Papmochani Ekadashi Vrat Katha
🙏 The Papmochani Ekadashi falls on Friday, April 5, 2024 🙏
Vrat Katha :
The young Medhavi always found himself distracted by the Apsaras, despite their repeated attempts.
The Bhavishya Uttara Purana describes this Papmochani Ekadashi Katha as conversations between Lord Krishna and King Yudhishtira. The legend tells about a sage named Medhavi who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. This sage used to meditate (tapasya) in the Chaitraratha jungle, which was teeming with fragrant and lovely flowers. The Apsaras and Lord Indra made frequent visits to the woodland. The young Medhavi was always being distracted by the Apsaras, despite their repeated attempts. Manjughosa, one of the Apsaras, made multiple attempts to divert the sage, but she was unable to approach him because of the strength of his Tapasya.
Manjughosa ultimately made the decision to set up a tent a few miles away from the sage and began to sing, thrilling even Kamdev, or Cupid. Manjughosha became restless with lust every time she laid eyes on the sage’s youthful, gorgeous figure. When Manughosha at last succeeded in getting close to Medhavi and giving him an embrace, the sage’s Tapasya crumbled. After that, the sage became totally ensnared in Manjughosha’s charms and found himself in a trap. He instantly lost his innocence. Even the distinction between day and night escaped his memory.
After bewitching the sage for fifty-seven years, Medhavi decided to leave because she was no longer interested in him. She told Medhavi that she wanted to leave, and that’s when he came, realizing that he had been imprisoned for 57 years by the apsara. When Manjughosha changed into the ugliest woman, Medhavi became enraged.
A furious sage, he cursed Apsara to turn her into a hideous witch. Recalling the entire Papmochani Ekadashi Katha, Medhavi returned to his father, Sage Chyavana, and told his sorrows. Sage Chyavana commanded Medhavi and Manjughosha to offer fervent prayers to Lord Vishnu and observe the Papmochani Ekadashi vrat. Consequently, their crimes were forgiven.
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