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Papankusha Ekadasi

Āśvina · Śukla Pakṣa · Papankusha Ekadasi

Next ObservanceMonday, 6 October 2003
Lord Padmanābha wielding the golden goad of spiritual discernment, taming karma and liberating ancestors
Mount Vindhya: Lord Padmanābha wields the divine golden aṅkuśa (goad) that tames the wild elephant of material karma, bestowing liberation upon thirty generations.
Āśvina · Śukla Pakṣa

Papankusha Ekadasi

Fasting Active · Sunrise to Sunrise
Fasting Injunction · Upavāsa Active Fast
Sacred 24-Hour Fast Window
6:08 AM – 6:08 AM (Next Dawn)

Monday, 6 October 2003

Pāraṇa Window (Breaking the Fast)Dvādaśī Morning
6:08 AM – 9:08 AM

Break after sunrise (6:08 AM) with Caraṇāmṛta & Tulasī leaf before Dvādaśī ends.

Phalahāra

Fresh fruits, milk, nuts, sabudana, water.

Varjya (Avoid)

Grains, rice, wheat, dal, beans, onion, garlic.

View Astronomical Tithi Timings Table ▾
Ekadasi tithi
Sun
5 Oct
9:57 AM
Dvādaśī begins
Mon
6 Oct
9:39 AM
Hari Vāsara ends
Mon
6 Oct
9:39 AM
Pāraṇa window
Tue
7 Oct
6:08 AM – 9:08 AM
Detailed Fasting Injunctions

1. Pre-dawn sanctity: Breaking the fast while still dark invalidates the vrata. Always await local sunrise.

2. Dvādaśī adherence: The fast must be broken before Dvādaśī tithi elapses to retain spiritual fruit.

3. Sacred Order: Offer prayers to Lord Viṣṇu, sip sacred Caraṇāmṛta with Tulasī, then partake of light food.

Need guidance on observances? Read the canonical Ekādaśī Fasting Rules : what to eat, what to avoid, the three vrata intensities, and breaking rules (pāraṇa).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Papankusha Ekadasi?
Papankusha Ekadasi is the ekādaśī tithi, the eleventh lunar day, of the waxing fortnight (śukla pakṣa) of Āśvina. Its name signifies "the goad upon sin". Like every Ekadasi, it is observed by fasting and remembrance of Lord Viṣṇu. The sacred narrative and transcendental fruits (phalaśruti) of Papankusha are preserved in ಪದ್ಮ ಪುರಾಣ.
When is Papankusha Ekadasi observed?
Papankusha Ekadasi falls on the ekādaśī tithi of the waxing fortnight of Āśvina in the Hindu lunar calendar. The exact Gregorian date varies each year because the lunar calendar shifts relative to the solar year. Smārta and Vaiṣṇava observers occasionally fast on different civil days when the tithi spans two sunrises; see the timings table above for your locality's exact window.
Who is worshipped on Papankusha Ekadasi?
Papankusha Ekadasi, like all Ekadasis, is dedicated to ಪದ್ಮನಾಭ / ವಿಷ್ಣು. Traditional devotional observances include chanting the Viṣṇu-sahasranāma, reading the corresponding chapter from ಪದ್ಮ ಪುರಾಣ, hearing the sacred katha, and meditating on the divine holy names.
What is the spiritual fruit (phalaśruti) of observing Papankusha Ekadasi?
Canonical scriptures declare that observing Papankusha Ekadasi bestows: ತಾಯಿ, ತಂದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪತ್ನಿಯ ಕಡೆಯ ತಲಾ ಹತ್ತು ತಲೆಮಾರುಗಳ (ಒಟ್ಟು 30 ಪಿತೃಗಳ) ಉದ್ಧಾರ.. Across all sacred Ekadasis, the fast purifies consciousness, dissolves karmic impressions, and elevates the soul toward spiritual liberation.
How is Papankusha Ekadasi observed?
A complete observance begins the prior evening (Daśamī) with a light sattvic meal, followed by a dedicated fast on Ekadasi day. Devotees may observe nirjala (without water), phalahāra (fruits, milk, and water), or a single sattvic meal according to physical capacity. Grains, rice, wheat, beans, onion, and garlic are strictly avoided. The fast concludes on Dvādaśī morning during the designated pāraṇa window with sacred Caraṇāmṛta and Tulasī.
What is the difference between Smārta and Vaiṣṇava observance of Papankusha Ekadasi?
On most occasions, both traditions observe the fast on the identical date. A variation occurs during an atirikta Ekādaśī when the tithi spans two consecutive sunrises. Smārtas fast on the first day (Viddhā), while Vaiṣṇavas observe the fast on the subsequent morning (Śuddhā), ensuring adherence to Dvādaśī touching sunrise.

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Panchang for this Ekadasi

Today's Sky (6 October 2003)

Celestial Coordinates & Muhūrtas

Sūrya · SunDay Arc
Sunrise6:08 AM95° E
Sunset6:06 PM265° W
Candra · Moon
Moonrise3:44 PM108° ESE
Moonset2:43 AM250° WSW
Rāhu Kāla

7:38 AM – 9:08 AM

Yamagaṇḍa

10:38 AM – 12:07 PM

Abhijit Muhūrta

11:43 AM – 12:31 PM

Bearings indicate horizon degrees. Rāhu and Yamagaṇḍa are avoided for new auspicious beginnings; Abhijit is the midday victory window.