Shudda Ekadashi comes in the first fortnight of Ashadha masa of chandramana panchanga and is well known as Prathama Ekadashi. This demarks the beginning of chaturmasya during which Lord Vishnu will be observing yoganidra, as mentioned in shastras.

    On this day it is well practiced by devotees to have tapta mudra dharana from their Gurus. It will be very auspicious to know the importance of tapta mudra dharana in this context.

    Having a life of humans which comes only out of 84 laksha yonis(species), it would be wise to put an effort to make this life fruitful towards salvation. While searching for the way to salvation, Srimadacharyaru guides us clearly in his work Krishnamruta Maharnava that deekshaa and upasana are two important things to move towards God.

    Deeksha is of two types i.e., external and internal.

External deeksha is observed by gopichandana dharane, mudra dharane, having names of God to self and family lineage, performing Vishnu yagas, and doing japa of Vishnu mantras. While internal deekshaa is about having consciousness that God is supreme, protects us from external evils, grants us our wishes, and is Lord to all of us. Jnanis are supposed to have both types of deekshaas whereas common layman can achieve to have external deekshaa since internal deekshaa achievement for the same is effortful.

    While thinking about any specific days to have such deekshaas, Ashadha, Karteeka, Magha, Vaisakha, and Margasheersha maasa are preferred among 12 months of chandrana samvatsara. It is essential to have deeskhaa since, deekshaa without pooja and pooja without deekshaa both are futile. Manu smriti and hareeta smriti and also Vadiraja Swamiji mention that humans wont get right to do any shrauta or smarta karyas without having mudradharane.

    Like identification in earthly life, mudradharana helps us to save ourself from Yamadutaas.

Hence, each and every one is supposed to have mudradharana from our Gurus. Not only on Ashadha ekadashi, it is also advised to have mudradharana on the occasion of marriage, upanayana, grahana and other parva kaalaas, and teertha kshetra yatra, etc, if possible.

    Thus, all of us should have mudra Dharana at least once a year from our Gurus to fulfill our karmas towards salvation.