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Shukla paksha · Ashwin · amanta reckoning

When is Papankusha Ekadashi 2027?

Papankusha Ekadashi 2027

In 350 days

Mon, 11 Oct

Papankusha Ekadashi 2027 is on Monday, 11 October. Parana, breaking the fast, is on 12 October, 6:19 AM to 8:38 AM in New Delhi.

2028: Friday, 29 September 2028

Parana (breaking the fast), 12 Oct 2027

6:19 AM – 8:38 AM

New Delhi

Also called Papankusa Ekadashi, Pashankusha Ekadashi. Those are the same observance and the same date, so they share this page rather than competing with it from a second URL.

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Computed for New Delhi

The date in New Delhi

Monday, 11 October 2027

Papankusha Ekadashi 2027 timings in New Delhi
TimingNew DelhiWhat it is
Parana (breaking the fast), 12 Oct 20276:19 AM to 8:38 AMThe window is the first fifth of the daylight (pratahkala).

Papankusha Ekadashi is not a Gregorian date. It is Shukla paksha tithi 11 of Ashwin in the amanta reckoning, and the Gregorian day it lands on moves by up to a month between years because twelve lunations fall about eleven days short of a solar year.

Tithi
Ekadashi, Shukla paksha
Lunar month
Ashwin (amanta)
Tithi begins
10 Oct, 11:41 AM
Tithi ends
11 Oct, 2:09 PM
Decided at
Sunrise
Sunrise in New Delhi
11 Oct, 6:19 AM

Sunrise in New Delhi falls at 6:19 AM on that day, and that is the instant the tithi has to be running at for the day to carry the observance. It is computed for this city rather than assumed, because it is what decides the date.

The two instants above are the astronomy and are not in dispute. The day is an interpretation of them: this observance is decided at sunrise, so it belongs to the day whose sunrise the tithi carries — not simply to the day the tithi begins.

Shukla paksha · Ashwin

Papankusha Ekadashi 2027: Smarta and Vaishnava dates

Listed here (Smarta, the sunrise rule)
Monday, 11 October 2027 — The fast belongs to the day whose sunrise carries Ekadashi — the day AstroSage lists and the one this page leads with.
Vaishnava (ISKCON), the arunodaya rule
Monday, 11 October 2027 — The same day this year. The Vaishnava rule reads the tithi at arunodaya, the 96 minutes before sunrise, rather than at sunrise; the arunodaya of Monday, 11 October 2027 (11 Oct, 4:43 AM) is already inside Ekadashi, not Dashami.

Every day above is computed for New Delhi from the same tithi instants. ISKCON temples publish their own calendar for each city and also apply the Mahadvadashi rules, which can move a fast to Dwadashi in some years — where your temple's calendar differs, follow it.

Meaning and vrat katha

Papankusha Ekadashi vrat katha and significance

Papankusha is the Ekadashi of the bright half of Ashwin — the first Ekadashi after Navratri and Dussehra. It is kept for Vishnu in his Padmanabha form, the lotus rising from his navel. The name joins papa, wrongdoing, and ankusha, the goad a mahout uses to turn an elephant: the day is understood as a check on one's own conduct. Beyond the fast, families spend it in japa of Vishnu's names and give grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp according to their means.

The katha

Retold in brief from the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, in the Ekadashi-mahatmya where Krishna tells each Ekadashi's story to Yudhishthira (some Hindi vrat-katha books place it in the Padma Purana).

In the Vindhya hills lived a fowler called Krodhana — "the wrathful" — and the name fitted the life. He hunted, robbed travellers on the mountain paths and spent his years in harm, never asking what would follow. When old age came, he dreamt one night that Yama's messengers were waiting for him, and the fear of it drove him up the hill to the ashram of the sage Angira.

He fell at the sage's feet and asked whether any road was left for a man who had done nothing but damage. Angira did not turn him away. The Ekadashi of the bright half of Ashwin was near, he said: keep it fully — fast through the day, stay awake through the night remembering Vishnu as Padmanabha, and on Dwadashi feed others before breaking the fast — and the weight of the past would be turned, as a goad turns an elephant.

