When is Papankusha Ekadashi?
| Date | Note |
|---|---|
| Monday, 11 October 2027 | — |
| Friday, 29 September 2028 | — |
Dates for New Delhi (tithi at sunrise). Smarta and Vaishnava calendars may differ by a day; check your local Panchang for the fast and parana times. All Ekadashi dates →
About Papankusha Ekadashi
Papankusha Ekadashi, in the bright half of Ashvin just after Dussehra, is 'the goad (ankusha) that restrains sin' — like the elephant-goad that controls an elephant, it is said to check the force of past wrongs.
Devotees worship Vishnu as Padmanabha and give in charity — grain, sesame, cows, land or umbrellas.
The story of Papankusha Ekadashi
On the Vindhya mountains lived a cruel hunter named Krodhana, who had spent his life in violence. As old age and death approached, terrified of Yama, he came to the hermitage of the sage Angira and fell at his feet, begging for a way of escape.
Moved by his repentance, the sage told him to keep the Papankusha Ekadashi of Ashvin. Krodhana fasted with sincerity, and the Purana says that even he, after a life of sin, reached Vishnu's abode.
As told in the Ekadashi Mahatmya of the Padma and Bhavishyottara Purana tradition, where Krishna narrates each Ekadashi's glory to Yudhishthira. Versions differ in detail between editions.
How to keep the Papankusha Ekadashi vrat
- Dashami, the day before. Eat a light sattvic meal before sunset and avoid grains that night.
- Morning. Bathe early, take a sankalp for the vrat, and worship Vishnu or Krishna with tulsi leaves, flowers, a diya and incense.
- Through the day. Keep the fast as your tradition and health allow — nirjala, phalahar (fruit and milk) or one light meal without grains. Chant "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya", hear the story of Papankusha Ekadashi, and avoid anger and idle talk.
- Night. Many keep jagaran — staying awake with bhajans and kirtan.
- Dwadashi. Break the fast (parana) after sunrise within the Dwadashi tithi, after offering food to Vishnu and to someone in need.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with medical conditions should keep a lighter fast.
Mantra for Papankusha Ekadashi
Dvadashakshari mantra of Vishnu
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya ||
Om, salutations to Bhagavan Vasudeva, who dwells in all beings. Chant it 108 times on a tulsi mala through the day.
Frequently asked questions
When is Papankusha Ekadashi 2027?
Papankusha Ekadashi falls on Monday, 11 October 2027 (New Delhi, tithi at sunrise). Check your local Panchang for the fast and the parana (breaking) time.
What does Papankusha mean?
'The goad against sin' — the vrat is said to restrain sin as an ankusha restrains an elephant.
What is eaten on the Papankusha Ekadashi fast?
Grains and beans — rice, wheat and dal — are avoided. Fruit, milk, nuts, potatoes, sabudana, singhara and kuttu flour and rock salt are commonly eaten. Some keep a nirjala fast; follow your family tradition and your health.
When is the Ekadashi fast broken?
On Dwadashi, the next day, after sunrise and within the Dwadashi tithi — not during Hari Vasara, the first quarter of Dwadashi. This is called parana; check the time in your local Panchang.