devotional practice is never meant to replace treatment, and anyone with a skin or other condition should continue to follow medical advice. The fast is ended on the dvadashi morning. During the rainy season, people with weak digestion should be careful about what they eat at parana.