🙏 Vrat Guide — व्रत मार्गदर्शन

Complete guide to Hindu fasting traditions, rules, and observances

Universal Fasting Rules

•Begin the fast at sunrise and break it as prescribed for each vrat (usually at moonrise, next sunrise, or specific time)

•Bathe before starting the fast and wear clean clothes

•Avoid grains on most fasts (Ekadashi, Pradosh) — fruits, milk, roots, nuts are allowed

•Maintain celibacy on fast days (some traditions)

•Recite the specific mantra or stotra associated with the deity

•Perform the associated puja (worship) in the evening or at the prescribed time

•Never break a fast with non-vegetarian food — always break with sattvic food

•Pregnant women, ill persons, and young children should consult a physician before strict fasting

Ekadashi Vrats

Why Fast on Ekadashi?

Ekadashi (11th lunar day) is the most universally observed fast in Hinduism. According to scriptures, Vishnu destroyed the demon Mura on this day, and a divine energy (Shakti) emerged from his body — this became known as Ekadashi Devi. Fasting on Ekadashi purifies the mind and body and is said to equal the merit of performing all other fasts combined.

Universal Fasting Rules

•Begin the fast at sunrise and break it as prescribed for each vrat (usually at moonrise, next sunrise, or specific time)

•Bathe before starting the fast and wear clean clothes

•Avoid grains on most fasts (Ekadashi, Pradosh) — fruits, milk, roots, nuts are allowed

•Maintain celibacy on fast days (some traditions)

•Recite the specific mantra or stotra associated with the deity

•Perform the associated puja (worship) in the evening or at the prescribed time

•Never break a fast with non-vegetarian food — always break with sattvic food

•Pregnant women, ill persons, and young children should consult a physician before strict fasting

Ekadashi Puja Sequence

1.Wake before sunrise, bathe

2.Sankalpa (vow of fasting)

3.Setup Vishnu idol/image with Tulsi

4.Offer: flowers, fruits, milk, Panchamrit abhishek

5.Recite Vishnu Sahasranama or Vishnu Stotram

6.Ekadashi Katha reading

7.Evening: Vishnu aarti

8.Next day at Parana time: break fast with grain after sunrise

All 24 Ekadashis

#	Name	Month / Paksha	Significance
1	Utpanna Ekadashi	Margashirsha Krishna	Origin of Ekadashi — Vishnu killed demon Mura
2	Mokshada Ekadashi	Margashirsha Shukla	Gita Jayanti — grants liberation to ancestors
3	Saphala Ekadashi	Pausha Krishna	Makes all endeavours fruitful
4	Putrada Ekadashi	Pausha Shukla	Grants boon of offspring; very auspicious
5	Shattila Ekadashi	Magha Krishna	Donation of sesame on this day destroys sins
6	Jaya Ekadashi	Magha Shukla	Destroys ghosts, liberation from lower realms
7	Vijaya Ekadashi	Phalguna Krishna	Rama fasted before Lanka battle — grants victory
8	Amalaki Ekadashi	Phalguna Shukla	Worship of the Amalaki tree — Vishnu resides in it
9	Papamochani Ekadashi	Chaitra Krishna	Destroys even the most heinous sins
10	Kamada Ekadashi	Chaitra Shukla	Fulfils all desires (Kama = desire, da = giver)
11	Varuthini Ekadashi	Vaishakha Krishna	Destroys poverty, grants good fortune
12	Mohini Ekadashi	Vaishakha Shukla	Removes the attachment which causes rebirth
13	Apara Ekadashi	Jyeshtha Krishna	Destroys the worst sins — infallible merit
14	Nirjala Ekadashi ★	Jyeshtha Shukla	Most austere — total fast without even water; equals all 24 in merit
15	Yogini Ekadashi	Ashadha Krishna	Destroys diseases, grants liberation
16	Devshayani Ekadashi	Ashadha Shukla	Vishnu sleeps for 4 months (Chaturmas begins)
17	Kamika Ekadashi	Shravana Krishna	Destroys the sin of killing a Brahmin
18	Shravana Putrada Ekadashi	Shravana Shukla	Grants wish for offspring
19	Aja Ekadashi	Bhadrapada Krishna	Aja = unborn/imperishable; frees from birth cycle
20	Parivartini Ekadashi	Bhadrapada Shukla	Vishnu turns over in cosmic sleep
21	Indira Ekadashi	Ashvina Krishna	Observed during Pitru Paksha — liberates ancestors
22	Papankusha Ekadashi	Ashvina Shukla	Destroys accumulated sins of many lives
23	Rama Ekadashi	Kartika Krishna	Destroys sins committed in ignorance
24	Devutthana Ekadashi ★	Kartika Shukla	Vishnu wakes — most auspicious Ekadashi; marriages begin

