Papankusha (Pashankusha) Ekadashi

This narration of the glories of Pashankusha Ekadashi is excerpted from a dialogue between Shri Krishna and Maharaja Yudhishthira, as given in the Brahmavaivarta Purana.

Once, Yudhishthira Maharaj asked Shri Krishna: "O Madhusudana, what is the name of the Ekadashi that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Ashvina (September – October)? Please be kind and explain this to me."

Shri Krishna smilingly replied, "O best of kings! The name of this Ekadashi is Pashankusha Ekadashi, and it is also known as Papankusha Ekadashi since the observance of this Ekadashi removes all sins".

One should particularly worship Shri Padmanabha (see below for a description of Shri Padmanabha) on the day of this Ekadashi. This Ekadashi awards a person heavenly pleasures, liberation, and his or her desired results. Just by chanting the holy names of Shri Vishnu (such as the Shri Vishnu Sahasranama, and the ashtottara of Shri Rama, Shri Krishna, etc.) one can attain the piety of visiting all the holy places of pilgrimage (teerthas) in this world. If a conditioned soul, in spite of indulging in various sinful activities as a result of delusion, takes shelter and offers obeisance at the lotus feet of Shri Hari, who is the remover of all sins and the granter of liberation, then such a person never sees the punishing abode of Yamaraja, the lord of death.

Both the Vaishnava (devotee of Shri Vishnu) who criticizes Shiva and the Shaivite (devotee of Shiva) who criticizes Shri Vishnu will undoubtedly go to Naraka (the realm of hell). (yo hariH sa shivaH sAkSAd yaH shivaH sa svayaM hariH / ye tayor bhedamAti sthan narakAya bhave naraH (Vishnu Purana 5.33.46) (He who is Shri Hari is Himself Shiva / He who manifests as Shiva is Himself Shri Hari / Any human who mistakenly thinks that Shiva is different from Shri Hari will surely go to Naraka.))

The result one obtains by performing one thousand horse sacrifices or by performing one hundred Rajasuya sacrifices cannot equal one sixteenth of the piety one obtains by observing this Ekadashi. There is no piety in this world equal to the piety earned by observing this Ekadashi. Therefore, no other day is as sanctified as this day of Ekadashi, which is very dear to Shri Padmanabha.

"O King! Until a person observes a fast on the day of Shri Padmanabha named Papankusha Ekadashi, he remains sinful, and the reactions of his past sinful activities never leave him like a chaste wife never leaves her husband. There is no merit in all the three worlds that can match the merit that one gains by observing a fast on this Ekadashi. This Ekadashi awards those who observe it heavenly pleasures, liberation, freedom from disease, beautiful women, wealth, and food grains. None of the Ganga, Gaya, Kashi, Pushkara, or Kurukshetra can bestow as much auspicious merit as this Papankusha Ekadashi. O Maharaj Yudhishthira, protector of the earth, after observing Ekadashi during the daytime, the devotee should remain awake through the night, absorbed in hearing about Shri Hari, chanting Shri Hari’s name, and serving Shri Hari – for, by doing so, he easily attains to the abode of Shri Vishnu."

Shri Krishna continued, "O best of kings! By observing the vow of this Ekadashi 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. All these ancestors attain their original, four-armed transcendental Vaikuntha forms. Wearing yellow garments and beautiful garlands, they ride to the spiritual realm on the back of Garuda, the renowned great enemy of the snakes. This is the benediction My devotee earns simply by observing one Pashankusha Ekadashi properly.

If a person observes this Ekadashi in his childhood, youth, or old age, he does not suffer the miseries of samsara (material existence). One who strictly observes this Pashankusha Ekadashi is relieved of all sinful reactions and at the end of life returns to Shri Vishnu’s abode.

If a person gives away gold, sesame seeds, land, cows, food grains, water, umbrellas, or shoes in charity, then such a person does not have to go to the abode of Yamaraja. On the other hand, anyone who does not engage in pious activities on this day is like a dead man although he is breathing. His breathing is like the bellows of the blacksmith.

