The Ekadashi of Krishna Paksha, Chaitra Masa is called the Papamochani Ekadashi. The fast of Papamochani Ekadashi removes all sins of a person and opens the door of heaven for him. In the year 2012, Papamochani Ekadashi will be on 18 March. Lord Vishnu is worshipped, on this day. Performing the Shodashopachara Puja increase the auspicious effects on this fast.
Papmochni Ekadashi arrives in the month of Fagan Vad 11. This Ekadashi is the giver of wealth and the destroyer of many sins. Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard from You the explanation of Amalakii Ekadasii which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Phalguna (February-March), and now I wish to hear about the Ekadasii 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 Ekadasii, which is known as Papamochanii. The history of this EkAdasii 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 Ekadasii 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 Ekadasii.
Lomasa Rishi replied, The Ekadasii that occurs during the dark part of the month of Chaitra is named Papamochanii Ekadasii. For the faithful devotee it removes the influences of ghosts and demons. Oh lion among men, this Ekadasii 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 Ekadasii 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.
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.
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 Ekadasii that removes all one's sins. Its name is Papamochanii, 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii, 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii. 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 Papamochanii Ekadashi 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii, which is so dear to Me and so meritorious."
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Chaitra-Krishna Ekadasii, or Papamochaniii Ekadasii, from the Bhavishya-uttara Purana.
The greatness of keeping vrat on this Ekadashi is depicted in Bhavishya Puran. In the Lok of Swarag, there is a beautiful garden in the name of Chaitrarath. Nearly all devtas go to the garden and spend most of their time for relaxation. The Rishis spent their time performing penance in order to please the Supreme Almighty God. Once Kamdeva, out of revenge wanted to disturb and break the continuous penance of a Rishi named as Medhavi. The path Kamdev chose was to send an attractive dancer and encourage Medhavi Rishi into loosing concentration to God and instead focus on the dancing and falling into the cage of fantasy illusion. Upon dancing, Medhavi Rishi got entangled with the dancer and began living with her. The Rishi spent most of his time in looking after the dancer and overlooked the meditation of God. He would not let her out of his sight for even a second.
As this was getting too much for the dancer, she called upon the Rishi and pleaded, "O Rishi, please allow me to go home now. My parents and family must be waiting for my arrival." Listening to her request, Medhavi Rishi asked her to stay until nightfall and thereafter she was free to go. Scared to say, the dancer replied, "O Rishi, Are you in any sense how many nights I have been with you?" When the Rishi began thinking, he realized that 75 years had passed by staying with the dancer. Furious at this, the Rishi realized that he had been setup with this evil act of the devtas and the dancer. Angrily, he cursed the dancer to become a ghost. But then Medhavi Rishi realized that the dancer was used as an enticement to break his constant meditation to God and was not really her fault. So the Rishi reassured the dancer and said, "O Devi, keep a full fast vrat on Papmochani Ekadashi which arrives in the month of Fagan. You will be freed from my curse."
Medhavi Rishi went to his father Chavan Rishi and pleaded, "O Father, I have broken the continuous communion to God and ended up in living in sin with this dancer. Please guide me and show me how I can get released from these sins." Chavan Rishi replied, "O Son, by keeping full vrat of Papmochni Ekadashi frees you from all sins."
Medhavi Rishi and the dancer both performed the vrat of Papmochni Ekadashi and were ultimately freed from their sins.
Papmochni Ekadashi arrives in the month of Fagan Vad 11. This Ekadashi is the giver of wealth and the destroyer of many sins. Sri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard from You the explanation of Amalakii Ekadasii which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Phalguna (February-March), and now I wish to hear about the Ekadasii 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 Ekadasii, which is known as Papamochanii. The history of this EkAdasii 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 Ekadasii 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 Ekadasii.
Lomasa Rishi replied, The Ekadasii that occurs during the dark part of the month of Chaitra is named Papamochanii Ekadasii. For the faithful devotee it removes the influences of ghosts and demons. Oh lion among men, this Ekadasii 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 Ekadasii 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.
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.
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 Ekadasii that removes all one's sins. Its name is Papamochanii, 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii, 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii. 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 Papamochanii Ekadashi 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii 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 Papamochanii Ekadasii, which is so dear to Me and so meritorious."
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Chaitra-Krishna Ekadasii, or Papamochaniii Ekadasii, from the Bhavishya-uttara Purana.
The greatness of keeping vrat on this Ekadashi is depicted in Bhavishya Puran. In the Lok of Swarag, there is a beautiful garden in the name of Chaitrarath. Nearly all devtas go to the garden and spend most of their time for relaxation. The Rishis spent their time performing penance in order to please the Supreme Almighty God. Once Kamdeva, out of revenge wanted to disturb and break the continuous penance of a Rishi named as Medhavi. The path Kamdev chose was to send an attractive dancer and encourage Medhavi Rishi into loosing concentration to God and instead focus on the dancing and falling into the cage of fantasy illusion. Upon dancing, Medhavi Rishi got entangled with the dancer and began living with her. The Rishi spent most of his time in looking after the dancer and overlooked the meditation of God. He would not let her out of his sight for even a second.
As this was getting too much for the dancer, she called upon the Rishi and pleaded, "O Rishi, please allow me to go home now. My parents and family must be waiting for my arrival." Listening to her request, Medhavi Rishi asked her to stay until nightfall and thereafter she was free to go. Scared to say, the dancer replied, "O Rishi, Are you in any sense how many nights I have been with you?" When the Rishi began thinking, he realized that 75 years had passed by staying with the dancer. Furious at this, the Rishi realized that he had been setup with this evil act of the devtas and the dancer. Angrily, he cursed the dancer to become a ghost. But then Medhavi Rishi realized that the dancer was used as an enticement to break his constant meditation to God and was not really her fault. So the Rishi reassured the dancer and said, "O Devi, keep a full fast vrat on Papmochani Ekadashi which arrives in the month of Fagan. You will be freed from my curse."
Medhavi Rishi went to his father Chavan Rishi and pleaded, "O Father, I have broken the continuous communion to God and ended up in living in sin with this dancer. Please guide me and show me how I can get released from these sins." Chavan Rishi replied, "O Son, by keeping full vrat of Papmochni Ekadashi frees you from all sins."
Medhavi Rishi and the dancer both performed the vrat of Papmochni Ekadashi and were ultimately freed from their sins.
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