Apara Ekadashi
Fasting day
From grains and beans, from sunrise
Break the fast ·
5:22 – 8:30 AM
Break the fast after sunrise and before Dvadashi ends.
What is Apara Ekadashi?
Apara Ekadashi comes in the dark fortnight of Jyaistha, between May and June. When Maharaja Yudhishthira asked Lord Sri Krishna about this Ekadashi, the Lord replied that it is called Apara and that its merit is unlimited. In 2027 devotees fast on Tuesday, 1 June.
Significance
Lord Krishna assures Yudhishthira that this fast wipes away even the gravest sins, and that whoever keeps it should worship Lord Trivikrama, the Vamana form of Lord Vishnu. The Lord likens its merit to bathing at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse and giving cows, elephants and gold there in charity, to bathing at Prayag, and to offering oblations at Gaya. Srila Prabhupada explains that the same blessing comes with every Ekadashi:
In the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa it is said that one who observes fasting on Ekādaśī is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful activities and advances in pious life.
The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 7
How to observe it
Keep away from grains and beans for the whole of 1 June, and spend the day chanting the holy names and hearing Krishna's reply to Yudhishthira. Among the sins the Lord names are bearing false witness, cheating in trade and speaking against one's own guru. Apara is therefore a fitting day to look honestly at one's faults and to offer the fast to Lord Trivikrama. Break the fast at Kurukshetra on Wednesday, 2 June, between 5:22 AM and 8:30 AM.
Read more: Apara Ekadashi
Questions
When is Apara Ekadashi in 2027?
Apara Ekadashi falls on Tuesday, 1 June 2027. It is the Ekadashi of the waning moon in Jyaistha, and the fast is broken the next morning, Wednesday, 2 June.
What time should I break the Apara Ekadashi fast in Kurukshetra?
Break the fast at Kurukshetra on Wednesday, 2 June 2027, between 5:22 AM and 8:30 AM IST. The window opens at sunrise and closes when the tithi ends.
Which Deity is worshipped on Apara Ekadashi?
Devotees worship Lord Trivikrama, the Vamana form of Lord Vishnu. Krishna tells Yudhishthira that whoever fasts and worships Him is freed from sins and promoted to the abode of Lord Vishnu.
What does Lord Krishna compare Apara Ekadashi to?
Lord Krishna compares its merit to bathing at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse and giving charity there, to bathing at Prayag in the month of Magha, and to offering oblations at Gaya.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Fasting day
- Break fast
- · 5:22–8:30 AM
- Fast from
- Grains and beans
- Deity worshipped
- Lord Trivikrama
- Narrated to
- Maharaja Yudhishthira
Seva for this day
Feed devotees and visitors on this holy day, or begin the Bhagavad-gita course with us.