Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2026

Once, in a remarkable kingdom, the tradition of **Ekadashi fasting** was observed with absolute rigor. The entire realm—from the King and his subjects to every servant and even the domesticated animals—abstained from food on that sacred day. One day, a man from a neighboring land arrived in search of employment. The King, impressed by the applicant, readily offered him a position but stipulated a single, non-negotiable condition: he would not be permitted to eat any food on Ekadashi. The man agreed and began his work.

The Test of Hunger

When the first Ekadashi arrived, the servant was given only **fruits** as his meal, in keeping with the tradition. However, the manual labor had left him ravenously hungry. He approached the King and pleaded, "Your Majesty, these few fruits are not enough to sustain me. I fear I will perish from hunger. I implore you, grant me some grains so I may live to serve another day." The King reminded the man sternly of their agreement, but witnessing his earnest distress, the King relented. He arranged for flour, dal, and fresh vegetables. The servant, deeply grateful, took the supplies, went to the nearby river for his usual bath, and began to prepare his meal.

The Divine Guest

Once the delicious food was ready, the servant performed a simple ritual and then called out with pure faith: **"Bhagwan, come and share this meal with me!"** To the servant’s astonishment and joy, Lord Vishnu himself—adorned in yellow robes and appearing in his **Chaturbhuj (four-armed) form**—manifested before him. The Lord sat, shared the meal prepared with devotion, and vanished as quickly as he had come, leaving the servant filled with spiritual joy.

The King’s Disbelief

Fifteen days later, on the next Ekadashi, the servant approached the King with an unusual request: he needed the supply of grains **doubled**. When the Maharaja asked for an explanation, the servant replied, "Last time, the provisions were insufficient because Bhagwan came and ate the food alongside me. I remained hungry because there wasn't enough for two." The King was stunned, then skeptical. "I cannot believe you," the King declared. "I observe the fast meticulously and worship Lord Vishnu every day, yet He has never once appeared before me." The servant respectfully challenged the King, "Maharaj, if you doubt my word, come and witness it yourself."

The Ultimate Devotion

On the designated Ekadashi, the two went to the riverside. The King secretly concealed himself behind a tree while the servant prepared his meal and began calling out to the Lord. He called repeatedly until evening began to fall, but Sri Hari did not appear. Despair consumed the servant. Having invited the King as a witness and failing to summon his Lord, he felt utterly disgraced. He declared, **"If the Lord will not honor my devotion, my life is meaningless!"** and prepared to jump into the rushing river to end his life. At that moment, seeing the servant's fierce and complete dedication—a will so strong he would sacrifice his life—Lord Vishnu immediately appeared. The Lord shared the meal with the servant, and after they finished, Shri Vishnu ushered the faithful servant onto his divine celestial plane and took him to his own abode.

The Moral of the Tale

Witnessing this astonishing divine play (Leela), the King finally understood the truth. He realized that merely **observing the ritualistic fast** was not enough to attain the Lord. True devotion requires a **pure heart, complete surrender, and unshakeable faith.** Subsequently, the King began to observe the Ekadashi fast with a renewed and pure intention. In time, he too attained heaven.

Prabodhini Ekadashi

Auspicious Timing for the Ritual

While Tulsi Vivah is popularly performed on **Prabodhini Ekadashi** (also known as Dev Uthani Ekadashi), the five-day period starting from Ekadashi and concluding on **Kartik Purnima** is also considered highly auspicious for the ceremony.

As per the **Padma Purana**, the ideal day for performing Tulsi Vivah is **Kartik Shukla Navami**. However, following the widely accepted tradition, the period spanning these five holy days from Ekadashi to Kartik Poornima remains the most popular time for this divine marriage.

The Story of Tulsi Vivah

The marriage between **Lord Shaligram** (a form of Vishnu) and **Mata Tulsi** is rooted in the legend of Vrinda, the extremely pious wife of the demon Jalandhar. Jalandhar could not be defeated as long as Vrinda's virtue and devotion remained intact.

To break this austerity, Lord Vishnu took a disguised form and tricked Vrinda, dissolving her piousness. This act allowed Lord Shiva to finally defeat and kill Jalandhar. Distraught by the deception, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu to turn into a black stone. Consequently, Lord Vishnu transformed into a stone image, known as **Shaligram**.

Upon the plea of Goddess Lakshmi, Vrinda withdrew her curse and immolated herself in the fire of sorrow. From her ashes, the sacred **Tulsi Plant** was born.

The Significance of the Marriage

To appease Tulsi, both Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu granted her a powerful boon: that anyone who worships the Tulsi plant would receive the combined blessings of **Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Tulsi**. To commemorate Tulsi's austerity and divine transformation, devotees organize the ritualistic marriage of Tulsi (Vrinda) to Lord Shaligram.

In essence, observing the Dev Uthani Ekadashi Vrat Katha and performing the Tulsi Vivah ritual on this day is considered highly auspicious, capable of **removing the sins accumulated over many births**.