Yogini Ekadashi occurs during the Krishna Paksha of Ashadha (Vamana) month. It is celebrated by devotees to seek forgiveness for past negligences in their spiritual or occupational duties, and it is also famed for possessing powerful physical healing properties.
The story is set in Alakapuri, the beautiful capital of King Kubera (the treasurer of demigods). Kubera was a strict devotee of Lord Shiva and used eighty thousand fresh flowers daily in his worship. A Gandharva named Hemamali was employed to gather these flowers from the sacred Mansarovar lake every morning.
Hemamali, deeply infatuated with his beautiful wife, Swarupavati, decided to skip his duty one morning and stayed home with her, leaving the king's worship incomplete. When King Kubera discovered this neglect, he was filled with rage and cursed Hemamali to suffer from terrible leprosy and to be exiled to the mortal world as a rotting beggar.
Hemamali fell to Earth, suffering immensely from cold, hunger, and physical decay. After years of wandering, he reached the ashram of Sage Markandeya. The compassionate sage advised him to observe the upcoming Ashadha-Krishna Yogini Ekadashi. Hemamali fasted and prayed with deep sincerity. By the merit of this fast, he was completely cured of leprosy and regained his beautiful celestial body, returning to his wife. This story illustrates the restorative power of Yogini Ekadashi.