O best of kings, especially on this Papankusha Ekadashi, even the poor should first bathe and then give some charity according to their means, and perform other auspicious activities in accordance with their ability. Whosoever performs sacrifices for the public benefit, or builds public ponds, resting places, gardens, or houses is not subjected to the punishment of Yamaraja. It is a result of piety only that people live long lives, become rich, take birth in high-class families, and become free from disease. The purport is that the direct result of observing Ekadashi is to attain devotional service to Me, and the indirect result is to attain temporary material benefits."

Shri Krishna then concluded, "Thus, O saintly Yudhishthira, I have narrated to you the glories of the auspicious Pashankusha Ekadashi."

Shri Padmanabha

Padmanabha is another name of Vishnu and appears as the 48th, 196th, and 346th names in the Shri Vishnu Sahasranama. According to Shri Adi Shankara’s commentary (bhashya) on the Shri Vishnu Sahasranama, "Padmanabha" means He in whose navel, the lotus (padma), the source of the universe resides; or One whose navel is beautifully shaped like the lotus; or One who shines in the middle or the heart-lotus (the Anahata chakra) of all; or One who resides in the central part of the heart-lotus (the Anahata chakra).

Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple

The Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy temple is a famous temple of Shri Vishnu, located inside in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. This is one of the 108 divya desams (the 108 holy teerthas where Shri Vishnu self-manifested). Shri Anantha Padmanabhaswamy is a form of Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture (in eternal sleep of yoganidra).

Appearance of Shri Padmanabhaswamy

Once, Sage Divakara prayed to Shri Krishna for his darshana. Shri Krishna came in disguise as a small, mischievous boy and, one day, swallowed the Shalagramam used for puja (worship). Enraged, Sage Divakara chased the boy, and baby Krishna finally hid behind a tree. Suddenly, the tree broke down and refashioned itself into a form of Shri Vishnu in Sayana Kolam (lying posture) for kilometers on end. The sage then prayed to Shri Vishnu to become smaller as he could not properly worship him in such a large form. Immediately, Shri Vishnu shrunk himself and told the sage that He would henceforth be worshipped through three doors: the first one where Shri Vishnu offers worship to Shiva, the second entrance where Brahma offers worship to Shri Vishnu from his lotus navel, and the third one that displays the holy feet of Shri Vishnu, the darshana of which leads to salvation.

The glories of Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple have been extolled in several ancient texts including the Skanda Purana and Padma Purana.

The Temple

The vigraha of the reclining Shri Padmanabhaswamy consists of 10,008 Shalagramams that were brought from the banks of the Gandhaki River in Nepal. In the sanctum sanctorum, Shri Vishnu is in a reclining position over Anantha or Adi Sesha, the serpent with his face pointed upwards, enjoying the fragrance emanating from the lotus held in his left hand. Shri Vishnu’s right hand hovers over Shiva. Shridevi and Bhudevi, Shri Vishnu’s two consorts, stand by his side, and Brahma rests on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of Shri Vishnu.

For darshan and puja, one has to climb on a stone slab to worship the different parts of the vigraha, namely, the face, the navel and the feet, which are visible from three different door-like openings. There are other important shrines inside the temple for Shri Narasimha, Shri Krishna, Shri Ayyappa, Shri Ganesha and Shri Hanuman as well as many other small shrines for deities like Kshetrapalan (who guards the temple), Vishwaksena and Garuda.

History

King Marthanda Varma, Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore, dedicated his kingdom to Shri Padmanabhaswamy, and pledged that he and his descendants would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa, meaning "servants of the Lord Padmanabha". Thus, Shri Padmanabhaswamy became the nominal head of the state of Travancore, assuming the title, Perumal (the Emperor). The British Government used to salute Shri Padmanabhaswamy with a 21-gun salute, a military tradition of colonial days. The royal insignia of Shri Padmanabhaswamy, the Valampuri Shankha (a rare and highly auspicious form of the conch-shell), served as the state emblem of Travancore. Shri Padmanabhaswamy is still revered as the regional deity of Travancore.