Papamochani Ekadasi Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh
Supreme Lord, I have heard from You the explanation of Amalaki
Ekadasi which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of
Phalguna (February-March), and now I wish to hear about the Ekadasi
that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Chaitra
(March-April). What is its name, Oh Lord, and what results can one
attain by observing it?" The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Sri Krishna, replied, "O best of kings, for the benefit of everyone
I shall gladly describe to you the glories of this Ekadasi, which
is known as Papamochani. The history of this Ekadasi was once
narrated to the Emperor Mandhata by Lomasa Rishi. King Mandhata
addressed the Rishi, 'Oh great sage, for the benefit of all people,
please tell me the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the dark
fortnight of the month of Chaitra, and please explain the process
for observing it. Also, please describe the benefits one gains by
observing this Ekadasi.' "Lomasa Rishi replied, "The Ekdasi that
occurs during the dark part of the month of Chaitra is named
Papamochanii Ekadasi. For the faithful devotee it removes the
influences of ghosts and demons. Oh lion among men, this Ekadasi
also awards the eight perfections of life, fulfils all kinds of
desires, purifies one's life of all sinful reactions, and makes a
person perfectly virtuous. "'Now please listen to a historical
account concerning this Ekadasi and Chitraratha, the chief of the
Gandharvas (heavenly musicians). During the spring season, in the
company of heavenly dancing girls, Chitraratha once came upon a
beautiful forest bursting forth with a great variety of flowers.
There he and the girls joined the Gandharvas and many Kinnaras,
along with Lord Indra himself, the king of heaven, who was enjoying
a visit there. Everyone felt that there was no better garden than
this forest. Many sages were also present, performing their
austerities and penances. The demigods particularly enjoyed
visiting this celestial garden during the months of Chaitra and
Vaisakha (April-May). "'A great sage named Medhavi resided in that
forest, and the very attractive dancing girls would always attempt
to seduce him. One famous girl in particular, Manjughosha,
contrived many ways to allure the exalted Muni, but out of great
respect for the sage and feat of his power, which he had attained
after years and years of ascetics, she would not come very close to
him. At a spot two miles from the sage, she pitched a tent and
began singing very sweetly as she played a tamboura. Cupid himself
became excited when he saw and heard her perform so nicely and
smelled the fragrance of her sandal-paste unguent. He remembered
his own unfortunate experience with Lord Shiva and decided to take
revenge by seducing Medhavi. (see footnote 1) "'Using the eyebrows
of Manjughosha as a bow, her glances as a bowstring, her eyes as
arrows, and her breasts as a target, Cupid approached Medhavi in
order to tempt him to break his trance and his vows. In other
words, Cupid engaged Manjughosha as his assistant, and when she
looked at that powerful and attractive young sage, she also became
agitated by lust. Seeing that he was highly intelligent and
learned, wearing a clean white brahmana's thread draped across his
shoulder, holding a sannyasi's staff, and sitting handsomely in the
asrama of Chyavana Rishi, Manjughosha came before him. "'She began
to sing seductively, and the small bells of her belt and around her
ankles, together with the bangles on her wrists, produced a
delightful musical symphony. The sage Medhavi was enchanted. He
understood that this beautiful young woman desired union with him,
and at that instant Cupid increased his attraction for Manjughosha
by releasing his powerful weapons of taste, touch, sight, smell,
and sound. Slowly Manjughosha approached Medhavi, her bodily
movements and sweet glances attracting him. She gracefully put her
tamboura down and embraced the sage with her two arms, just as a
creeper winds itself around a strong tree. Captivated, Medhavi gave
up his meditation and decided to sport with her and instantly his
purity of heart and mind abandoned him. Forgetting even the
difference between night and day, he went away with her to sport
for a long, long time. (see footnote 2) "'Seeing that the young
yogi's sanctity had become seriously eroded, Manjughosha decided to
abandon him and return home. She said. "O great one, please permit
me to return home." 'Medhavi replied, "But you have only just
arrived, O beautiful one. Please stay with me at least until
tomorrow." 'Fearful of the sage's yogic power, Manjughosha stayed
with Medhavi for precisely fifty-seven years, nine months, and
three days, but to Medhavi all this time seemed like a moment.
Again she asked him, "Please permit me to leave." 'Medhavi replied,
"O dear one, listen to me. Stay with me for one more night, and
then you may leave tomorrow morning. Just stay with me until I have
performed my morning duties and chanted the sacred Gayatri mantra.
