Pāpamocanī Ekādaśī

Please check the date and time for Ekādaśī in your area using below sites.

https://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/

https://vaishnavacalendar.org/

https://www.drikpanchang.com/iskcon/iskcon-ekadashi-list.html

How to perform Ekādaśī

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 12

Observe fasting on Ekādaśī day (this occurs on the eleventh day after the full moon and the eleventh day after the new moon). On such days no grains, cereals or beans are eaten; simply vegetables and milk are moderately taken, and the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa and reading of scriptures are increased.

Meditations on this auspicious day

Class by Prabhupāda on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.4 in Japan on April 22, 1972

Bhakti-yoga therefore requires little tapasya, not playthings, tapasya, that "We are addicted to so many sinful activities. We must give it up." That is tapasya. "We must observe fasting on ekādaśī day, on Lord's birthday." These are tapasya. If we do not... "We must chant sixteen rounds. We must observe the rules and regulations." This is tapasya. Don't make God very cheap thing: "Oh, it is very cheap thing." No. It has been made very easy for the Kali-yuga people because they cannot undergo any kind of tapasya. There is simple tapasya—"Chant sixteen rounds. Don't take this. Don't do this, four items. Take prasādam. Don't take anything." So, nothing is stopped. A little regulated, that this much, if we do not do, then how we can expect to see God and understand God? Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). If simply we remain like hogs and cats and dogs, then how it is possible to realize God?

Excerpt from a lecture by Guru Maharaj; Devotional Service; 22 May 2017;

We perform activities that please Krsna and, in that context, they appear to be austere because we are doing what Krsna likes rather than doing what I like. Austerity means to delay gratification. So, it just takes a little practice to delay gratification when one's engaging in the activities of bhakti. But actually, the response from Krishna is so immediate, and the process is so joyful anyway, that it hardly seems like austerity at all.

Story of Pāpamocanī Ekādaśī

Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-Khaṇḍa, Chapter 46

Once, Yudhiṣṭhira approached Śrī Kṛṣṇa and inquired, “O Keśava, I have heard of the auspicious Āmalakī Ekādaśī, which falls in the bright half of Phālguna. Please tell me, what is the name of the Ekādaśī in the dark half of Caitra?”

Śrī Kṛṣṇa smiled and replied, “O King, listen attentively. I shall narrate the sin-destroying account that was once spoken by the great sage Lomaśa when Emperor Māndhātṛ posed the same question.”

Māndhātṛ had humbly asked, “O venerable one, for the welfare of all, kindly tell me about the Ekādaśī that falls in the dark half of Caitra. What is its name? How is it observed? What are its benefits?”

Lomaśa replied, “This Ekādaśī is called Pāpamocanī. It is renowned for delivering even the most sinful souls from their misfortune. Listen, O King, as I recount a story that illustrates its power.

In the celestial gardens of Caitraratha—where bees hummed, flowers bloomed, and spring reigned eternally—gandharva maidens danced to the melodies of kinnara musicians. Even the devas, led by Indra, came to revel in its beauty. Amidst this enchanting forest, many great sages engaged in intense penance.

One such sage was Medhāvin, a young ascetic, radiant with purity. However, fate had a different plan. A celestial nymph named Mañjughoṣā, captivated by his brilliance, sought to allure him. Fearful of disturbing his meditation, she kept her distance, singing melodious tunes and strumming her lute. Seeing her adorned with flowers and fragrant sandalwood, Kāma, the god of love, seized the opportunity. He made her eyes his arrows, her glances his bowstring, and her graceful form his army. Thus armed, Mañjughoṣā approached Medhāvin.

As she sang sweetly, her ornaments chiming in harmony, the sage’s mind wavered. Bewitched by her beauty, he abandoned his ascetic vows and succumbed to desire. Enchanted, they spent what seemed like a single night together. But time in the mortal realm flows differently from that of the celestials. In truth, fifty-seven years had passed.

At last, Mañjughoṣā sought his permission to leave, but Medhāvin, still lost in illusion, insisted, ‘Stay but a little longer, until I finish my morning prayers.’ Only then did he realize the passage of time. Shocked and enraged, he saw how his years of penance had been squandered. In his wrath, he cursed Mañjughoṣā, ‘You, a sinful woman, shall become a female goblin!’

Stricken with remorse, Mañjughoṣā pleaded, ‘O great sage, please forgive me! I have spent many years with you; surely, you can grant me some grace.’

Medhāvin, his anger subsiding, relented. ‘In the dark half of Caitra, there falls an Ekādaśī known as Pāpamocanī. By observing its sacred vow, your cursed state shall be lifted.’

Repentant, Medhāvin returned to his father, the sage Cyavana. Seeing his son, Cyavana sternly asked, ‘O child, what have you done? You have lost your hard-earned merits!’

Medhāvin confessed his transgression and begged for atonement. His father instructed him, ‘Observe the vow of Pāpamocanī Ekādaśī. It alone can free you from your sins.’

Thus, both Medhāvin and Mañjughoṣā faithfully observed this sacred fast. The sage regained his lost spiritual power, and the nymph, freed from her curse, ascended once more to the heavenly realms.

Lomaśa concluded, “O King, this Ekādaśī is supremely powerful. By observing it, all sins—no matter how grave—are eradicated. Even those guilty of the worst offenses, such as harming a brāhmaṇa, stealing gold, or dishonoring their guru’s wife, can attain purification. Merely hearing or reciting this story grants the merit of donating a thousand cows in charity.”

Thus, the sacred observance of Pāpamocanī Ekādaśī bestows divine blessings and liberation from the cycle of sin.