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Pashankusha / Papankusha Ekadashi (AshwinaShukla Ekadashi)

July 2014
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(Ashwina-Shukla Ekadashi)
(The Ekadashi that Occurs During the Waxing
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Moon Fortnight in September / October)

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Adapted, with additional commentary, from Ekadashi

Mahatmya: The Glories of Ekadashi, translated by
Bhumipati Dasi, ed., Pundarika Vidyanidhi Dasa (an ISKCON
publication,
available
for
purchase
at
www.thekrishnastore.com)
This narration of the glories of Pashankusha Ekadashi is
excerpted from a dialogue between Shri Krishna and
Maharaja Yudhishthira, as given in the Brahmavaivarta
Purana.
Once, Yudhishthira Maharaj asked Shri Krishna: O
Madhusudana, what is the name of the Ekadashi that comes
during the light fortnight of the month of Ashvina (September
October)? Please be kind and explain this to me.
Shri Krishna smilingly replied, O best of kings! The name
of this Ekadashi is Pashankusha Ekadashi, and it is also
known as Papankusha Ekadashi since the observance of
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this Ekadashi removes all sins.

One should particularly worship Shri Padmanabha (see
below for a description of Shri Padmanabha) on the day of
this Ekadashi. This Ekadashi awards a person heavenly
pleasures, liberation, and his or her desired results. Just by
chanting the holy names of Shri Vishnu (such as the Shri
Vishnu Sahasranama, and the ashtottara of Shri Rama, Shri
Krishna, etc.) one can attain the piety of visiting all the holy
places of pilgrimage (teerthas) in this world. If a conditioned
soul, in spite of indulging in various sinful activities as a
result of delusion, takes shelter and offers obeisance at the
lotus feet of Shri Hari, who is the remover of all sins and the
granter of liberation, then such a person never sees the
punishing abode of Yamaraja, the lord of death.
Both the Vaishnava (devotee of Shri Vishnu) who criticizes
Shiva and the Shaivite (devotee of Shiva) who criticizes Shri
Vishnu will undoubtedly go to Naraka (the realm of hell). (yo
hariH sa shivaH sAkSAd yaH shivaH sa svayaM hariH / ye
tayor bhedamAti sthan narakAya bhave naraH (Vishnu
Purana 5.33.46) (He who is Shri Hari is Himself Shiva / He
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who manifests as Shiva is Himself Shri Hari / Any human

who mistakenly thinks that Shiva is different from Shri Hari
will surely go to Naraka.))
The result one obtains by performing one thousand horse
sacrifices or by performing one hundred Rajasuya
sacrifices cannot equal one sixteenth of the piety one
obtains by observing this Ekadashi. There is no piety in this
world equal to the piety earned by observing this Ekadashi.
Therefore, no other day is as sanctified as this day of
Ekadashi, which is very dear to Shri Padmanabha.
O King! Until a person observes a fast on the day of Shri
Padmanabha named Papankusha Ekadashi, he remains
sinful, and the reactions of his past sinful activities never
leave him like a chaste wife never leaves her husband.
There is no merit in all the three worlds that can match the
merit that one gains by observing a fast on this Ekadashi.
This Ekadashi awards those who observe it heavenly
pleasures, liberation, freedom from disease, beautiful
women, wealth, and food grains. None of the Ganga, Gaya,
Kashi, Pushkara, or Kurukshetra can bestow as much
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auspicious merit as this Papankusha Ekadashi. O Maharaj

Yudhishthira, protector of the earth, after observing Ekadashi
during the daytime, the devotee should remain awake
through the night, absorbed in hearing about Shri Hari,
chanting Shri Haris name, and serving Shri Hari for, by
doing so, he easily attains to the abode of Shri Vishnu.
Shri Krishna continued, O best of kings! By observing the
vow of this Ekadashi one can deliver ten generations from
his mothers family, ten generations from his fathers family,
and ten generations from his wifes family. 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 renowned great enemy of the snakes. This is
the benediction My devotee earns simply by observing one
Pashankusha Ekadashi properly.
If a person observes this Ekadashi in his childhood, youth,
or old age, he does not suffer the miseries of samsara
(material existence). One who strictly observes this
Pashankusha Ekadashi is relieved of all sinful reactions and
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at the end of life returns to Shri Vishnus abode.