Krodhana did exactly that. The Purana says the fast lifted his burden, and that at the end of his life he went not to Yama's city but to Vishnu's. Krishna closes the story by telling Yudhishthira that this is why the day is called Papankusha: it is the goad held over sin.

How the fast is kept

  • The fast runs from sunrise on the Ekadashi day to parana on Dwadashi. Many families eat a single plain meal on Dashami, the evening before.
  • Grains and rice are left out on Ekadashi. Those who cannot keep a complete fast take fruit, milk or a phalahar meal; a waterless fast is kept only by those whose tradition and health allow it.
  • Vishnu is worshipped with tulsi leaves, a lamp and his names; reading or hearing the day's katha is part of the observance, and many stay awake for a part of the night in kirtan or japa.
  • Parana is on Dwadashi, after Hari Vasara — the first quarter of Dwadashi — has passed. The window for your city is computed above.

Fasting customs are described here as tradition, not as medical advice. Consult a doctor before fasting, particularly if you are pregnant, diabetic, elderly or on medication.

All 26 · New Delhi

Every Ekadashi and its next date

Twenty-four in an ordinary year, two more in a year with an adhika month. Each has its own page with its katha, parana and Smarta and Vaishnava dates.

The next Ekadashi and its parana · every Ekadashi of 2027 with tithi and parana times

All Papankusha Ekadashi 2027 muhurat · New Delhi

Papankusha Ekadashi muhurat

Papankusha Ekadashi, the first Ekadashi after Dussehra, is kept for Vishnu as Padmanabha in the bright half of Ashwin; its name means the goad held over wrongdoing. In New Delhi it falls on Monday, 11 October 2027: the fast runs from sunrise to parana on Dwadashi, 12 Oct, 6:19 AM to 8:38 AM. The day is spent in japa of Vishnu's names, with gifts of grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp.

All Papankusha Ekadashi 2027 muhurat in New Delhi
MuhuratTime in New DelhiWhat it is for
Parana: the time to break the fast12 Oct, 6:19 AM to 8:38 AMThe morning of Dwadashi (the first fifth of the day), Hari Vasara having ended overnight.

The window on Dwadashi, the morning after the fast, in which Papankusha Ekadashi is completed. It opens once Hari Vasara is over and normally closes with the first part of the morning; when Hari Vasara runs late it moves past midday, and it never runs beyond the end of Dwadashi. The time shown is computed for New Delhi.

Hari Vasara ends8:40 PMThe end of the first quarter of Dwadashi; the fast is never broken inside it.

Hari Vasara is the first quarter of Dwadashi. The fast is not broken inside it, even when it is already morning, so its end in New Delhi is the earliest moment parana can begin.

Brahma Muhurta4:40 AM to 5:29 AMThe 14th of the night's fifteen muhurtas, ending one muhurta before sunrise.

The hour before dawn on the Ekadashi day, the traditional time to wake, bathe and take the sankalp of the fast.

Sunrise6:19 AMThe upper edge of the Sun on the horizon, with refraction.

The fast is counted from sunrise on Ekadashi to parana on Dwadashi, and the morning puja begins after it.

Auspicious choghadiya (day)
  • Amrit 6:19 AM to 7:46 AM
  • Shubh 9:13 AM to 10:40 AM
  • Chal 1:34 PM to 3:02 PM
  • Labh 3:02 PM to 4:29 PM
  • Amrit 4:29 PM to 5:56 PM
The day's Amrit, Shubh, Labh and Chal choghadiyas.

The day's Amrit, Shubh, Labh and Chal periods. Families who cannot worship at dawn choose one of them for the main puja.

Pradosh Kaal: the evening lamps5:56 PM to 8:25 PMFrom sunset for three night muhurtas (a fifth of the night).

The evening after sunset, when lamps are lit before Vishnu and beside the tulsi and the aarti is sung again.

Nishita Kaal: the night vigil11:43 PM to 12:32 AM (12 Oct)The 8th of the night's fifteen muhurtas, around the middle of the night.

