Moksada Ekadashi falls during the Shukla Paksha of Margashirsha month, on the very same day as Gita Jayanti—the day Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna at Kurukshetra. As the name reveals, 'Moksada' means the giver of liberation (moksha). Observing this fast dissolves all deep-seated material chains.
The legend was narrated by Sage Parvata to King Vaikhanasa, who ruled the city of Champakanagara. The King was highly pious, but one night he had a vivid, disturbing dream. He saw his deceased father crying in agony inside a terrifying hellish planet, suffering from severe heat and torture.
Distressed by his father's pain, the King consulted the great Sage Parvata in his forest ashram. The sage, using his divine vision, explained that the King's father was suffering due to some minor past sexual misconduct in his marriage. The sage advised the King that to deliver his father, he and his family must strictly observe the upcoming Moksada Ekadashi and offer the accrued spiritual merit to his father.
King Vaikhanasa followed the advice, fasting completely and reciting the holy verses of Bhagavad Gita. On the next day, he transferred the spiritual merit to his father. Instantly, the father was released from hell, clothed in celestial garments, and ascended to the spiritual world. Reciting the Gita and fasting on this day is highly glorified by all Vaishnavas.
