Papankusha Ekadashi

Papankusha means a goad on sin. An ankush is the pointed hook with which a mahout controls a maddened elephant, and this fast is believed to bring the sins of mind and action under control in the same way. On this Ekadashi Vishnu is worshipped as Padmanabha: the Vishnu who lies in yogic sleep on Shesha, with Brahma seated on the lotus rising from his navel.

In the Padma Purana, Lord Krishna tells Yudhishthira that on this day his Padmanabha form should be worshipped for the fulfilment of one's wishes. The fruit that self-controlled sages gain from long, severe austerity is gained on this day merely by bowing to the Lord who bears Garuda on his banner, and the merit of visiting every tirtha and temple on earth comes from simply chanting his name.

Krishna says that one who keeps this Ekadashi uplifts ten generations each on the mother's side, the father's side and the wife's side. One who gives gold, sesame, land, a cow, food, water, shoes, an umbrella and clothes on this day never sees Yama, and even a poor person should make the day fruitful with a bath and charity as far as they can.

In the same passage the Purana also says that a devotee of Vishnu who reviles Lord Shiva, or a Shaiva who reviles Lord Vishnu, falls into hell. In many places the story of a fowler of the Vindhya hills, who kept this fast on the sage Angira's advice, is also told; that story does not appear in this passage of the Padma Purana, where Krishna himself describes the vow's glory.

Preparation begins on Dashami evening, with a simple sattvic meal before sunset, and on Ekadashi grain, especially rice, is not eaten. Tulsi leaves are picked a day in advance, since plucking tulsi on Ekadashi is considered prohibited.

Devotees bathe in the morning and take the vow, keeping a nirjala, water-only or fruit fast as they are able. Lord Padmanabha, that is, Lord Vishnu, is worshipped with yellow flowers, tulsi leaves and a lamp, the mahatmya of Papankusha Ekadashi is heard, and the Vishnu Sahasranama or 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya' is chanted.

The night is spent in vigil with bhajan-kirtan, and the next day, on Dwadashi, alms are given and the fast is broken. Parana is not done in the first quarter of Dwadashi, the Harivasara, is best avoided at midday, and must be done before Dwadashi ends, which makes the morning the best time.

This vow is observed especially by devotees seeking freedom from their life's accumulated sins. According to the Padma Purana, fasting and keeping vigil on this day effortlessly win Vishnu's abode, and the one who keeps it goes there in a divine four-armed form, clad in yellow.