The middle of the night, the heart of the jagran. Those who keep the night awake give this part of it to kirtan and japa.

Rahu Kaal (to avoid)Kept clear of7:46 AM to 9:13 AMRahu's eighth of the daylight, fixed by the weekday: a puja, a purchase or a journey is not begun in it.

The weekday's Rahu Kaal on the Ekadashi day in New Delhi. Many families avoid beginning the sankalp or the main puja inside it; it does not change the fast itself or the parana window.

Auspicious windows that day

Auspicious windows that day
WindowTime in New DelhiWhat it is
Abhijit Muhurat11:44 AM to 12:31 PMAuspicious
Brahma Muhurat4:40 AM to 5:29 AMAuspicious

Windows usually worked around

These are the spans classical muhurta sets aside for beginnings. They are descriptions of a convention, not warnings: the observance is kept on its day regardless, and nothing here needs to be bought, corrected or remedied.

Windows usually worked around
WindowTime in New Delhi
Rahu Kaal7:46 AM to 9:13 AM
Yamaganda Kaal10:40 AM to 12:07 PM
Durmuhurta First12:31 PM to 1:17 PM
Durmuhurta Second2:50 PM to 3:37 PM
Varjyam12:20 AM to 2:06 AM

Every time above is computed for New Delhi around Monday, 11 October 2027, from the sunrise, sunset and the positions of the Sun and Moon for this city. The Vedic day runs sunrise to sunrise, so a window whose clock time falls after midnight still belongs to the evening before; a time on another date carries that date.

Puja vidhi · step by step at home

Papankusha Ekadashi puja vidhi

  1. The day before: Dashami

    Eat a single simple meal on Dashami, before sunset, without onion, garlic or rice, and keep the evening light and quiet. Clean the puja corner and pick the tulsi leaves you will need, since tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi itself.

  2. Wake early and bathe

    Rise early on Ekadashi, in Brahma Muhurta if you can, bathe (a few drops of Ganga jal in the water if you have it) and put on clean clothes; yellow is the colour traditionally worn for Vishnu.

  3. Take the sankalp

    Sit before the altar, hold a little water and a flower in your right hand and resolve to keep the vrat: say your name, that you are keeping Papankusha Ekadashi for Vishnu, and how you will fast, whether without water, on water alone, on fruit or with one phalahar meal. Then let the water fall. The Ekadashi sankalpa verse in the mantra section can be said here.

  4. Set up the altar

    Spread a yellow cloth on a clean chowki and place an image of Vishnu or Krishna on it (a Shaligram or Laddu Gopal if the house keeps one), with a ghee lamp and a small kalash or lota of water. Remember Ganesh first, with a flower and Om Gam Ganapataye Namah, as every puja begins.

  5. Worship Vishnu as Padmanabha

    Bathe a metal idol or the Shaligram with water, panchamrit and water again (for a picture, sprinkle water with a flower), and worship Vishnu as Padmanabha, the lotus rising from his navel, with sandalwood, lotus or yellow flowers, tulsi picked the day before, incense and a lamp, chanting Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

  6. Offer bhog

    Offer what you will eat yourself: fruit, a sweet made without grain, makhana, dry fruit or panchamrit, with a tulsi leaf on each offering. Nothing cooked from grain or pulses is offered or eaten on Ekadashi.

  7. Katha and aarti

    Read or listen to the Papankusha Ekadashi vrat katha below, and the Vishnu Sahasranama or a chapter of the Gita if you can. Then sing Om Jai Jagdish Hare with a ghee lamp or camphor, and ask pardon for any mistake made in the puja.

  8. A day of Vishnu's names

    Families spend Papankusha in japa of Vishnu's names: the Vishnu Sahasranama, opening with the Shuklambaradharam verse, if you can, or a round of Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya on a tulsi mala at each of the day's pujas.

  9. Through the day

    Keep the fast as you resolved it, keep Vishnu's name in mind and avoid sleeping in the day, anger, gossip and harsh words. Give water, fruit or food to someone who needs it; charity is part of every Ekadashi.

