🌿 Dev Uthani Ekadashi (Tulsi Vivah) Vrat Katha
The story
In a king's realm everyone kept the Ekadashi fast — so strictly that even animals and birds got no grain that day. Lord Vishnu decided to test him: taking the form of a beautiful woman he sat by the royal road. The king was enchanted and proposed marriage; she set a condition — 'All authority over the kingdom will be mine and you will obey my every word.'
On Ekadashi the queen had meat and wine cooked in the palace and told the king to eat. The king said — 'It is Ekadashi today; I do not even eat fruit, how can I eat this?' The queen said — 'Then bring me the head of your elder son.' The king was torn; the younger queen said 'better to break the fast', but the elder son said — 'Father, do not abandon dharma, take my head.' As the king raised the sword the Lord appeared — 'King, you stayed firm in dharma; ask a boon.' The king asked — 'I want nothing now but your refuge.' Since then it is said that the Dev Uthani fast asks for unshakeable faith.
The Tulsi Vivah story — Vrinda was the devoted wife of the demon Jalandhar; her chastity made him invincible. At the gods' request Vishnu took Jalandhar's form and broke Vrinda's vow, and Jalandhar was killed. Vrinda cursed Vishnu to become stone (Shaligram) and became sati; from her ashes grew the Tulsi plant. Vishnu granted — 'As Tulsi you will always be worshipped with me; on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi I will wed you.' Hence the Tulsi-Shaligram wedding, and no Vishnu offering is complete without a Tulsi leaf.
Why this katha — the significance
Of the 24 Ekadashis of the year, Dev Uthani is regarded as the greatest — it marks both the beginning of 'Bhishma Panchak' and the end of Chaturmas. The fast of this day is said to equal the merit of a thousand yajnas.
Tulsi Vivah is performed like the wedding of a daughter of the house — families without a daughter earn the merit of kanyadaan by giving Tulsi away, so the belief goes. Only after Tulsi Vivah are weddings in the home considered auspicious.
The Ekadashi fast lasts from sunrise until the paran after sunrise the next day (Dwadashi) — which is why the Dwadashi date is also shown above. Paran should be done within the Dwadashi, after the Hari Vasar (the first quarter of Dwadashi) has passed and before the Dwadashi ends.
How the katha is heard
- Hear or read the katha after the puja, before the aarti — the whole family sits together.
- The one keeping the vrat should listen with a calm mind; keep a lamp lit and a little akshat-flowers in hand.
- At the end, offer the flowers at the deity's feet and bow; share the prasad with everyone.
📿 Dev Uthani Ekadashi (Tulsi Vivah) puja vidhi (step by step) →
Frequently asked questions
When is Dev Uthani Ekadashi in {Y}?
The date at the top is this year's Kartik Shukla Ekadashi — from panchang calculations; the Dwadashi (paran and, in many homes, Tulsi Vivah) is shown too. In a year when the Ekadashi touches no sunrise (tithi kshaya), it is observed on the day the tithi is present.
Tulsi Vivah on Ekadashi or Dwadashi?
Both are common — usually Ekadashi evening in North India; Dwadashi (Kshirabdhi Dwadashi) or any day up to Purnima in Maharashtra-Gujarat-South. Follow your family's custom.
When to do the Ekadashi paran?
On Dwadashi after sunrise, once the Hari Vasar (first quarter of Dwadashi) has passed and before the Dwadashi ends — usually around 7-9 am. The Dwadashi date is above; the exact span is on the panchang page.
Why do weddings begin after Dev Uthani?
During Chaturmas (Devshayani to Dev Uthani) Vishnu is in sleep, so auspicious works pause; as soon as the Lord wakes, Tulsi Vivah is the first wedding and the wedding season opens.
What is Bhishma Panchak?
The five days from Dev Uthani Ekadashi to Kartik Purnima — Bhishma Pitamah gave his teaching to the Pandavas from the bed of arrows in these days; fasting and charity in these five days is held to be specially fruitful.
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