Yogini Ekadashi Date 2027: Vrat Katha, Puja Vidhi, Parana, Mantras and Link with Chaturmas

Yogini Ekadashi is the Ekadashi of the Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight) of Ashadha, a day of fasting and worship of Lord Vishnu. It falls after Nirjala Ekadashi and just before Devshayani Ekadashi, which makes it the last Ekadashi before Chaturmas begins. By tradition, this vrat is said to wash away sins committed knowingly or unknowingly.

Its katha is the story of Hemamali, the gardener of Kubera. He neglected his duty, was cursed, fell from heaven to earth and suffered a severe illness. On the advice of Rishi Markandeya he kept the Yogini Ekadashi fast and regained his divine form. Tradition holds that the merit of this fast equals feeding 88,000 Brahmins.

This guide covers the date and parana time, the meaning of the name, the full vrat katha, a step-by-step puja vidhi, mantras, fasting rules, the link with Chaturmas and common myths.

When is Yogini Ekadashi in 2027? Date, Tithi and Parana Time

Quick answer: Yogini Ekadashi 2026 (10 July) has passed. The next Yogini Ekadashi is on Wednesday, 30 June 2027. As per the New Delhi panchang, Ekadashi tithi runs from 10:03 PM on 29 June 2027 to 8:30 PM on 30 June, and parana can be done on the morning of 1 July 2027, roughly between 5:27 AM and 8:13 AM.

Check the table above for the exact fasting date and parana time in your city, because timings shift with local sunrise. In 2027 the Smarta (householder) and Vaishnava (ISKCON and others) traditions keep the fast on the same day. In years when the two dates differ, as they did in 2026, the table shows both.

Meaning and Other Names of Yogini Ekadashi

The word “Yogini” comes from “yoga”, which means union, the joining of the soul with the Divine. In the katha, Lord Krishna says this Ekadashi gives happiness in this world and liberation in the next. Many devotees therefore see it as a fast that draws the mind towards discipline and spiritual practice.

The story adds another layer. The curse separated Hemamali from his wife and his home, and the fast reunited him with his divine form, his wife and his place in Alakapuri. So some call it the Ekadashi that “joins back together”. This is an interpretation; the Purana does not explain the word separately.

Other names

• Ashadha Krishna Ekadashi: its plain name in the North Indian calendar.
• Jyeshtha Krishna Ekadashi: the same tithi in the Amanta calendar of South and West India.

Month in the Purnimanta and Amanta calendars

In the Purnimanta calendar followed in North India, months end on Purnima, so Yogini Ekadashi falls in Ashadha Krishna Paksha. In the Amanta calendar used in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and South India, months end on Amavasya, so the same Ekadashi is called Jyeshtha Krishna Paksha.

The date is the same in both calendars; only the month name changes. On the Gregorian calendar it usually falls in late June or July.

Significance of Yogini Ekadashi

Religious significance

According to tradition, Lord Krishna told Yudhishthira that Yogini Ekadashi destroys even grave sins. It is described as a boat for those drowning in the ocean of worldly life. Those who keep it with faith are believed to find happiness in this life and liberation at the end.

The best-known belief about this Ekadashi is that its merit equals feeding 88,000 Brahmins. Many tellings add that even reading or hearing its katha brings the same merit. A separate section below explains what this means.

It also has a special place in the calendar. It comes just before Devshayani Ekadashi, when Lord Vishnu enters four months of yoga-nidra and Chaturmas begins. Devotees therefore treat Yogini Ekadashi as a fast of preparation for Chaturmas.

Spiritual message

Hemamali’s story is very human. He committed no great crime; he simply got lost in pleasure and forgot his daily duty. The story reminds us that carelessness and laziness in seva and devotion can also take us away from our goal.

The second message is honesty and repentance. When Rishi Markandeya asked what he had done, Hemamali hid nothing, and the sage helped him because of that truthfulness. Owning one’s mistake is the first step to setting it right.

Mention in the Puranas

By tradition, the katha of Yogini Ekadashi is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Yudhishthira. ISKCON and several Vaishnava sources link it to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, while some panchangs and articles place it in the Padma Purana. Most Hindi tellings simply call it “a story told in the Puranas”.

Yudhishthira had just heard the glory of Nirjala Ekadashi of Jyeshtha Shukla Paksha and then asked about the Ekadashi of Ashadha Krishna Paksha. In some tellings Arjuna asks the question, but in most the listener is Yudhishthira.

Yogini Ekadashi Vrat Katha

Below is a simple retelling of the traditional katha, suitable for reading aloud during puja.