Pradosh Vrat

Pradosh Vrat Guide

Pradosh Vrat is observed on the 13th tithi (trayodashi) of both Krishna and Shukla paksha each month. The Pradosh window occurs approximately 1.5 hours before sunset to 1 hour after sunset — this is when Shiva is said to be in a dancing (Nataraja) form and most accessible to devotees.

Soma Pradosh (Monday)

Most auspicious — Moon + Shiva

Bhauma Pradosh (Tuesday)

Mars energy — courage, health

Saumya Pradosh (Wednesday)

Mercury — good for speech, trade

Guru Pradosh (Thursday)

Jupiter — wisdom, expansion

Shukra Pradosh (Friday)

Venus — beauty, relationships

Shani Pradosh (Saturday)

Saturn — hard work, discipline

Pradosh Puja Items

•Bilva patra (Bel leaves) ★ Essential

•Milk for Shivalinga abhishek

•Honey, curd, ghee, water

•Dhatura (thorn apple)

•Blue lotus or white flowers

•Vibhuti (sacred ash)

•Camphor for aarti

•Black sesame (Shani Pradosh)

Weekly Vratas

Monday — Somvar Vrat

Shiva

Fast from sunrise to moonrise. Eat only after Shiva puja. White food preferred. Avoid non-veg, alcohol.

Tuesday — Mangalvar Vrat

Hanuman / Durga / Mars

Optional fast. Red clothing preferred. Recite Hanuman Chalisa. Offer red flowers, vermilion.

Thursday — Brihaspativar Vrat

Jupiter / Vishnu / Brihaspati

Yellow food preferred (gram dal, yellow rice). Wear yellow. Worship Vishnu with tulsi and yellow flowers.

Friday — Shukravar Vrat

Lakshmi / Santoshi Mata

Fast for 16 Fridays for Santoshi Mata. Avoid sour food. Offer white flowers to Lakshmi. Listen to Santoshi Mata Katha.

Saturday — Shanivar Vrat

Saturn / Hanuman

Fast from sunrise to sunset. Offer black sesame, mustard oil lamp to Saturn. Recite Shani Stotram. Donate black items to poor.

Monthly Vratas

Ekadashi

Vishnu

Timing: 11th tithi (both pakshas)

Grain-free fast. Fruits, milk, roots allowed. No rice.

Pradosh Vrat

Shiva

Timing: 13th tithi (both pakshas)

Fast until after Pradosh puja (sunset window ±1.5h). Bilva offering required.

Sankashti Chaturthi

Ganesha

Timing: 4th tithi Krishna Paksha

Fast until moonrise. Break fast after seeing moon and offering modak to Ganesha.

Vinayaka Chaturthi

Ganesha

Timing: 4th tithi Shukla Paksha

Mild fast — some observe, some do not. Modak offering.

Purnima Vrat

Vishnu / Ancestors

Timing: 15th tithi Shukla Paksha

Partial fast. Full moon puja. Satyanarayan Katha recommended.

Amavasya Shradha

Ancestors (Pitrs)

Timing: New moon (Amavasya)

Not a fast but a day for ancestral offerings (Tarpan). Avoid new auspicious starts.

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