If a person gives away gold, sesame seeds, land, cows,
food grains, water, umbrellas, or shoes in charity, then such
a person does not have to go to the abode of Yamaraja. On
the other hand, anyone who does not engage in pious
activities on this day is like a dead man although he is
breathing. His breathing is like the bellows of the blacksmith.
O best of kings, especially on this Papankusha Ekadashi,
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 for the public benefit, or builds public
ponds, resting places, gardens, or houses is not subjected
to the punishment of Yamaraja. It is a result of piety only that
people live long lives, become rich, take birth in high-class
families, and become free from disease. The purport is that
the direct result of observing Ekadashi is to attain devotional
service to Me, and the indirect result is to attain temporary
material benefits.
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Shri Krishna then concluded, Thus, O saintly Yudhishthira, I

have narrated to you the glories of the auspicious
Pashankusha Ekadashi.
Shri Padmanabha
Padmanabha is another name of Vishnu and appears as the
48th, 196th, and 346th names in the Shri Vishnu
Sahasranama.
According to Shri Adi Shankaras
commentary (bhashya) on the Shri Vishnu Sahasranama,
Padmanabha means He in whose navel, the lotus (padma),
the source of the universe resides; or One whose navel is
beautifully shaped like the lotus; or One who shines in the
middle or the heart-lotus (the Anahata chakra) of all; or One
who resides in the central part of the heart-lotus (the Anahata
chakra).
Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple is a famous
temple of Shri Vishnu, located inside in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala, India. This is one of the 108 divya desams (the 108
holy teerthas where Shri Vishnu self-manifested). Shri
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holy teerthas where Shri Vishnu self-manifested). Shri

Anantha Padmanabhaswamy is a form of Vishnu in
Anananthasayanam posture (in eternal sleep of yoganidra).
Appearance of Shri Padmanabhaswamy
Once, Sage Divakara prayed to Shri Krishna for his
darshana. Shri Krishna came in disguise as a small,
mischievous boy and, one day, swallowed the Shalagramam
used for puja (worship). Enraged, Sage Divakara chased
the boy, and baby Krishna finally hid behind a tree.
Suddenly, the tree broke down and refashioned itself into a
form of Shri Vishnu in Sayana Kolam (lying posture) for
kilometers on end. The sage then prayed to Shri Vishnu to
become smaller as he could not properly worship him in
such a large form. Immediately, Shri Vishnu shrunk himself
and told the sage that He would henceforth be worshipped
through three doors: the first one where Shri Vishnu offers
worship to Shiva, the second entrance where Brahma offers
worship to Shri Vishnu from his lotus navel, and the third one
that displays the holy feet of Shri Vishnu, the darshana of
which leads to salvation.
The glories of Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple have been
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extolled in several ancient texts including the Skanda

Purana and Padma Purana.
The Temple
The vigraha of the reclining Shri Padmanabhaswamy
consists of 10,008 Shalagramams that were brought from
the banks of the Gandhaki River in Nepal.
In the sanctum sanctorum, Shri Vishnu is in a reclining
position over Anantha or Adi Sesha, the serpent with his
face pointed upwards, enjoying the fragrance emanating
from the lotus held in his left hand. Shri Vishnus right hand
hovers over Shiva. Shridevi and Bhudevi, Shri Vishnus two
consorts, stand by his side, and Brahma rests on a lotus,
which emanates from the navel of Shri Vishnu.
For darshan and puja, one has to climb on a stone slab to
worship the different parts of the vigraha, namely, the face,
the navel and the feet, which are visible from three different
door-like openings. There are other important shrines inside
the temple for Shri Narasimha, Shri Krishna, Shri Ayyappa,
Shri Ganesha and Shri Hanuman as well as many other small
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shrines for deities like Kshetrapalan (who guards the

temple), Vishwaksena and Garuda.
History
King Marthanda Varma, Maharaja of the erstwhile princely
state of Travancore, dedicated his kingdom to Shri
Padmanabhaswamy, and pledged that he and his
descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha
Dasa, meaning servants of the Lord Padmanabha. Thus,
Shri Padmanabhaswamy became the nominal head of the
state of Travancore, assuming the title, Perumal (the
Emperor). The British Government used to salute Shri
Padmanabhaswamy with a 21-gun salute, a military tradition
of colonial days.
The royal insignia of Shri
Padmanabhaswamy, the Valampuri Shankha (a rare and
highly auspicious form of the conch-shell), served as the
state emblem of Travancore. Shri Padmanabhaswamy is
still revered as the regional deity of Travancore.

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