  10. The goad: one restraint

    Papankusha is the goad held over wrongdoing. Choose one habit to restrain, as a mahout's goad turns an elephant, and keep that restraint through the weeks to Diwali; give grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp according to your means.

  11. Lamps at dusk

    At sunset light a ghee lamp before Vishnu and another beside the tulsi plant, without plucking its leaves, and sing the aarti again.

  12. The night vigil

    Stay awake for as much of the night as you can, in kirtan, japa or reading; the middle of the night is the heart of the jagran. Those who cannot keep the whole night keep a part of it.

  13. Dwadashi: give, then break the fast

    Next morning bathe, worship Vishnu briefly and give food, grain or a gift to a brahmin or someone in need. Then break the fast inside the parana window: a tulsi leaf with water, or a fruit, first, saying the parana verse, and after it a simple sattvic meal.

Samagri · what to keep ready

Papankusha Ekadashi puja samagri list

  • An image of Vishnu or Krishna A framed picture is enough; a metal idol, a Shaligram or Laddu Gopal is bathed in the puja.
  • A chowki and a yellow cloth Yellow is Vishnu's colour; a clean red cloth also does.
  • Tulsi leaves Picked on Dashami, because tulsi is not plucked on Ekadashi; one goes on every offering.
  • A ghee lamp and cotton wicks One for the altar and one for the tulsi at dusk; sesame oil is the usual alternative.
  • Yellow flowers and a garland Marigold, champa or any fresh yellow flowers; a lotus if you can find one.
  • Chandan (sandalwood paste) For the deity's tilak; haldi paste is the alternative.
  • Roli and haldi For the tilak and for marking the kalash.
  • Panchamrit Milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar, for the bath of the idol and as prasad.
  • Ganga jal A few drops in the bath water and to purify the altar; clean water if you have none.
  • A kalash or lota of water For the bath, achaman and the sankalp.
  • Incense and dhoop Whatever you use every day.
  • Camphor, an aarti plate and a bell For the aarti; a conch if the house has one.
  • Mauli (kalava) Offered as the deity's cloth or tied on the wrist.
  • A yellow cloth for the deity Optional; mauli takes its place.
  • Fruits of the season Banana, apple, guava, pomegranate or whatever is fresh, offered and then eaten as phalahar.
  • Grain-free sweets Makhana kheer, mishri, peda or dry fruit; nothing made with flour or rice.
  • A few sesame seeds Offered where akshat would go by the many households that keep rice out of the Ekadashi puja.
  • A tulsi mala For 108 repetitions of the mantra.
  • The vrat katha, Vishnu Sahasranama or Gita A book or a phone; reading the katha is part of the vrat.
  • Daan for Dwadashi Grain, fruit, clothes or dakshina, given before parana.
  • A lotus, if you can find one For Vishnu as Padmanabha, the lotus-naveled; yellow flowers otherwise.
  • The Vishnu Sahasranama For the japa of Vishnu's names the day is spent in.
  • Grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp for daan The day's customary gifts, according to one's means.

Mantras · in Devanagari, with meaning

Papankusha Ekadashi mantras and aarti

Shantakaram: the Vishnu dhyana verse

शान्ताकारं भुजगशयनं पद्मनाभं सुरेशं विश्वाधारं गगनसदृशं मेघवर्णं शुभाङ्गम् ।
लक्ष्मीकान्तं कमलनयनं योगिभिर्ध्यानगम्यं वन्दे विष्णुं भवभयहरं सर्वलोकैकनाथम् ॥

Shantakaram bhujagashayanam padmanabham suresham vishvadharam gaganasadrisham meghavarnam shubhangam
Lakshmikantam kamalanayanam yogibhir dhyanagamyam vande Vishnum bhavabhayaharam sarvalokaikanatham

Meaning: I bow to Vishnu: peaceful in form, resting on the serpent, the lotus at his navel, lord of the gods, support of the universe, vast as the sky, dark as a rain cloud, of auspicious form, beloved of Lakshmi, lotus-eyed, reached by yogis in meditation, who removes the fear of worldly existence, the one lord of all the worlds.