Yudhishthira’s question

Dharmaraja Yudhishthira said to Lord Krishna, “O Vasudeva, I have heard the glory of Nirjala Ekadashi of Jyeshtha Shukla Paksha. Now kindly tell me the name and the fruit of the Ekadashi of Ashadha Krishna Paksha.”

Krishna replied, “O King, the Ekadashi of Ashadha Krishna Paksha is called Yogini. It destroys great sins and gives happiness in this world and liberation in the next. Listen carefully as I tell you its story from the Puranas.”

Kubera of Alakapuri and his gardener Hemamali

In the heavenly city of Alakapuri ruled Kubera, king of the Yakshas and treasurer of the gods. Kubera was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and worshipped him every day. In his service was a Yaksha gardener named Hemamali.

Hemamali’s task was to bring fragrant flowers from Lake Manasarovar every day so that Kubera’s midday Shiva puja could happen on time. His wife was Vishalakshi, a woman of great beauty, and Hemamali loved her deeply.

Neglect of duty

One day Hemamali brought the flowers from Manasarovar, but instead of going to Kubera he went home. There he became so absorbed in his wife’s company that he lost all sense of time. The flowers stayed at his house.

Kubera waited for the flowers for his Shiva puja. Midday passed and Hemamali did not come. Kubera sent his attendants to find him, and they returned saying, “Maharaj, Hemamali is at home, lost in pleasure with his wife.”

Kubera’s anger and the curse

Kubera was furious and summoned Hemamali at once. Trembling with fear, Hemamali stood before him. Kubera said, “Sinner, you have dishonoured the worship of Lord Shiva. I curse you to suffer separation from your wife and to live on earth, the world of mortals, afflicted with leprosy (kodh).”

As soon as the curse was spoken, Hemamali fell from Alakapuri to the earth. His divine form was gone, his body was struck by disease and his wife was lost to him. Some traditions describe the illness as white leprosy (shvet kushtha).

Suffering and faith on earth

On earth Hemamali wandered through a dense, frightening forest with no food and no water. He endured cold, heat and rain. Yet by Lord Shiva’s grace his mind stayed clear and he remembered his former life.

Remembering his mistake with regret, he travelled across mountains and plains towards the Himalayas. One day he reached the ashram of the great sage Rishi Markandeya, who in tradition is honoured as a chiranjivi, one blessed with an extraordinarily long life.

Rishi Markandeya’s advice

Hemamali bowed at the sage’s feet. The sage asked with compassion, “What deed has brought this suffering upon you?” Hemamali hid nothing. He told the whole truth about his carelessness, Kubera’s anger and the curse, and asked for a way out.

Pleased with his honesty, Markandeya said, “You have spoken the truth, so I will tell you a path to welfare. In the Krishna Paksha of Ashadha comes the Ekadashi called Yogini. Keep its fast with proper observance. Its merit will destroy your sins and free you from the curse.”

The fast and Hemamali’s release

Hemamali bowed to the sage again and again and kept the Yogini Ekadashi fast with full devotion, worshipping Lord Vishnu and completing the vrat according to the rules.

Through the power of the fast his illness left him and he regained his beautiful, divine Yaksha form. He returned to Alakapuri and lived happily once more with his wife Vishalakshi. Some tellings add that his body began to shine like gold.

The fruit of the katha

Concluding the story, Krishna said, “O King, the fruit of keeping Yogini Ekadashi equals that of feeding 88,000 Brahmins. It destroys all sins, and in the end the devotee attains liberation and a higher realm.”

In some traditions the wife is named Swarupavati, and some Hindi texts give the number as 80,000. The heart of the story is the same everywhere: a fast kept with true repentance and faith opens the door to God’s grace.

Yogini Ekadashi Puja Vidhi (Step by Step)

The method below is simple enough to follow at home. If your family tradition or guru teaches differently, follow that.

Dashami (the day before)

1. Eat one light, sattvic meal before sunset. Avoid onion, garlic, meat and alcohol.
2. Observe celibacy that night. Some traditions advise sleeping on the floor.
3. Clean the puja space and gather the samagri in advance.
4. Pluck tulsi leaves on Dashami itself, because plucking tulsi on Ekadashi is traditionally avoided.

Ekadashi morning and sankalp

1. Wake before sunrise, in Brahma muhurta, and bathe. Some traditions suggest adding a few sesame seeds or kusha to the bath water, or a little Ganga jal.
2. Wear clean clothes, yellow if possible, as yellow is considered dear to Lord Vishnu.
3. Offer water to the Sun.
4. Holding water, akshat and a flower, take the sankalp: “I (name, gotra) will keep the Yogini Ekadashi fast today to please Lord Vishnu and for peace from my known and unknown sins, as per my capacity (nirjala / phalahar / one meal).” Then release the water on the ground.

