Papankusha - Ekadasi
Yudhishthira maharaj said, Oh Madhusudana, what is the name of the
Ekadasii that comes during the light fortnight of the month of
Ashvina (September - October)? Please be merciful and disclose this
truth to me." The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna
replied, "Oh king, please listen as I explain the glories of this
Ekadasi- Papankusha Ekadasi - which removes all sins. On this day
one should worship the Deity of Padmanabha, the lotus naveled Lord
Vishnu, according to the rules of archana viddhi (regulations). By
so doing, one achieves whatever heavenly pleasures one may want in
this world, and at last attains liberation from this world
thereafter. Simply by offering one's humble obeisances unto Lord
Vishnu, the rider of Garuda, one can achieve the same merit as is
gained by performing great penances for a long time restraining and
controlling the senses. Although a person might have committed
unlimited and abominable sins, he can still escape hellish
punishment just by paying his obeisances to Lord Sri Hari, the
taker away of all sin." "The merits gained by going on pilgrimage
to the Holy Tirthas of this earthly planet can also be achieved
simply by chanting the Holy names of Lord Vishnu. Whosoever chants
these sacred names - such as Rama, Vishnu, Janardana or Krishna -
especially on Ekadasi, never sees Yamaraj, the king of death's
punishing abode. Nor does such a devotee who fasts on Papankusha
Ekadasi, which is very dear to Me, see that plutonic abode." "Both
the Vaishnava who criticizes Lord Shiva and the Shaivite (Saivite)
who criticizes Me certainly go to hell. The merit obtained by
performing one hundred horse sacrifices and one hundred Rajasurya
sacrifices is not even equal to one sixteenth of the merit a
devotee is able to attain by fasting on Ekadasi. There is no higher
merit one can achieve than that attained by fasting on Ekadasi.
Indeed, nothing in all the three worlds is as pleasing or as able
to purify one of accumulated sin as Ekadasi, the day of the
lotus-naveled Lord, Padmanabha. "O king, until a person observes a
fast on the day of Lord Padmanabha named Papankusha Ekadasi, he
remains sinful, and the reactions of his past sinful activities
never leave him like a chaste wife. There is no merit in all the
three worlds that can match the merit that one gains by observing a
fast on this Ekadasi. Whosoever observes it faithfully never has to
see death personified, Lord Yamaraj. One who desires liberation,
elevation to the heavens, good health, beautiful women, wealth, and
food grains should simply fast on this Pashunkusha Ekadasi. O king,
neither the Ganges, Gaya, Kashi, nor Pushkara, nor even the Holy
site of Kurukshetra, can grant as much auspicious merit as this
Papankusha Ekadasi. "O Maharaj Yudhishthira, protector of the
earth, after observing Ekadasi during the daytime, the devotee
should remain awake through the night, absorbed in hearing,
chanting and serving the lord - for by so doing he easily attains
to the Supreme abode of Lord Vishnu. Not only that, but ten
generations of ancestors on his mother's side, ten generations on
his father's side, and ten generations on his wife's side are all
liberated by a single observance of a fast on this Ekadasi. All
these ancestors attain their original, four armed transcendental
Vaikuntha forms. Wearing yellow garments and beautiful garlands,
they ride to the spiritual realm on the back of Garuda, the renown
great enemy of the snakes. This is the benediction My devotee earns
simply by observing one Papankusha Ekadasi properly. "O best of
kings, whether one is a child, a youth, or in old age, fasting on
Papankusha Ekadasi frees him from all sins and makes him immune to
suffering a hellish rebirth. Whosoever observes a fast on the
Papankusha Ekadasi becomes free of all his sins and returns to the
spiritual abode of Lord Sri Hari. Whosoever donates gold, sesame
seeds, fertile land, cows, grain, drinking water, an umbrella, or a
pair of shoes on this most auspicious of Holy days will never have
to visit the abode of Yamaraj, who always punishes the sinners. But
if a resident of earth fails to perform spiritual deeds, especially
the observance of a fast on days such as Ekadasi, his breathing is
said to be no better, or of as much use as the breathing/puffing of
a blacksmith's bellows. "O best of the kings, especially on this
Papankusha Ekadasi, even the poor should first bathe and then give
some charity according to their means, and perform other auspicious
activities in accordance with their ability. "Whosoever performs
sacrifices and benefits the people, or builds public ponds, resting
places, gardens, or houses does not suffer the punishments of
Yamaraj. Indeed, one should understand that a person much have
performed such pious activities as these in the past life if he is
long lived, wealthy, of high birth, or free from all diseases. But
a person who observes Papankusha Ekadasi goes to the abode of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. Lord Sri Krishna then
concluded, "Thus, Oh saintly Yudhishthira, I have narrated to you
the glories of the auspicious Papankusha Ekadasi." Thus ends the
narration of the glories of the Papankusha Ekadasi, or
Ashwina-shukla Ekadasi, from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana.
