Gita Jayanti (Mokshada Ekadashi)

About

Gita Jayanti is observed on Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the bright half of the month of Margashirsha. The same day is called Mokshada Ekadashi (moksha = liberation, da = giver). Jayanti means the day something was born or revealed. Here it is the day that the Bhagavad Gita, "the Song of the Lord", is believed to have been spoken by Krishna.

Margashirsha is called Agahan in some regions. The bright half of the month has the same name in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems (see the page on Amanta and Purnimanta). Follow the date shown by this site for your city.

Significance and stories

The Bhagavad Gita is a section of the Mahabharata with 18 chapters and about 700 verses. It begins on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Arjuna, the Pandava warrior, sees his teachers, cousins and relatives standing in the opposing army. Overcome with sorrow and doubt, he puts down his bow. Krishna, who is his charioteer and friend, then speaks to him about duty, action, knowledge, devotion and the nature of the self.

Tradition holds that this conversation took place on Margashirsha Shukla Ekadashi, just before the war began. That is why the day is celebrated as the birthday of the Gita. Some scholars place the Gita in a later period, and the date is taken from tradition and from the calendar of the epic's narration.

The Gita is valued in many traditions. Its teaching of acting without clinging to results, steadiness of mind in joy and sorrow, and surrender to the divine appeals to people of many paths. Its ideas are studied as the Yoga of action (karma yoga), the Yoga of devotion (bhakti yoga) and the Yoga of knowledge (jnana yoga).

The Ekadashi on which it falls is called Mokshada, because those who keep the fast with faith are said to move toward liberation and to bring peace to their ancestors. Traditions vary.

How to observe (puja vidhi)

1. Rise early, bathe and clean your prayer space. Place a picture of Krishna and Arjuna on the chariot, and a copy of the Gita on a clean cloth or stand.
2. Light a lamp and incense. Offer flowers, Tulsi leaves and a simple sweet or fruit.
3. Take the Ekadashi vow, if you are fasting, and pray to Krishna for clarity and steadiness.
4. Begin with a short invocation, such as "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya" (ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय). Ask a priest or elder to guide pronunciation.
5. Recite or listen to the Gita. Some families read all 18 chapters over the day by sharing chapters among members. Others read the 12th, 15th or 2nd chapter, or a few favourite verses.
6. Spend time on meaning. Read a translation, and talk about one verse together.
7. Perform an aarti, share prasad and, if you wish, donate a copy of the Gita or give food.
8. Break the fast next morning (Dwadashi) within the parana window shown on this site.

Puja items (samagri)

• A copy of the Bhagavad Gita, with a translation in a language you understand
• A picture or murti of Krishna, or Krishna with Arjuna in the chariot
• Lamp, incense, flowers, Tulsi leaves
• Fruit, milk-based sweets, water
• A clean cloth or wooden stand (rehal) for the book

Fasting and food

Because this day is Mokshada Ekadashi, many people keep the Ekadashi fast, avoiding grains and pulses and eating fruit, milk, nuts and other permitted foods. Others fast only until the evening prayer. People with health conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and the elderly should follow their doctor's advice and may keep a lighter fast. Smarta and Vaishnava traditions may count the Ekadashi on different days, so check the date for your tradition. See the Ekadashi page for the general rules.

Regional customs

At Kurukshetra in Haryana, where the Gita is said to have been spoken, the government and local bodies hold the international Gita Mahotsav around this time, with Gita recitation, lectures, cultural programmes and a holy bath at Brahma Sarovar. ISKCON centres and many Vaishnava temples hold recitations of the Gita, and often distribute free copies. In Maharashtra the Dnyaneshwari, a commentary on the Gita in Marathi, is read in many homes. In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Gita is chanted in temples and schools. Different sampradayas follow different commentaries, such as those of Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhva.

Celebrating in the USA

Many families in the USA use Gita Jayanti to read the Gita together. Some organise a "chapter a person" reading at home or at a temple, so the entire text can be read in one sitting. Others hold an online reading with relatives overseas, or begin a weekly study group that covers one chapter at a time over about eighteen weeks. Bilingual editions with transliteration help children who do not read Devanagari.

Many temples and Hindu student groups hold public readings and talks. If the date falls on a workday, set aside twenty minutes in the morning for a chapter or a few verses, and meet in the evening for discussion. Audio recordings can help if you are learning the pronunciation. A copy of the Gita is also a thoughtful gift for a young person leaving for college.