Worship of Lord Vishnu

1. Spread a yellow cloth on a chowki and place an idol or picture of Lord Vishnu (Narayana).
2. Place a water-filled kalash with mango leaves and a coconut beside it, and light a ghee lamp.
3. Bathe the deity with Ganga jal or panchamrit, then with clean water.
4. Offer chandan, roli, akshat, yellow flowers and tulsi leaves.
5. Show incense and the lamp, and offer seasonal fruit, mishri, jaggery or panchamrit as bhog, always with a tulsi leaf.
6. Chant “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya” at least 108 times.
7. Read or listen to the Yogini Ekadashi vrat katha with your family.
8. End with the Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti and the Ekadashi Mata Ki Aarti.

Through the day, evening and night

1. Avoid sleeping during the day and keep the mind on God.
2. Read the Vishnu Sahasranama, the Bhagavad Gita or stories of the Lord when you can.
3. Stay away from anger, gossip, lies and harsh words.
4. In the evening, light a lamp near the tulsi plant without touching or plucking it, and do aarti again.
5. Tradition values a night jagran of bhajan, kirtan and naam jap. If staying up all night is hard, spend at least a few hours in remembrance, keeping your health in mind.

Dwadashi and parana

1. On Dwadashi morning, bathe and worship Lord Vishnu.
2. If possible, feed a Brahmin or someone in need, and donate grain, clothes or a vessel of water as per your means.
3. Break the fast within the parana time shown in the table above, with water or prasad containing a tulsi leaf.
4. Keep the Dwadashi meal sattvic and simple.

Puja Samagri List

• Idol or picture of Lord Vishnu (Narayana)
• Chowki and yellow cloth
• Water-filled kalash, mango leaves and a coconut
• Ganga jal
• Panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar)
• Tulsi leaves (plucked the day before)
• Yellow flowers and a garland
• Chandan, roli, turmeric and akshat (whole rice, for puja only)
• Ghee lamp, cotton wicks and incense
• Seasonal fruit, mishri, jaggery and dry fruits for bhog
• Yellow cloth to offer the deity
• Tulsi mala for jap
• Bel leaves and water (if you also remember Lord Shiva)
• Grain, clothes, fruit or a water vessel for daan

Yogini Ekadashi Mantras

What matters most in jap is faith and focus. Chant one or more of these as you are able; a tulsi mala is considered auspicious.

1. Dvadashakshara mantra

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय॥ (Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya)

Meaning: Salutations to Lord Vasudeva (Vishnu), who dwells within all beings. This twelve-syllable mantra is the one most chanted on Ekadashi, traditionally 108 times.

2. Vishnu Gayatri mantra

ॐ नारायणाय विद्महे वासुदेवाय धीमहि। तन्नो विष्णुः प्रचोदयात्॥ (Om Narayanaya Vidmahe Vasudevaya Dhimahi, Tanno Vishnuh Prachodayat)

Meaning: We contemplate Narayana and meditate on Vasudeva; may Lord Vishnu inspire and guide our intellect. It can be chanted 11 or 108 times after the morning puja.

3. Vishnu dhyana mantra

शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं, विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम्। लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं, वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम्॥

Meaning: I bow to Lord Vishnu, peaceful in form, resting on the serpent, from whose navel the lotus rises, lord of the gods, support of the universe, vast as the sky, dark as a rain cloud, beautiful of limb, beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis through meditation, remover of the fear of worldly life and sole lord of all the worlds.

4. Panchakshara Shiva mantra

ॐ नमः शिवाय॥ (Om Namah Shivaya)

Meaning: Salutations to Lord Shiva. Since the katha centres on Kubera’s Shiva puja, some devotees also offer water and bel leaves on a Shivling and chant this mantra. This is optional; the main worship of the day is of Lord Vishnu.

Yogini Ekadashi and Chaturmas

About two weeks after Yogini Ekadashi comes Devshayani Ekadashi of Ashadha Shukla Paksha. By tradition, Lord Vishnu then enters yoga-nidra in the ocean of milk and the four-month Chaturmas begins, ending on Devuthani Ekadashi of Kartik Shukla Paksha.