Please wait until then." Manjughosha was still fearful of the
sage's great yogic power, but she forced a smile and said, "How
long will it take you to finish your morning hymns and rituals?
Please be merciful and think of all the time you have already spent
with me. The sage reflected on the years he had been with
Manjughosha and then said with great astonishment. Why, I have
spent more than fifty-seven years with you! His eyes turned red and
began to emanate sparks. He now regarded Manjughosha as death
personified and the destroyer of his spiritual life. You rascal
woman! You have turned all the hard-earned results of my
austerities to ashes! Trembling with anger, he cursed Manjughosha,
"Oh sinful one, Oh hard-hearted, degraded one! You know only sin!
May all terrible fortune by yours! Oh rascal woman, I curse you to
become an evil hobgoblin - pishacha!" 'Cursed by the sage Medhavi,
the beautiful Manjughosha humbly beseeched him, "Oh best of the
brahmanas, please be merciful to me and revoke your curse! Oh great
one, it is said that association with pure devotees gives immediate
results but their curses take effect only after seven days. I have
been with you for fifty-seven years, Oh master, so please be kind
to me!" "'Medhavi Muni replied, "Oh gentle lady what can I possibly
do? You have destroyed all my austerities. But even though you have
done this sinful deed, I shall tell you a way you can be released
from my wrath. In the dark fortnight of the month of Chaitra there
is an all-auspicious Ekadasi that removes all one's sins. Its name
is Papamochani, Oh beautiful one, and whoever fasts on this sacred
day becomes completely freed from having to take birth in any kind
of devilish form." 'With these words, the sage left at once for his
father's Ashram. Seeing him enter the hermitage, Chyavana Muni
said, "Oh son, by acting unlawfully you have squandered the wealth
of your penances and austerities." Medhavi replied, "Oh Father,
kindly reveal what atonement I must perform to remove the obnoxious
sin I have incurred by privately associating with the dancing girl
Manjughosha. Chyavana Muni answered, "Dear son, you must fast on
Papamochani Ekadasi, which occurs during the dark fortnight of the
month of Chaitra. It eradicates all sins, no matter how grievous
they may be. Medhavi followed his father's advice and fasted on
Papamochani Ekadasi. Thus all his sins were destroyed and he again
became filled with excellent merit. Similarly Manjughosha observed
the same fast and became free of the hobgoblin curse. Ascending
once again to the heavenly spheres, she too returned to her former
position. Lomasha Rishi continued, 'Thus, Oh king, the great
benefit of fasting on Papamochani Ekadasi is that whoever does so
with faith and devotion will have all his sins completely
destroyed. Sri Krishna concluded, "Oh King Yudhishthira, whoever
reads or hears about Papamochani Ekadasi obtains the very same
merit he would get if he donated a thousand cows in charity, and he
also nullifies the sinful reactions he may have incurred by killing
a brahmana, killing an embryo through abortion, drinking liquor, or
having sex with his guru's wife. Such is the incalculable benefit
of properly observing this holy day of Papamochani Ekadasi, which
is so dear to Me and so meritorious. Thus ends the narration of the
glories of Chaitra-Krishna Ekadasi, or Papamochani Ekadasi, from
the Bhavishya-uttara Purana.
________________________________________________________________________
__________Foot notes: 1. After Lord Shiva lost his dear wife Sati
at the sacrificial arena of Prajapati Daksha, Shiva destroyed the
entire arena. Then he brought his father-in-law Daksha back to life
by giving him the head of a goat, and finally he sat down to
meditate for sixty thousand years. Lord Brahma, however, arranged
for Kamadeva (Cupid) to come and break Shiva's meditation. Using
his arrows of sound, taste, touch, sight, and smell Cupid attacked
Shiva, who at last awoke from his trance. He was so angry at being
disturbed that he instantly burned Cupid to ashes with a glance
from his third eye. Back to the story. 2. Female association is so
powerful that a man forgets his time, energy, possessions, and even
his own identity. As it is said in the Niti-shastra, striya
charitram purushasya bhabyam daivo vijanati kuto manushyah: "Even
the demigods cannot predict the behavior of a woman. Nor can they
understand the fortune of a man or how it will determine his
destiny. According to Yajnavalkya Muni, "A (celibate) person who
desires spiritual life should give up all association with women,
including thinking of them, seeing them, talking with them in a
secluded place, taking service from them, or having sexual
intercourse with them." Back to the story. ________________________
