Shattila Ekadashi

Shattila Ekadashi

Shattila Ekadashi is a Vishnu vrat observed on Magha Krishna Ekadashi in the purnimanta calendar. In amanta calendars the same tithi falls in Pausha Krishna. The name is often read as a reference to til (sesame) — the observance is traditionally associated with sesame in its charity, bathing and food customs. Dates for this year and the next two are computed from the panchang and listed on this page.

Significance

Shattila Ekadashi belongs to the monthly Ekadashi cycle dedicated to Vishnu. It falls in the Krishna paksha of Magha (purnimanta reckoning), which places it in the winter stretch of the Hindu year — a period when sesame features prominently in ritual and dietary practice across many regions.

The vrat is kept by householders and by those who follow a regular Ekadashi discipline. It is not tied to a single community: Smarta and Vaishnava households both observe it, though the surrounding customs — which katha is read, how the day is broken, what is offered — can differ. In North India the purnimanta month name is used; in parts of South India and in amanta reckoning the month is given as Pausha. Both descriptions point to the same tithi.

As with other Ekadashi vrats, the emphasis is on restraint, remembrance of Vishnu, and giving. The brief does not assign specific material or health results to the observance, and readers are encouraged to treat the vrat as a matter of personal discipline and faith rather than a transaction.

Vrat vidhi step by step

The vidhi below follows the brief. Families and lineages vary, and it is common to follow the practice of one's own household or guru.

• Day before: take a simple meal in the evening and set the intention to keep the vrat.
• On Ekadashi: rise before sunrise, bathe, and take sankalpa — a formal resolve to observe the fast.
• Worship: offer prayers to Vishnu. Light a lamp, offer flowers and, where customary, sesame, and recite Vishnu's names or the Vishnu Sahasranama.
• Fast: abstain from grains for the day.
• Night: many keep vigil with japa, kirtan or reading of the katha.
• Next morning: perform parana — break the fast — after sunrise and within Dwadashi.

Those who cannot keep a full fast sometimes take only water, fruit or milk, but the brief specifies the grain fast as the core observance. If you are unsure how to adapt the vrat for your circumstances, consult a qualified jyotishi or your family priest.

What to eat and avoid

The central food rule is simple: fast from grains. This is the observance named in the brief, and it is the point on which most households agree.

• Avoid: grains for the duration of the fast.
• Permitted in many households: water, milk, fruit, and other non-grain foods, depending on the family's practice.
• Parana: the fast is broken the next morning after sunrise, within Dwadashi.

Regional and lineage differences are common. Some keep a strict water-only fast; others take fruit and milk. The brief does not prescribe a single menu beyond the grain fast, so follow your household tradition. If you have health concerns, speak to a doctor before fasting; this page offers no medical guidance.

Parana rules

Parana — the breaking of the fast — is done the next morning after sunrise and within Dwadashi. This is the rule given in the brief.

In practice, the parana window is the Dwadashi tithi that follows the Ekadashi. Because tithi timings shift month to month, the exact window is best read from the panchang for your location rather than assumed. The dates and parana timings shown on this page are drawn from the panchang; use them as your reference.

If you miss the window, traditions differ on how to proceed — some advise a simple grain meal after the window and a resolve to keep the next Ekadashi carefully. Where customs diverge, this page does not pick one; follow your family or guru's guidance.

Katha in brief

The katha associated with Shattila Ekadashi is traditionally read on the day of the vrat. In keeping with the brief, this page does not retell the full story or add details that are not given. Readers who wish to hear or read the katha in full can do so from their family's customary text or from a qualified teacher.

What the brief does establish is the frame: the vrat is dedicated to Vishnu, observed on Magha Krishna Ekadashi (Pausha Krishna in amanta reckoning), kept as a grain fast, and broken the next morning after sunrise within Dwadashi. Around that frame, the katha is narrated in the household's own tradition.

Common questions

When is the next Shattila Ekadashi? Dates for this year and the next two are computed from the panchang and listed on this page.

How is Shattila Ekadashi observed? Fast from grains; parana next morning after sunrise, within Dwadashi.