Yogini Ekadashi is therefore the last Ekadashi before Chaturmas. Many devotees use it to prepare body and mind for the discipline ahead. During Chaturmas, auspicious ceremonies such as weddings and griha pravesh are generally not held, and the focus turns to bhakti, jap, satsang and restraint. Many devotees use Yogini Ekadashi to decide which simple Chaturmas vow, such as daily jap, they will keep.

Merit Equal to Feeding 88,000 Brahmins: What It Means

The most common question about this Ekadashi is why its merit is said to equal feeding 88,000 Brahmins. This statement comes from the mahatmya (glorification) of the fast and is very well known in tradition.

In ancient society, feeding Brahmins and giving food were counted among the greatest acts of merit. The mahatmya is saying that a single day’s fast kept with sincere faith can bring merit as great as an enormous act of charity.

It is not meant as a transaction or a calculation. It is the traditional way of praising a vrat: the purity of mind that comes from restraint, devotion and repentance is worth as much as the biggest donations. A few Hindi texts give the figure as 80,000, but most sources say 88,000.

What to donate on this day

• Grain, flour, dal or cooked food (you do not eat grain on Ekadashi, but you may give it)
• Seasonal fruit and sweets
• A pot or vessel of water, since this fast falls in peak summer or early monsoon
• An umbrella, footwear or clothes
• Service and help to the needy, elderly or sick

Skin Disease and Yogini Ekadashi: Faith with Good Sense

Because Hemamali was struck with leprosy in the katha, many people believe the Yogini Ekadashi fast brings relief from skin ailments. This is a religious belief and should be understood as a matter of faith.

In the story, the disease stands for the curse. Its message is that recognising a mistake, repenting and taking refuge in God can bring joy back into life. The story is not meant to blame anyone who is ill, and linking a person’s illness to their sins is not right.

If you or someone in your family has a skin condition, see a doctor alongside your prayers and fasting. Leprosy today is curable, and treatment is available in government hospitals in India. Faith strengthens the mind and treatment heals the body; the two can go together.

What to Eat and Avoid in the Yogini Ekadashi Fast

Giving up grain is the central rule of the Ekadashi fast. Choose the type of fast according to your health, age and tradition.

What you can eat

• Seasonal fruit such as banana, apple, papaya, mango, melon and pomegranate
• Milk, curd, buttermilk and paneer
• Sabudana, singhara flour, kuttu flour and rajgira (as per family custom)
• Potato, sweet potato, arbi and pumpkin
• Peanuts, makhana, almonds, raisins and other dry fruits
• Sendha (rock) salt, black pepper and cumin
• Coconut water, lemon water and plain water

What to avoid

• Rice and anything made from rice (the strictest Ekadashi rule)
• Wheat, barley, maize, millet and all grains
• Dals, chana, masoor and besan
• Onion and garlic
• Meat, fish, eggs and alcohol
• Ordinary iodised salt (use sendha salt instead)
• Tobacco and all intoxicants

This fast falls in hot, humid weather, so if you are taking water, drink enough through the day.

Nirjala fast

A nirjala fast means no food and no water for the whole day. It is the strictest form and can be hard in Ashadha’s heat, so keep it only if you are fully healthy and have done such fasts before.

Phalahar fast

In a phalahar fast you skip grain and take fruit, milk, nuts and permitted fasting foods. Most householders keep this form, which is gentler on the body while keeping the spirit of the vrat.

One meal (ekabhukta)

Those who cannot fast fully can take one sattvic phalahar meal in the day. This suits the elderly, the weak and those on regular medication. Grain and rice are still avoided.

Yogini Ekadashi Parana: When and How to Break the Fast

Parana means breaking the fast. It is done the next day, on Dwadashi tithi, after sunrise. Breaking it at the right time is considered part of the vrat.

• Within Dwadashi: Parana should be done before Dwadashi tithi ends; breaking it after Dwadashi is considered a fault.
• Avoid Hari Vasara: The first quarter of Dwadashi tithi is called Hari Vasara. Parana is not done in this period, only after it ends.
• Morning is best: Early morning is the preferred time. Parana at midday is avoided unless there is no other option.
• Smarta and Vaishnava: In some years the Smarta and Vaishnava (ISKCON) dates and parana windows differ, and the Vaishnava window is sometimes a little longer. Follow your own tradition.

The correct parana time for your city is in the table above. It changes with local sunrise, so please check your own city.

How to do parana

1. Bathe on Dwadashi morning, bow to Lord Vishnu and light a lamp.
2. Offer bhog to the Lord with a tulsi leaf in it.
3. First take a little water or charanamrit with a tulsi leaf.
4. Then eat a light sattvic meal. Many traditions consider it auspicious to break the fast with rice, since rice is avoided on Ekadashi.
5. Give food and daan to a Brahmin or someone in need before or after parana.
6. Do not jump to heavy, fried food after a long fast; eat slowly.

