Papmochani Ekadashi

Chaitra, Krishna Ekadashi

This tale is narrated in the Bhavishya Uttara Purana in the form of dialogues between Lord Krishna and king Yudhishtira.

There was a sage named Medhavi who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. This sage used to perform deep Tapas (meditation) in the forest of Chaitraratha. This forest was full of beautiful and scented flowers. The Chaitraratha forest was also frequently visited by Indra and Apsaras. Beautiful Apsaras tried many times but could never succeed in seducing young Medhavi. One famous Apsara, „Manjughosa”, also tried many ways to seduce this sage but she could not come closer to him due to the power of his sobriety that he had attained over the years.

After many attempts Manjughosa decided to pitch a tent couple of miles away from the sage and started singing. She sang so beautifully that even the Kamdev (Cupid) got excited and decided to use Manjughosha to target Medhavi. But when Manjughosha looked at powerful and attractive body of the sage, she herself got restless by lust .She again started singing seductively, Kamdev drew Medhavi’s attention towards the charm of Manjughosha through his powerful magical bows .She slowly reached closer to Medhavi and embraced him with her beautiful arms. Medhavi stopped his tapa (meditation) and got trapped in Manjughosha’s charm.

He lost his purity of mind instantaneously. He got so much attracted to her charm that he even forgot the difference between night and day.

Medhavi was charmed by her for a very long time. After living a married life for 57 years, Manjughosha lost her interest in the sage, and decided to abandon him .Tricked by Apsara’s charm Medhavi couldn’t be aware of the time he spent with Manjughosha. When Manjughosha asked Medhavi to permit her to leave, now the sage got his lost senses back and realized how he was tricked by this Apsara.

Fuming with anger Medhavi cursed her to become an ugly witch.Very said Medhavi returned back to his father Sage Chyavana’s ashram and told the whole story to his father.

Sage Chyavana asked Medhavi to observe fast on Papamochani Ekadashi, and assured him that all his sins will be removed by observing fast on this Ekadashi. Medhavi observed the fast with full devotion to Lord Vishnu and got relieved from his mistakes. Chyavana advised the same fast to Majughosha as well. Manjughosha also observed the fast and regretted for her wrong deeds and she was also relieved from her sin.

Suggestion:  If you can not keep full day fasting, please eat only Ekadasi Prasadam—friuts, vegetables,no grains,etc.– one time at lunch time only. At night ,you  may drink one glass of milk. Recommended chanting on this day is atleast 25 rounds of Mahamantra—Hare Krishna,Hare Krishna,Krishna,Krishna,Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama,Rama,Rama, Hare,Hare.

Other narrations

Every Vedic custom has a reason behind its celebration, as does Papmochani Ekadashi. During the Vedic times, Rishi Chyavana lived with his son Medhvi who possessed bodily strength and beauty. Medhavi always engaged in meditation and austerities in order to keep himself pure in mind and body. As he went on performing austerities, King Indra of heaven could not bear his excellence and sent heavenly beauties such as Apsaras and other enchanting damsels. This was on purpose to break his meditation but produced no results as he was fully absorbed in spiritual bliss.

A few days later, an Apsara named Manjugosha entered a hermitage nearby Medhavi. She started singing enchanting songs in the most melodious way. He gradually found himself getting drawn to her and as his meditation came to a standstill, a Cupid shot an arrow on the order of Indra that aroused pleasure-seeking feelings in him. As a result, he fell in love with her and all the purities he attained through long meditation faded away. He was lost in her so much that he couldn’t realize the passage of time.

Years later, she told him that a lot of time had passed and he must leave her. Medhvi returned to his senses discovering that it was her illusory trick that destroyed all the fruits of his meditation. Angered by her act, he cursed her to become the ugliest woman in the universe.

He apologized to his father Rishi Chyavana for losing all the strength due to an insignificant act of chasing a woman. Chyavana pacified him and said that he must perform Papmochani Ekadashi to get rid of this sin. Also, he advised Manjugosha to do the same. As a result, both of them got cleansed of their sins due to the grace of Lord Vishnu.