There are many important fasts and festivals in the month of July. The month of July is very important from a religious point of view. The month of Ashadh has started on Friday, June 25. Devshayani Ekadashi is in July this year. From this Ekadashi Lord, Vishnu will go to sleep and after four months he will wake up on the day of ‘Dev Uthani Ekadashi’.
This year ‘Devashayani Ekadashi’ will fall on July 20. Therefore, all Manglik work will be done till July only. After this, Manglik works like Yagyopaveet Sanskar, marriage, initiation, Yagya, Griha Pravesh is not performed. These four months are called ‘Chaturmas’. None of these auspicious works are done. This includes 15 days of Ashadha and 15 days of Kartik.
Ashadha starts from ‘Shukla Ekadashi’ and continues till ‘Karthik Shukla Ekadashi’. It is said that as soon as ‘Chaturmas’ begins, Lord Vishnu entrusts the work of the earth to Lord Shiva and himself goes to rest. That is why worshiping Shiva during this time is also very important. The month of Sawan also comes in ‘Chaturmas’. Therefore worshiping Shiva in this month gives auspicious results.
‘Chaturmas’ will start from 20 July 2021:
According to the Panchang, ‘Chaturmas’ will start from the Ekadashi date of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh month on Tuesday, July 20. Lord Vishnu comes into a state of rest from this Ekadashi. On November 14, 2021, on Devotthan Ekadashi, Lord Vishnu, after completing his rest period, comes out of Kshir Sagar and takes the reins of the earth in his hands.
The end of the fast of Ekadashi is called ‘Paran’. Parana is done after sunrise on the next day of the Ekadashi fast. It is very important to break the Ekadashi fast before the end of the Dwadashi date. If the Dwadashi tithi is over before sunrise, then the Ekadashi fast ends only after sunrise. Not doing Parana within Dwadashi Tithi is tantamount to committing a sin.
The religious significance of not eating rice on Ekadashi:
According to mythological belief, to escape the anger of Mother Shakti, Maharishi Medha left the body and her part got absorbed in the earth. Maharishi Medha was born in the form of rice and barley, hence rice and barley are considered creatures. Ekadashi Tithi was the day when Maharishi Medha’s part was absorbed into the earth. Therefore, considering them as living beings, it has been avoided to take Ekadashi as food, so that the fast of ‘Vishnupriya Ekadashi’ can be completed in a sattvik form.
There is not only religious but also astrological reasons behind not eating rice on Ekadashi. According to astrology, the amount of water element in rice is high. The effect of the moon on the water is more. In such a situation, by eating rice, the amount of water in the body increases and due to this, the mind becomes distracted and restless. The fickleness of the mind hinders the observance of the rules of the fast.
In Ekadashi fasting, it is very important to follow the pure and sattvik spirit of the mind. Therefore, it is forbidden to eat things made of rice on Ekadashi. Shree Narayan is worshiped on all Ekadashis. But, on this Ekadashi, since the sleeping time of Shri Hari begins, he should be worshiped with special rituals. According to ‘Padam Purana’, worshiping Lord Vishnu with lotus flowers on the day of ‘Devashayani Ekadashi’ leads to the worship of the deities of the three worlds.