When and how: Once before the worship; the verse names Vishnu padmanabham, the lotus-naveled, the very form Papankusha is kept for.

The Ekadashi sankalpa verse

एकादश्यां निराहारः स्थित्वाहमपरेऽहनि ।
भोक्ष्यामि पुण्डरीकाक्ष शरणं मे भवाच्युत ॥

Ekadashyam niraharah sthitvaham apare'hani
Bhokshyami pundarikaksha sharanam me bhavachyuta

Meaning: O lotus-eyed Lord, I shall stay without food on Ekadashi and eat on the day after. O Achyuta, be my refuge.

When and how: Once in the morning, with water in the right hand, while taking the sankalp of the fast.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya (the twelve-syllable mantra)

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Meaning: Om, salutation to the Lord Vasudeva, Vishnu as the one who dwells in all beings. It is the mantra Narada taught the boy Dhruva in the Bhagavata Purana.

When and how: The main japa of Ekadashi: 108 times on a tulsi mala during the puja, and as often as you like through the day and the night vigil.

Shuklambaradharam: the opening verse of the Vishnu Sahasranama

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।
प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥

Shuklambaradharam Vishnum shashivarnam chaturbhujam
Prasanna-vadanam dhyayet sarva-vighnopashantaye

Meaning: Meditate on the four-armed Vishnu, clothed in white, bright as the moon, with a gracious face, so that every obstacle is calmed.

When and how: Once before reading the Vishnu Sahasranama or beginning any part of the puja.

The parana verse

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य व्रतेनानेन केशव ।
प्रसीद सुमुखो नाथ ज्ञानदृष्टिप्रदो भव ॥

Ajnana-timirandhasya vratenanena Keshava
Prasida sumukho natha jnana-drishti-prado bhava

Meaning: O Keshava, by this vow be pleased with one who is blinded by the darkness of ignorance. Be gracious, Lord, and grant the sight of knowledge.

When and how: Once on Dwadashi, inside the parana window, before the first sip of water or bite of fruit.

Aarti Vishnu Aarti: Om Jai Jagdish Hare the full text

ॐ जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे।
भक्त जनों के संकट, दास जनों के संकट, क्षण में दूर करे॥
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥

जो ध्यावे फल पावे, दुःख बिनसे मन का, स्वामी दुःख बिनसे मन का।
सुख सम्पति घर आवे, सुख सम्पति घर आवे, कष्ट मिटे तन का॥
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥

मात पिता तुम मेरे, शरण गहूं किसकी, स्वामी शरण गहूं मैं किसकी।
तुम बिन और न दूजा, तुम बिन और न दूजा, आस करूं मैं जिसकी॥
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥

तुम पूरण परमात्मा, तुम अन्तर्यामी, स्वामी तुम अन्तर्यामी।
पारब्रह्म परमेश्वर, पारब्रह्म परमेश्वर, तुम सब के स्वामी॥
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥

तुम करुणा के सागर, तुम पालनकर्ता, स्वामी तुम पालनकर्ता।
मैं मूरख फलकामी, मैं सेवक तुम स्वामी, कृपा करो भर्ता॥
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥

तुम हो एक अगोचर, सबके प्राणपति, स्वामी सबके प्राणपति।
किस विधि मिलूं दयामय, किस विधि मिलूं दयामय, तुमको मैं कुमति॥
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥

दीन-बन्धु दुःख-हर्ता, ठाकुर तुम मेरे, स्वामी रक्षक तुम मेरे।
अपने हाथ उठाओ, अपने शरण लगाओ, द्वार पड़ा तेरे॥
ॐ जय जगदीश हरे॥

विषय-विकार मिटाओ, पाप हरो देवा, स्वामी पाप हरो देवा।
श्रद्धा भक्ति बढ़ाओ, श्रद्धा भक्ति बढ़ाओ, सन्तन की सेवा॥

ॐ जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे।
भक्त जनों के संकट, दास जनों के संकट, क्षण में दूर करे॥

Om jai Jagdish hare, swami jai Jagdish hare.
Bhakt janon ke sankat, das janon ke sankat, kshan mein door kare.
Om jai Jagdish hare.

