Two Ekadashis occur in one month according to positions of the moon. One Ekadashi coincides with the times when the Moon is the closest to Earth (perigee) and the times when it is farthest from the Earth (apogee). These are also the times of high tide and low tide respectively. During Ekadashis in the Krishna paksha, the Moon is at its closest to the Earth and during Ekadashis in the Shukla paksha at its farthest from the Earth.
Mura. Always very angry, he terrified all the demigods, defeating even
Indra, the king of heaven; Vivasvan, the sun-god; the eight Vasus; Lord
Brahma; Vayu, the wind-god; and Agni, the fire-god. With his terrible power
he brought them all under his control.
Then the demigods approached Lord Visnu,and prayed to Him for help.
Many hundreds of demons were killed by the Lord's hand. At last the chief
demon, Mura, began fighting with the Lord, first with weapons, then with
bare hands. The Lord wrested with Mura for one thousand celestial years
and then, apparently fatigued, left for Badarika-asrama. There He entered
a very beautiful cave, named Himavati, to rest. The demon followed
Him into the cave, and, seeing Him asleep, started thinking within his
heart: "Today I will kill this slayer of all demons, Hari."
While the wicked demon Mura was making plans in this way, from
Lord Visnu's body there manifested a young girl who had a very bright
complexion. Mura saw that she was equipped with various brilliant
weapons and was ready to fight. Challenged by that female to do battle,
Mura prepared himself and then fought with her, but he became very
astonished when he saw that she fought with him without cessation. The
king of demons then said: "Who has created this angry, fearsome girl who
is fighting me so powerfully, just like a thunderbolt falling upon me?" After
saying this, the demon continued to fight with the girl.
Suddenly that effulgent goddess shattered all of Mura's weapons and in
a moment deprived him of his chariot. He ran toward her to attack her
with his bare hands, but when she saw him coming she angrily cut off his
head. Thus the demon at once fell to the ground and went to the abode of
Yamaraja.
Then the Supreme Lord woke up and saw the dead demon before Him, as
well as the maiden bowing down to Him with joined palms.
The Lord, being pleased with the girl, offered to give her a boon.
me a boon, then give me the power to deliver from the greatest sins that
person who fasts on this day. I wish that half the pious credit obtained by
one who fasts will accrue to one who eats only in the evening [abstaining
from grains and beans], and that half of *this* pious credit will be earned by
one who eats only at midday. Also, one who strictly observes a complete fast on my appearance day, with controlled senses, goes to the abode of
Lord Visnu for one billion kalpas after he has enjoyed all kinds of pleasures
in this world. This is the boon I desire to attain by Your mercy, my Lord.
O Lord, whether a person observes complete fasting, eats only in the
evening, or eats only at midday, please grant him a religious attitude,
wealth, and at last liberation."
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: "O most pious lady, what
you have requested is granted. All My devotees in this world will surely
fast on your day, and thus they will become famous throughout the three
worlds and finally come and stay with Me in My abode. Because you, My
transcendental potency, have appeared on the eleventh day of the waning
moon, let your name be Ekadasi. If a person fasts on Ekadasi, I will burn
up all his sins and bestow upon him My transcendental abode."
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