rama ekadshi vrat kartik mas krishnapaksh ekadshi ko kiya jata hai. jo manushya ekadshi vrat karna chahe, vah dashmi ko shuddh chitt hokar din ke athven bhag men surya ka prakash rahne par bhojan kare. ratri men bhojan n kare. dashmi ko kansya patra men bhojan n kare tatha urad, masur, chana, kodo, sag, shahad, dusre ka ann, do bar bhojan aur maithun ka tyag kare. ¬ namo naraynay tatha guru pradatt mantra ka jap kare. ekadshi ke din bar-bar jalpan, hinsa, apvitrata, asatya bhashan, pan chabane, datun karne, din men shayan, maithun, jua khelne, ratri men sone aur patit manushyon se vartalap jaisi kriyaon ka tyag kare. ekadshi ko ratri men jagaran kar ekadshi katha ka shravan karna chahie.
‘he bhagvan ! he achyut ! he keshav ! main ekadshi ko nirahar rahakar dusre din bhojan karunga, mere ap hi rakshak hain.’ aisi prarthana kar keshav bhagvan ka shodshopchar pujan aur pradakshina kar unhen namaskar kare. pratyek pahar men arti kare. git, vadya tatha nritya ke sath ratri jagaran kar gita, vishnu sahasranam, ¬ namo naraynay, ¬ namo bhagvte vasudevay adi ka path tatha jap kare. dvadshi ko shu( chitt hokar punah bhagvan ka shodshopchar pujan kar brahmanon ko yathashakti bhojan, dravya, dakshinadi se santusht kar svayan bhi bhojan kare. is vrat ko purn vidhan se karne par sabhi papon ka kshay hota hai tatha svarg men jane par rama, ranbha adi apsaraen uski seva karti hain.’
ekadshi mahatmya katha: prachin samay men muchukanud nam ka dani, dharmatma, nyayapriya evan vishnubhakt raja rajya karta tha. use ekadshi vrat ka pura vishvas tha, islie vah krishn v shukla pakshon ki pratyek ekadshi ka vrat kiya karta tha. yahi niyam rajya ki praja par bhi lagu tha. raja ki chandrabhaga nam ki ek kanya thi. uska vivah raja chandrasen ke putra shobhan ke sath hua tha. ek samay shobhan shvasur ke ghar aya. rajagya ke karan kshudha-pipasa ki pira ko sahan karne men asamarth hone par bhi shobhan ne rama ekadshi ka vrat kiya. parantu kshinkay hone ke karan bhukh se vyakul hokar shobhan vrat ka palan karte-karte hi mrityu ko prapt ho gaya. isse raja, rani aur putri ko atyant kasht hua. raja ne vyathit man se sugandhit chandnadi ke kashth se chita taiyar kar shobhan ka antyeshti sanskar kar sanpurn mrit karmon ko purn kara diya. chandrabhaga ashniya pira ko sahan karti hui vrat niyamadi se bhagavat aradhna men lin rahne lagi.
shobhan ko mandrachal parvat par sthit dev nagar men avas mila. vahan ranbhadi apsaraen shobhan ki seva karne lagin. ek bar maharaj muchukund ke rajya men rahne vala brahman tirthayatra karta hua mandrachal parvat par pahunch gaya aur shobhan ko pahchanakar ki yah to raja ka jamai hai, uske nikat gaya. shobhan ne bhi brahman ko pahchanakar pranamadi karke kushal prashn kiya. brahman ne kaha- ‘raja muchukanud aur apki patni chandrabhaga kushal se hain. parantu he rajan ! hamen atyant ashcharya ho raha hai, ap apna vrittant kahie ki aisa sundar nagar jo n kabhi dekha n suna, apko kis prakar prapt hua? shobhan bola- yah sab rama ekadshi vrat ka prabhav hai, parantu yah asthir hai. kyonki mainne is vrat ko shraddha rahit hokar kiya tha agar ap muchukund ki kanya chandrabhaga ko yah vrittant kahen to yah sthir ho sakta hai.
aisa sunakar shreshth brahman ne chandrabhaga se shobhan ke prapt hone ka sanpurn vrittant kah sunaya. aur use pati ke pas bhejne ka prabandh kiya. mandrachal parvat ke samip vamdev rishi ke ashram men vamdev rishi ne vedmantron ke uchcharan se chandrabhaga ka abhishek kiya. tab rishi ke mantra prabhav aur ekadshi ke vrat se chandrabhaga ka sharir divya ho gaya aur vah divya gati ko prapt hui. apni priya patni ko ate dekhakar shobhan atyant prasann hua chandrabhaga ne kaha- ‘he pran nath ! ap mere punya ko grahan kijie. apne pita ke ghar men jab main ath varsh ki thi, tab se vidhipurvak ekadshi ke vrat ko shraddhapurvak karti a rahi hun. is punya ke pratap se apka rajya pralay ke ant tak rahega.’ is prakar chandrabhaga divyarup dharan kar tatha divya vastron aur abhushnon se susajjit hokar apne pati ke sath anandpurvak rahne lagi.