Jo dhyave phal pave, dukh binse man ka, swami dukh binse man ka.
Sukh sampati ghar aave, sukh sampati ghar aave, kasht mite tan ka.
Om jai Jagdish hare.

Maat pita tum mere, sharan gahoon kiski, swami sharan gahoon main kiski.
Tum bin aur na dooja, tum bin aur na dooja, aas karoon main jiski.
Om jai Jagdish hare.

Tum pooran Parmatma, tum antaryami, swami tum antaryami.
Parabrahm Parmeshwar, Parabrahm Parmeshwar, tum sab ke swami.
Om jai Jagdish hare.

Tum karuna ke sagar, tum palankarta, swami tum palankarta.
Main moorakh phalkami, main sevak tum swami, kripa karo bharta.
Om jai Jagdish hare.

Tum ho ek agochar, sabke pranpati, swami sabke pranpati.
Kis vidhi miloon dayamay, kis vidhi miloon dayamay, tumko main kumati.
Om jai Jagdish hare.

Deen-bandhu dukh-harta, thakur tum mere, swami rakshak tum mere.
Apne haath uthao, apne sharan lagao, dwar pada tere.
Om jai Jagdish hare.

Vishay-vikar mitao, paap haro deva, swami paap haro deva.
Shraddha bhakti badhao, shraddha bhakti badhao, santan ki seva.

Om jai Jagdish hare, swami jai Jagdish hare.
Bhakt janon ke sankat, das janon ke sankat, kshan mein door kare.

Text as it is commonly sung. The Gita Press Aarti Sangrah prints 'prabhu' for 'swami', 'chhin mein' for 'kshan mein' and 'khal kami' for 'phalkami'; it does not repeat the half-lines, has no 'das janon ke sankat', 'main sevak tum swami' or 'apne sharan lagao', and reads 'tum thakur mere' for 'thakur tum mere, swami rakshak tum mere'. Printed text

Significance

Why Papankusha Ekadashi is kept

It is the Ekadashi for people who think it is too late. Its katha is of an old fowler who had lived by hunting and robbery and who, frightened by a dream of Yama's messengers, climbed to a sage's ashram and asked whether any road was left. He was not turned away: one fast, a night remembering Vishnu and a meal for others on Dwadashi were enough to change where his life ended. So the day is kept by choosing one restraint and holding to it, however late in life.

It comes in the first cool days after Dussehra. Sharad Purnima, when kheer is left out under the full moon, follows a few days later, and with it begins Kartik, the month of dawn baths and lamps, so this fast is often the first step into a month of practice. The katha's last word is that the fowler went not to Yama's city but to Vishnu's.

Upay · traditional practice

Papankusha Ekadashi upay: traditional remedies

The thousand names

Read the Vishnu Sahasranama once in the day, or chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya through it; japa of Vishnu's names is the day's own practice.

One restraint, held like a goad

Pick one habit, harsh speech, a temper, an indulgence, and hold it in check from today to Diwali, as the goad turns the elephant.

Grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp

Give one of the day's customary gifts according to your means; a lamp given to a temple in Ashwin begins the season of lamps that ends with Diwali.

A lotus for Padmanabha

Offer Vishnu a lotus, or lotus seeds, for his Padmanabha form; yellow flowers if no lotus can be found.

Feed before parana

Angira told Krodhana to feed others on Dwadashi before breaking the fast. Give a meal to someone in need before your own.

It is never too late

Krodhana came to the sage only in old age, after a life of harm, and was not turned away. If you have put off a change for years, begin it today.

The custom, in short

Papankusha Ekadashi do's and don'ts

Do

  • Eat one light sattvic meal on Dashami, before sunset.
  • Take the sankalp in the morning and keep the fast in the form you chose.
  • Put a tulsi leaf, picked the day before, on every offering.
  • Chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya and read or hear the katha.
  • Light a lamp before Vishnu and beside the tulsi at dusk.
  • Keep at least part of the night awake in kirtan or japa.
  • Give food or water to someone in need, and give daan on Dwadashi before parana.
  • Break the fast inside the parana window on Dwadashi.
  • Spend the day in japa of Vishnu's names.
  • Give grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp according to your means.

