Pavitrā Ekādaśī, The vratas of the 2nd month of Ćāturmāsya start, Hayagrīva-jayantī

* — Pāraṇam (completing the fast by taking water and food) is to be performed during standard period of time: after sunrise and before the first fifth of the daylight ends. Pāraṇam time could be calculated with “Vaiṣṇavaṁ Pañchāṅgam” software.

< — Pāraṇam must be done before the time specified (in 24-hour format)

> — Pāraṇam must be done after the time specified (in 24-hour format)

HV > — The last quater of Ekādaśī-tithi (Hari-vāsara) starts from the time specified (in 24-hour format). If the starting time is after the midnight, the following date is mentioned with the time. The last quater of Ekādaśī-tithi is considered to be Hari-vāsara and should be strictly observed with Ekādaśī vows even when the observation of Ekādaśī fast follows the next day.

The vows of the second month of Ćāturmāsya: dadhi-vratam

Observance of the vows of the second month of Ćāturmāsya (Dadhi-vratam - abstinence from fermented dairy products) commences on Pavitrā Ekādaśī. All kinds of fermented dairy products (yoghurt, soured milk, doogh, kefir, quark, all types of cheese, cultured butter, etc.), as well as foods which contain them, are forbidden. Whey, ghṛta (clarified butter, ghee), and traditional buttermilk (san: takram; kan majjege) are not considered to be fermented dairy products.

Meanwhile the vows of the first month of Ćāturmāsya are to be observed through the day of completing the vow, as śāka-vratam is to be observed not only in the first month of Catūrmāsya but on daśamī (the day before Ekādaśī fast) and dvādaśī (the day after Ekādaśī fast) throughout Ćāturmāsya.

Starting from the day next after the day of completing Putradā Ekādaśī fast, one can take vegetables, fruits, greens and other foods forbidden in the first month, excluding those forbidden throughout Ćāturmāsya. The first offering of these greens and vegetables is to be given to worthy brāhmaṇas.

The accomplishment of the śāka-vrata vow is to be offered unto the Supreme Lord:

Śāka-vrata-samarpaṇam —

वासुदेव नमस्तुभ्यं प्रथमे मासि मत्कृतम् ।
शाकव्रतं मया तेन सन्तुष्टो भव माधव ॥

vāsudeva namas tubhyaṁ prathame māsi mat-kṛtam •
śāka-vrataṁ mayā tena santuṣṭo bhava mādhava ••

“Namaḥ unto You, Vāsudeva! Oh Mādhava, let the observance of śāka-vrata by me in the first month draw Your satisfaction to me!”

Saṅkalpam - taking the vow of dadhi-vrata:

सङ्कर्षणारविन्दाक्ष करिष्येहं दधिव्रतम् ।
द्वितीये मासि देवेश निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे प्रभो ॥

saṅkarṣaṇāravindākṣa kariṣye’haṁ dadhi-vratam •
dvitīye māsi deveśa nirvighnaṁ kuru me prabho ••

“Saṅkarṣaṇa! Aravindākṣa! I will observe dadhi-vrata in the second month. O Lord of all devas, Omnipresent! deliver me from obstacles to the observance.”

For any case, here is the list of foods forbidden throughout Ćāturmāsya:

• Beans (including green bean);
• Pigeon pea (Cajanus Cajan, tūvaram or tūvarī in Sanskrit, tūr-dāl in Hindi, tūgarī kālu in Kannada, Straucherbse in German) – this legume is the main ingredient of “rasam” soup in South Bhārat. Here is a picture of dried pigeon peas:

• citrons;
• forbidden vegetables (i.e. vegetables that are always forbidden, such as garlic, onion, eggplants, red lentils, etc.)

There are two great holidays on the forthcoming Pūrṇimā: Hayagrīva-jayantī and Pavitrāropaṇotsava.

Hayagrīva-jayantī

Hayagrīva-jayantī - the day of Appearance of Bhagavan Hayagrīva in His Self-Form of manhorse. In this Form He goes by the names of Hayavadana, Hayaśīrṣa, Nṛturaṅga and others. At the beginning of every Sṛṣṭi Hayagrīva becomes Deity-Giver of knowledge and Deity-Protector from misrepresentation of Veda, returning Vedas to sātvika-Ćaturmukha and killing asuras of tamasa and rajasa Madhu and Kaitabhu.

Hayagrīva-jayantī is of particular significance for Sode Maṭha (one of the eight maṭhas of Uḍupi), as Vādirāja-Tīrtha, one of its Primates, was marked with the special mercy of Hayagrīva-Bhagavān and dedicated a large number of glorious doxologies to Him.

Pavitrāropaṇotsava, the ceremony of offering pavitras.

For the sake of absolution for all mistakes, inadvertences and errors in rites and offerings during the whole preceding year silk threads with 12, 24 or 36 knots (‘pavitram’) are offered to mūrtis of Bhagavān on the Pūrṇimā of Śravaṇa month. Afterwards, these pavitras are sent to other maṭhas and distributed to bhaktas. In Uḍupi offered pavitras are known as ‘Kalki-prasāda’.

Kindly direct your inquiries upon fasts and vratas, as well as corrections, suggestions, infromation on time zone changes, and requests to include new places for calculation to ekaadashii@gmail.com.

Ekādaśī-vratas are calculated with “Vaiṣṇavaṁ Pañchāṅgam”, created by Āśutoṣa. You may support the development of this software through Github "Sponsor" button (look for the heart symbol).

Respectfully yours,
Nārasiṁha