‘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 father’s family, and ten generations from his wife’s family.’
Hare Krsna.
Once there was a fowler named Mahakrura Krodhan who used to live in the Vindhya Mountains.
He spent all his life committing sins, and at the last moments of his life, Yamraj approved to bring him to his court. However, all the messengers informed him of this thing before the decided time, and he got scared to death and went to Angira sage’s hermitage and started pleading so that he would not have to go to Yamaraj’s court.
Then Angira Sage suggested he worship Lord Vishnu on the lunar day of Ashwin month’s darker fortnight. The worship of Ekadasi day and fasting on this day liberated him from all the sins, and he went to Vaikuntha.
To know more about the glories of this particular Ekadasi told by Sri Krsna, continue reading!
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Maharaj Yudhisthira said, ‘O Madhusudan 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 Krsna 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 destroys all one’s sins. Some people also call this Ekadasi as Papankusa (“destroying sins”) 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 piety of visiting all the holy places on the earth. If a conditioned soul in spite of indulging in various sinful activities due to illusion takes shelter and offers obeisances at the lotus feet of Lord Hari, who is an expert in delivering the fallen souls, then such a person does not have to go to hell.
Those Vaisnavas who criticise Lord Shiva and those Shivaites who criticise Lord Vishnu are both undoubtedly going 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 piety in this world that 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 heavenly pleasure, liberation, freedom from deceased conditions, beautiful women, wealth, and food grains to anyone who observes it. 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 Krsna 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 father’s family, and ten generations from his wife’s family. If a person observes this Ekadasi either in his childhood or youthhood 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. Anyone who spends his day without engaging in pious activities is like a dead man, although he can be 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 performs 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 to high-class families and become diseaseless. The purport is that the direct result of observing Ekadasi is to attain devotional service to Krsna and the indirect result is to attain the temporary material benefits.’
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Pasankusa Ekadashi from the sacred ‘Brahma-vaivartha Purana’