Don't

  • Do not eat rice, wheat, dal or any other grain or pulse on Ekadashi.
  • Do not pluck tulsi leaves on Ekadashi.
  • Do not eat onion, garlic, meat or eggs, or drink alcohol, from Dashami to Dwadashi.
  • Do not sleep during the day.
  • Do not quarrel, lie or speak harshly.
  • Do not break the fast during Hari Vasara, or let Dwadashi pass without parana.
  • Do not press the sick, the elderly, pregnant or nursing women or children into a strict fast; anyone with diabetes or another condition, or on regular medicine, should ask a doctor before fasting.
  • Do not harm any creature, even in anger; the katha's fowler lived by harm.

Across India

Papankusha Ekadashi bhog and food

  • Fruit and milk The simplest phalahar: seasonal fruit, milk, curd or buttermilk through the day.
  • Sabudana khichdi Sago with potato and rock salt, often with peanuts; a staple fasting meal in many homes.
  • Kuttu or singhara puri Buckwheat or water-chestnut flour with potato sabzi, in families whose custom allows these flours.
  • Samak, the vrat rice Barnyard millet cooked like rice in North India; some traditions count millets as grain and leave it out.
  • Potato, sweet potato and arbi Boiled, or lightly fried in ghee with rock salt, cumin and green chilli.
  • Makhana Roasted, or as kheer, for the bhog and the fast.
  • Sendha namak (rock salt) Used instead of common salt by most who fast; some keep the day without salt altogether.
  • The parana meal On Dwadashi, a tulsi leaf with water or a fruit first, then a simple home-cooked meal; grain returns with the parana.

Papankusha Ekadashi across five years

Two years back, this year, and two ahead. Past years are kept rather than dropped so you can check the engine against a calendar you already have.

Papankusha Ekadashi across five years
YearDateStatus
2024Monday, 14 October 2024past
2025Friday, 3 October 2025past
2026This yearThursday, 22 October 2026past
2027Monday, 11 October 2027upcoming
2028Friday, 29 September 2028upcoming

Every row is computed for New Delhi from the same ephemeris, not looked up. Sunrise decides which day a tithi names, and sunrise differs across India by more than an hour, so a date computed for Delhi can be a day out elsewhere.

Why calendars disagree about this date

There is no single authority that settles a Hindu festival date, and the divergence is genuine rather than sloppy. Three causes account for almost all of it.

  1. A tithi rarely starts at sunrise. One that is running at the deciding moment on two days — or on none — is claimed by both days under different rules.
  2. Month reckoning. North India runs purnimanta, the south and west amanta. The same dark fortnight carries different month names in the two, so an observance defined as "krishna X of month Y" can land a full lunation apart.
  3. Which moment decides. Most vratas belong to the day whose sunrise carries the tithi, but not all: this one is decided at sunrise. Almanacs that apply the sunrise rule to everything move several festivals by a day.

So this page shows its working. If your pandit or your family almanac gives a different day, the instants above will usually show you exactly why — and that is more useful than a date asserted without one.

Common questions

When is Papankusha Ekadashi?

In New Delhi, Papankusha Ekadashi falls on Monday, 11 October 2027, and Ekadashi tithi runs 11:41 AM (10 Oct) to 2:09 PM. It is the bright-half Ekadashi of Ashwin, the first Ekadashi after Dussehra, and it comes four days before Sharad Purnima.

Why does another calendar give a different Papankusha Ekadashi date?

Three honest reasons. The tithi can be running at the deciding moment on two days or on none. North India reckons the month purnimanta and the south and west amanta, which names the same krishna fortnight differently. And almanacs differ on which moment of the day decides an observance. The instants above are the astronomy; the day is an interpretation of them.

Why is Papankusha Ekadashi observed?

