Saphala Ekadashi Encourages Devotees To Follow Their Dreams And Desires

On January 9, 2021, Hindus will be celebrating Saphala Ekadashi in India. Etymologically Sapahala means to succed and Ekadashi means 11^th day of Krishna Paksha (waning phase of the moon). On this day, devotees worship Lord Vishnu and wish for success and prosperity in life.

Here's how it is celebrated

On this day, the devotees observe a strict fast for 24 hours, starting from the sunrise of Saphala Ekadashi and ending with the sunrise the next day. Devotees worship Lord Vishnu, conduct puja and supplicate him with fruits and flowers. One of the important ingredients of the offerings is the Tulsi Leaf. It is believed that offering Tulsi Leaves to Lord Vishnu will help the devotees in getting rid of their sins and achieving success and dreams. However, Tulsi leaves are usually offered to the deity in all the pujas conducted for him. You can read this article to know the story that connects Lord Vishnu to Tulsi. Moreover, devotees do not sleep the whole day and decorate the house with diyas.

Also Read: 13 Indian Patriarchal Festivals That Each Feminist Should Question

The story behind the festival

According to Hindu mythology, a king named Mahishmata had four sons and the eldest, Lumpaka, was an arrogant man who troubled people. Even after several warnings and lessons when Lumpaka did not change his behaviour, the king exiled him. Lumpaka spent his exile in a forest and became a dacoit. He consumed only raw meat and fruits and lived under a tree. According to the scriptures, there was an idol of Lord Vishnu under the tree but Lumpaka never thought of worshipping it. And then he fell severely ill and for two straight days, he had nothing to eat or drink. On the day of Saphala Ekadashi, he finally bowed down in front of the idol and prayed for food and water. Lord Vishnu granted his wish and also directed him to go back to his kingdom. Lumpaka became one of the virtuous kings and had a happy long life.

Watching from the feminist lens

Saphala Ekadashi is a festival that encourages people to follow their dreams and aim for success. It is good that this festival is not restricted to a particular gender because everyone has the right to dream and achieve it, irrespective of gender, caste or race. However, does the belief behind the ritual translate into real life? Do women and men have the freedom to dream freely and achieve it? Be it a man or a woman, society doesn’t spare anyone when it comes to enforcing aims and dreams. A man is expected to handle the family business, even if he doesn’t want to. While a daughter is not allowed to inherit the family business even if she wants to. There are restrictions of both men and women on what career they should undertake. And the decision of the right career choice depends on whether the society finds it respectable.

Saphala Ekadashi is a festival that encourages people to follow their dreams and aim for success.

We also need to understand is that dreams and aims are subjective and personal. Have you ever allowed the social dictates to control the dreams that you have at night? No. Then why should we let them be the impediments when we gear up to chase our dreams? This is what, I feel, Sapahala Ekadashi teaches us. Every individual has the right to have a dream and succeed. No matter what, always strive for your aims and hope for success. And also make sure that your aims have you and your happiness at the centre.

If we follow religious beliefs, lets us also practice it in real lives. But, here I don’t intend to say that you should borrow the sexist and discriminatory beliefs also. All we need is a feminist lens to understand what is right and wrong in the pages of the religious scriptures so that we can unlearn those that are patriarchal without missing out on the good lessons that they teach us.

Also Read: We Need To Change The Way We Define Successful Women