Vijaya Ekadashi Vrat Katha · विजया एकादशी व्रत कथा

How Rama, unable to cross the ocean to Lanka, was told by the sage Bakadalbhya to keep the Vijaya Ekadashi fast, and won victory, retold from the published versions.

The story, retold

The sage Narada once asked Brahma about the Ekadashi of the dark fortnight of Phalguna. Brahma said that its fast destroys sins old and new, and that it surely brings victory (vijaya), and told this story.

In the Treta age, when Rama had come with his army to the shore of the ocean to attack Lanka, he could see no way to cross the deep sea, full of sea creatures. He asked Lakshmana how it could be crossed. Lakshmana told him that half a yojana away, on Kumari island, lived an ancient sage, Bakadalbhya, and that Rama should ask him.

Rama went to the sage's ashram and bowed to him. When the sage asked why he had come, Rama said he was on his way to Lanka with his army and asked for a way to cross the ocean. Bakadalbhya told him to keep the fast of Vijaya Ekadashi, and he would surely win victory and cross the sea.

He explained the rite: on the day before, set up a pot of gold, silver, copper or clay filled with water, with fresh leaves, and place on it a golden image of Narayana, with seven kinds of grain and barley. On Ekadashi, worship with incense, lamps, offerings and coconut; spend the day before the pot and keep vigil there through the night. On Dvadashi, give the pot to a brahmin.

Rama kept the Vijaya Ekadashi fast as the sage had taught, and by its power he won the victory. Brahma said that whoever keeps this fast with due rites wins victory in this world and the next, and that reading or hearing its story brings the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.

This katha is given as a retelling only: published versions tell it in different words and with different details, and we have not compared an original text for it. Every point in it appears in at least two of the published versions linked below.

About this text

Vijaya Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the dark fortnight (Krishna paksha) of Phalguna in the purnimanta calendar (the dark fortnight of Magha in the amanta calendar used in western and southern India). Its story belongs to the series in which each Ekadashi's glory is told, often as Krishna's answer to the Pandavas.

The published versions are in Hindi prose and differ in wording and in some names and details. The retelling above keeps only what at least two of the versions linked below agree on. For this year's date, see Ekadashi.