Seems like rains have been chasing me
everywhere. New York had its rainiest April and June in years,
Portland was rainy as usual. I'm just in time to bid sweet dreams
to Lord Vishnu, who is about to take His summer siesta .
The
eleventh day of the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh, which
happens this year on July 3rd is Harishayani Ekadasi, the day on which
Lord Vishnu takes a vacation and goes to rest in the nether world for
four months, slumbering dreamlessly on the luxuriant coils of the great
Naga, Ananta ('the endless'). That great serpent spreads a
protective canopy of his thousand hoods over the slumbering god.
While Vishnu refrains from any activities, this period of His rest is a
time of some uneasiness for gods and men. It's monsoon, so we
just got to lay low and await Vishnu's awakening and return in November
(Haribodhini
Ekadasi, Oct.29th).
