Parama Ekadashi

Parama Ekadashi, observed in the Krishna Paksha of Adhika Masa, is associated with the story of the poor but devout Brahmin Sumedha and his wife Pavitra. Their household suffered severe poverty, yet Pavitra continued to welcome guests and share whatever little food they had. Sumedha considered leaving home to seek earnings elsewhere, but Pavitra urged him not to abandon their dharmic life in despair. When Sage Kaundinya visited, the couple served him respectfully and asked for guidance. The sage advised them to observe Parama Ekadashi and the associated discipline of the extra month. They followed the vrata with faith, and the story says their circumstances improved and they gained both material stability and spiritual merit. The katha emphasizes that poverty need not destroy generosity or devotion, and that discipline is most meaningful when maintained during difficulty.

The vad ekadashi of an adhika masa, and like Padmini it is absent from an ordinary year. Both are held to carry more than the twenty-four because they are rarer.

The dark fortnight of an adhika month - the rarest fast in the calendar, and the one most people will keep two or three times in a life.