THE GLORIES OF PASANKUSA EKADASI

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THE GLORIES OF PASANKUSA EKADASI

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The glories of Pasankusa Ekadasi which occures during the waxing moon in the

month of September/October is described in Brahma-vaivarta Purana in the

conversation between Lord Krishna and Maharaja Yudhisthira.

 

Maharaja Yudhisthira said O Madhusudana what is the name of the Ekadasi that

occurs during the waxing moon in the month of September/October. Please be kind

and explain this to me.

 

Lord Krishna replied, O best of the Kings! The name of this Ekadasi is Pasankusa

Ekadasi. Now please hear from me the glories of this Ekadasi which distroyes

all ones sins. Some people also call this Ekadasi as Papankusa Ekadasi. One

should specially worship lord Padmanabha on the day of this Ekadasi. This

Ekadasi awards a person the heavenly pleasures liberation and his desired

results. Just by chanting the holy names of Lord Vishnu one can attain all the

peity of visiting all the holy places on the earth. If a conditioned soul

inspite of indulging in various sinful activities due to illusion takes shelter

and offers obeisances at the lotus feet of Lord Hari who is expert in delivering

the fallen souls then such a person does not have to go to hell.

 

Those Vaishnavas who criticise Lord Shiva and those Shaivites who criticise lord

Vishnu both undoubtedly go to hell. The result one obtains by performing one

thousand horse sacrifices or by performing one hundred Rajasuya sacrifices can

not be equal to the one sixteenth portion of piety one obtains by following this

Ekadasi. There is no peity in this world which is equal to the piety earned by

observing the Ekadasi. Therefore there is no other day as sanctified as this day

of Ekadasi which is very dear to Lord Padmanabha.

 

O King! As soon as a person fails to observe Ekadasis the sins begin to reside

in his body. This Ekadasi awards its follower the heavenly pleasure,

liberation, freed from deceased condition, beautiful women, wealth and food

grains. O maintainer of the earth! If one observes this Ekadasi and remains

awake on that night easily goes to the abode of Lord Vishnu.

 

Lord Krishna continued, O best of the Kings! By observing the vow of this

Ekadasi one can deliver ten generations from his mother’s family, ten

generations from his fathers family and ten generations from his wives family.

If a person observes this Ekadasi either in his chilhood or youth or in his old

age he does not suffer the miseries of the material existence. One who strictly

observes this Pasankusa or Papankusa Ekadasi then all his sinful reactions are

eradicated and at the end of his life he returns to the abode of Lord Vishnu.

If a person gives away gold, sesame seeds, land, cow, food grains, water,

umbrella or shoes in charity then such a person does not have to go to the abode

of Yamaraj. Any one who spends his day without engaging in pious activities he

is like a dead man although he is breathing. His breathing is compared to the

bellows of the blacksmith.

 

O best of the Kings! A person who digs well and lakes for the benefit of others,

donates land and houses and perform other pious activities such as performing

sacrifices is not subjected to the punishment of Yamaraja. As a result of piety

only people live long lives, become rich, take birth in highclass families and

become diseaseless. The purport is that the direct result of observing Ekadasi

is to attain devotional service to Krishna and the indirect result is to attain

the temporary material benefits.

 

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Pasankusa Ekadasi taken from the

Brahma-vaivarta Purana.