Vaikunta Ekadashi — Can one get Moksha by going through North entrance?
Hindu Calendar has 24 Ekadashis in a year. Out of these 24 Ekadashis, Vaikunta Ekadashi is considered the most significant and auspicious. Hindus devote most of their day in singing Bhajans and Vishnu Sahasranam on this most sacred day. There is a strong belief that if anyone enters through North entrance of a temple, that human being will attain Moksha! Let’s see the story behind this belief and if it is indeed true.
Purana Story
As per Hindu Purana (history), after Lord Vishnu created Brahma and had him script the FOUR Vedas, two Rakshasas (demons) were born. They started troubling Lord Brahma. The two Rakshasas were “Madhu” and “Kaitabha”. Lord Vishnu comes to Lord Brahma’s rescue and kills both the Rakshasas. Madhu and Kaitabha ask for a boon before getting defeated by Lord Vishnu. They ask to be granted Moksha. Lord Vishnu asks them to come through North Entrance of Vaikunta and tells them that they would be granted Moksha. It was on Vaikunta Ekadashi day that the 2 Rakshasas entered through North Entrance and so it is believed that who ever enters through North Entrance on this day would attain Moksha!
Can we really get Moksha through North Entrance?
Temples are unusually crowded during Vaikunta Ekadashi day and devotees throng and compete to enter through North Entrance. Most temples have the carving of Madhu and Kaitabha in North Entrance of temple. Madhu means Nectar and Kaitabha means Bees (or any organisms) that are around the Nectar. Madhu symbolizes I/Me/Myself/Ego and Kaitabha symbolizes Mine/My People/My Achievements. Madhu and Kaitabha i.e, Me and Mine are present in all human beings. We often take pride of ourselves with Ego and we often always crave for things that belong to us. Lord Vishnu asks to Kill those TWO Rakshasas within ourselves, i.e one has to get rid of Me/Myself and Mine/My achievements/My things. When a human being gets rid of these TWO rakshasas, he/she will be in a state of Moksha! That is why temples have the carvings of Madhu and Kaitabha on North entrance to tell people who are entering through that entrance to get rid of their Ego and materialistic things around them. One can then attain Moksha State.
Why North entrance and not East or West?
In Sanatan Dharma, North direction is considered Gnana Marga. One can attain Knowledge by travelling in North Direction. That is why Lord Vishnu asked the two rakshasas to come through North Entrance.
Relation to Lord Brahma story?
Now if you go back and read Purana story, you will understand that, after writing all the FOUR Vedas Lord Brahma may have developed Ego (I/Me/Myself) and Mine/My Work. When this feeling started to bother Lord Brahma he approached Lord Vishnu and Lord Vishnu killed those feelings of Lord Brahma.
So in order to get rid of Madhu and Kaitabha within ourselves, we all spend whole day singing the glory of Lord Vishnu.
Sri Rama Jayam.
Source
- Sri Nanduri Srinivas Youtube Channel
- Bhakti TV Channel
