WHY IS THIS VAIKUNTHA YEKADASHI MUKKOTI DWADASHI?

Sri Padma Purana mentions that Lord Vishnu, in spite of being aware of the tyranny that Mura demons had created, came to the door of his heavenly abode Vaikuntha and opened the doors. Earlier, Mura had approached Lord Shiva, who directed him to Vishnu by stating that Vishnu alone could give him a fight. However, Lord Vishnu pretends to be weaker than Mura, runs away from him and rests in a cave in Badari. From his fatigue emerged a goddess called Haimavati. While Lord Vishnu was still pretending to be tired and asleep, Mura dashes into the cave and gets burnt into ashes by a sheer glance of Haimavati. Lord Vishnu was impressed with her victory and the destruction of Mura and offers to bestow a boon. He calls her Yekadashi and she says that whoever observes fast on this Yekadashi should be redeemed of their sins and ge

t eligibility to have Mukti or Mokshada. Some sources state that the boon was sought by Mura. Generally, fasting is mandatory on all Yekadashis. But, fasting on this Margashira/Pushya Shukla Yekadashi is equal to fasting on the remaining 25 Yekadashis. It is stated that the over three crore deities descend from Heaven to have a holy bath at Tirupati and therefore Darshan of either Tirupati Balaji or Balaji at other temples is highly meritorious. Since Vishnu himself opened the doors of Vaikuntha to Mura, it is called Vaikuntha Yekadashi. As over three crore deities descended to Earth, the next day or Dwadashi is denoted as Mukkoti Dwadashi.

SRI KRISHNARPANAMASTU| SARVE JANAHA SUKHINO BHAVANTU||