Yogini Ekadasi 2011

Sri Krishna told Yudhishthira of Hemamali, a yaksha in the service of Kubera, king of Alaka. His daily duty was to bring fresh flowers for Kubera's worship of Shiva.

One day, lost in the company of his wife, Hemamali failed to bring the flowers. Kubera, angered at the broken worship, cursed him to suffer leprosy and to fall from Alaka to the earth. Hemamali wandered in pain until he reached the Himalaya and the hermitage of the ancient sage Markandeya, to whom he confessed everything.

Pleased with his honesty, Markandeya told him to observe the Yogini Ekadashi. Hemamali fasted with devotion, was cured, and regained his radiant form. Krishna declared that keeping this fast equals feeding eighty eight thousand brahmanas and destroys all sins.