Dos and Don’ts on Yogini Ekadashi

Do

• Rise early, bathe and wear clean clothes.
• Worship Lord Vishnu and offer tulsi leaves.
• Read or listen to the Yogini Ekadashi vrat katha.
• Chant “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya” or recite the Vishnu Sahasranama.
• Admit a mistake of your own in your heart and resolve to correct it, as Hemamali did.
• Do your daily duties at home, at work and in seva on time and with care.
• Give food, water or clothes to those in need.
• Light a lamp near the tulsi in the evening.

Don’t

• Eat rice or any grain.
• Pluck tulsi leaves on Ekadashi.
• Consume onion, garlic, meat or alcohol.
• Gossip about, insult or speak ill of anyone.
• Give in to anger or tell lies.
• Sleep during the day.
• Put off puja or seva; the main lesson of the katha is not to neglect one’s duty.
• Taunt or blame anyone who is ill, especially someone with a skin condition.
• Force yourself into a strict fast when your health does not allow it.

Yogini Ekadashi Myths and Reality (Myth vs Reality)

Myth: Keeping Yogini Ekadashi cures every skin disease, so no treatment is needed.

Reality: In the katha, the healing of Hemamali’s illness symbolises release from a curse. Tradition links this fast with the removal of sins and purity of mind. Fasting and prayer strengthen the mind, but never stop a doctor’s treatment for any illness. Keep faith and treatment together.

Myth: Skin disease or leprosy is punishment for sins of a past life.

Reality: The katha describes one specific Puranic event, a curse given by Kubera. It is not right to apply it to real patients. Illnesses have their own causes and their own treatments. Blaming or shunning a sick person goes against the compassion that Ekadashi teaches.

Myth: Without a nirjala fast, Yogini Ekadashi gives no merit.

Reality: Tradition describes several forms of fasting: nirjala, phalahar and one meal. What matters most is devotion and keeping the rules. A fast kept within your capacity, with full faith, is considered meaningful.

Myth: Since the fast equals feeding 88,000 Brahmins, there is no need to give charity.

Reality: The belief praises the fast; it is not a reason to skip daan. Tradition treats feeding a Brahmin or someone in need on Dwadashi as part of the vrat. Keep giving as per your means.

Myth: Fasting “detoxes” the body, so everyone should keep a strict fast.

Reality: Ekadashi is a spiritual vrat, not a medical treatment. People with diabetes, blood pressure, kidney or heart conditions, pregnant or breastfeeding women, the elderly, children and anyone on regular medication should consult a doctor before a strict or nirjala fast. Watch out for dehydration in the Ashadha heat. Such people can choose phalahar or one meal instead.

Benefits of Yogini Ekadashi (Religious Belief)

The benefits below reflect tradition and the faith of devotees. Please read them as beliefs, not guarantees.

• Freedom from sins: The fast is believed to lessen the effects of sins committed knowingly or unknowingly.
• Great merit: The mahatmya compares its fruit to feeding 88,000 Brahmins.
• Relief from hardship: Based on Hemamali’s story, devotees believe it gives inner strength to come through difficult times.
• Purity of mind: Fasting, jap and restraint calm the mind and steady devotion.
• Family harmony: Since Hemamali is reunited with his wife, many couples connect this fast with marital happiness.
• Preparation for Chaturmas: As the last Ekadashi before Chaturmas, it readies the mind for four months of discipline.

Related Ekadashi and Readings

Just before Yogini Ekadashi comes Nirjala Ekadashi of Jyeshtha Shukla Paksha, also called Bhimseni Ekadashi; it was after hearing its glory that Yudhishthira asked about Yogini. After Yogini comes Devshayani Ekadashi of Ashadha Shukla Paksha, which begins Chaturmas. See the dates of every Ekadashi of the year on our Ekadashi Kab Hai page.

For the day’s puja, also read the Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti, Ekadashi Mata Ki Aarti and Tulsi Mata Ki Aarti. For daily tithi and muhurat, see the Daily Panchang, and for all aartis in one place, download the Aarti Sangrah PDF.

Yogini Ekadashi teaches that anyone can make a mistake, and that admitting it sincerely and choosing to set it right is true devotion. On this day, resolve to carry out your duties with love, give water to the thirsty and food to the hungry, and rest your mind at the Lord’s feet. May Shri Hari bless you and your whole family. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

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