Papankusha is the Ekadashi of the bright half of Ashwin — the first Ekadashi after Navratri and Dussehra. It is kept for Vishnu in his Padmanabha form, the lotus rising from his navel. The name joins papa, wrongdoing, and ankusha, the goad a mahout uses to turn an elephant: the day is understood as a check on one's own conduct. Beyond the fast, families spend it in japa of Vishnu's names and give grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp according to their means.

Where does the Papankusha Ekadashi vrat katha come from?

It is told in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, in the Ekadashi-mahatmya where Krishna tells each Ekadashi's story to Yudhishthira (some Hindi vrat-katha books place it in the Padma Purana). The katha is retold in full above.

Is Papankusha Ekadashi on a different day for Smarta and Vaishnava (ISKCON)?

Not this year — both keep Monday, 11 October 2027. The Vaishnava rule reads Ekadashi at arunodaya, and Ekadashi already holds that day's arunodaya.

What is the Papankusha Ekadashi parana time?

Papankusha's fast ends on Dwadashi: in New Delhi the parana window is 12 Oct, 6:19 AM to 8:38 AM, beginning once Hari Vasara is over (8:40 PM). As Angira told Krodhana, feed someone first, then break the fast with a tulsi leaf and water.

What is the Papankusha Ekadashi vrat katha?

Krodhana, a fowler of the Vindhya hills, lived by hunting, robbing travellers and harming others. In old age he dreamt that Yama's messengers were waiting, and in fear climbed to the sage Angira's ashram. Angira did not turn him away but told him to keep the bright-half Ekadashi of Ashwin: fast, keep the night awake remembering Padmanabha, and feed others on Dwadashi. He did, and the Purana says he reached Vishnu's abode. The full katha is above.

What does Papankusha mean?

It joins papa, wrongdoing, and ankusha, the hooked goad a mahout uses to turn an elephant. The Ekadashi is the goad held over sin: a day for checking and turning one's own conduct, as the katha's fowler was turned.

What is the significance of Papankusha Ekadashi?

It is the first Ekadashi after Navratri and Dussehra, and in its katha the sage Angira promises that it turns the weight of past deeds as a goad turns an elephant. Families keep it with japa of Vishnu's names and gifts of grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp, and many take a restraint from it into the Diwali season.

Who is Padmanabha, the form of Vishnu worshipped on Papankusha?

Padmanabha, the lotus-naveled, is Vishnu lying on Shesha with a lotus rising from his navel, on which Brahma sits to create the world. The Shantakaram verse names him padmanabham, and the great temple at Thiruvananthapuram is his.

How is the Papankusha Ekadashi vrat kept?

Eat once on Dashami. On Ekadashi bathe, take the sankalp and worship Vishnu as Padmanabha with a lotus or yellow flowers, tulsi and a lamp, read Krodhana's katha and spend the day in japa of Vishnu's names. Give grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp, keep part of the night awake, and on Dwadashi feed someone before breaking the fast in the parana window.

What should be given in daan on Papankusha Ekadashi?

The day's customary gifts are grain, cloth, sesame or a lamp, given according to one's means, and a meal for someone in need on Dwadashi before parana. A lamp given to a temple in Ashwin is a fitting start to the season of lamps that ends with Diwali.

Which mantra is chanted on Papankusha Ekadashi?

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya is the day's japa on a tulsi mala, and those who can read the Vishnu Sahasranama, beginning with the Shuklambaradharam verse. The Shantakaram verse, which names Vishnu padmanabham, opens the puja. All are in the mantra section.

What can I eat on Papankusha Ekadashi?

In the mild weather after the monsoon, phalahar can be fuller: fruit, milk, makhana kheer, sabudana, sweet potato and singhara or kuttu flour where the family allows, with rock salt. Many keep it lighter, as the Diwali weeks of sweets lie ahead. No grain, dal, onion or garlic until the parana.

Which aarti is sung on Papankusha Ekadashi?

Om Jai Jagdish Hare, given in full above, after the morning puja and with the evening lamps; with Navratri just over, many homes still have their lamps out and light extra ones for Vishnu tonight. Some add the Ekadashi Mata aarti from their vrat book.