Rama Ekadashi: The Kingdom a Wife Held Up

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! Dharma Katha · Season 4: The Road to Diwali · Episode 146 In a village in Maharashtra, this evening, a cow and her calf are standing in a courtyard, a little confused by all the attention. Their foreheads have been marked with turmeric and kumkum. There are garlands around their necks. A woman is washing their hooves, and offering them a sweet. The children are watching. It is Vasu Baras. And for many in Maharashtra, Diwali begins right here, with a cow and her calf. Missed the previous story? Listen to Episode 145 first. Source note. Label: tradition. The story of Muchukunda, Chandrabhaga and Shobhana, his death after the fast, the unsteady city on Mandarachala, the brahmin's report and Chandrabhaga giving her Ekadashi merit, is the Rama Ekadashi vrat katha, attributed in popular sources to the Brahmavaivarta Purana; I have not verified it against a critical edition. Vasu Baras or Govatsa Dwadashi, the worship of cow and calf, is living tradition, especially in Maharashtra. In 2026, Rama Ekadashi and Vasu Baras both fall on November fifth by most almanacs. The reflections are my own. Note: this episode is narrated with an AI voice and the script was written with AI assistance. Sanskrit verses are checked against published editions; corrections are welcome.