Maharaj Yudhisthira said O Madhusudan what is the name of the Ekadasi that occures during the waxing moon in the monthof September/October. Please be kind and explain this to me .
Lord Krishna replied, O best of the Kings! The name of this Ekadasi is Pasankusa Ekadasi. Now please hear from me the glories of this Ekadasi which distroyes all ones sins. Some people also callthis Ekadasi as Papankusa Ekadasi. One should specially worship lord Padmanabha onthe day of this Ekadasi. This Ekadasi awards a person the heavenly pleasures liberation and his desired results. Just by chanting the holy namesof Lord Vishnu one can attain all the peity of visiting all the holy places on the earth. If a conditioned soul inspite of indulging in varioussinful activities due to illusion takes shelter and offers obeisances at the lotus feet of Lord Hari who is expert in delivering the fallen souls thensuch a person does not have to go to hell.
Those Vaisnavas who criticise Lord Shiva and those Saivaites who criticise lord Vishnu are both undoubtedly go to hell. The resultone obtains by performing one thousand horse sacrifices or by performing one hundred Rajasuya sacrifices can not be equal to the one sixteenth portion of peity one obtains by following this Ekadasi. There is no peity in this world which is equal to the peity earned by observing the Ekadasi. Therefore there is no other day as santified as this day of Ekadasi which is very dear to Lord Padmanabha.
O King! As soon as a person fails to observe Ekadasis the sins begin to reside in his body. This Ekadasi awards its follower the heavenly pleasure ,liberation, freed from deceased condition, beautiful women, wealth and food grains. O maintainer of the earth! If one observesthis Ekadasi and remains awake on that night easily goes to theabode of Lord Vishnu.
Lord Krishna continued O best of the Kings! By observing the vow of this Ekadasi one can deliver ten generations from his mothers family , ten generations from his fathers family and ten generations fromhis wifes family. If a person observes this Ekadasi either in his chilhood or youthhood or in his oldage he does not suffer the miseries of thematerial existence. One who strictly observes this Pasankusa or Papankusa Ekadasi then all his sinful reactions are eradicated and at the end of hislife he reaturns to the abode of Lord Vishnu. If a person gives away gold,sesame seeds, land,cow, food grains,water, umbrella or shoes in charitythen such a person does not have to goo to the abode of Yamaraj. Any one whospents his day wiuthout engaging in pious activities he is like a dead manalthough he is breathing. His breathing is compared to the bellows of the blacksmith.
O best of the Kings! A person who digs well and lakes for the benefit of others, donates land and houses and perform other pious activities such as performing sacrifices is not subjected to the punishment of Yamaraja. As a result of peity only people live long lives, become rich, take birth in high class families and become deseaseless. The purport is that the direct result of observing Ekadasi is to attain devotional service to Krishna and the indirect result is to attain the temporary material benefits.
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Pasankusa Ekadashi from the sacred ‘Brahma-vaivartha Purana’
Śrī Rāmacandra Vijayotsava, celebrated on Vijayā Daśamī, commemorates the glorious victory of Lord Śrī Rāmacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, over the powerful demon king Rāvaṇa. This sacred occasion reminds us that dharma triumphs over injustice, truth over falsehood, and devotion over pride.
Lord Rāmacandra appeared in the dynasty of King Ikṣvāku as the ideal king, son, husband, brother, and protector of His devotees. His life, beautifully narrated in the Rāmāyaṇa, teaches us how to remain steadfast in dharma even in the most difficult circumstances.
Although destined to become the king of Ayodhyā, Lord Rāma willingly accepted fourteen years of exile to honour His father, Mahārāja Daśaratha. Accompanied by Sītā-devī and Lakṣmaṇa, He entered the forest without resentment, demonstrating the highest standard of truthfulness and duty.
During Their exile, Sītā-devī was abducted by Rāvaṇa, the powerful ruler of Laṅkā. Lord Rāma then began His search for Her, accepting the loving service of Śrī Hanumān, Sugrīva, and the vāṇara army.
Hanumān's extraordinary devotion became a shining example of selfless service. Crossing the ocean and entering Laṅkā, he found Sītā-devī and delivered Lord Rāma's message to Her.
With the help of the vāṇaras, Lord Rāma's army crossed the ocean and reached Laṅkā. A great battle followed. Despite Rāvaṇa's immense power, wealth, and formidable army, his pride and unrighteousness ultimately brought about his downfall.
Finally, Lord Rāmacandra released His divine arrow and Rāvaṇa was defeated. Thus, righteousness was restored, and the Lord's victory became a timeless celebration of the triumph of good over evil.
Rāvaṇa represents the darkness that can arise within the heart—lust, pride, greed, anger, and the desire for control. Although he possessed great knowledge, wealth, and strength, he lacked humility and devotion.
Lord Rāma teaches us that true strength lies not in material power, but in truth, surrender, service, and devotion to the Supreme Lord.
For devotees, Vijayā Daśamī is therefore also a time for inner reflection:
Where there is pride, may humility arise.
Where there is anger, may compassion arise.
Where there is selfish desire, may the desire to serve arise.
Where there is forgetfulness of the Lord, may remembrance arise.
The greatest victory is not merely the defeat of an external enemy. It is the victory of the Lord's remembrance over the darkness within our own hearts.
His example continues to inspire us to live with integrity, responsibility, compassion, and devotion.
On this auspicious occasion, let us pray to Lord Rāmacandra for the strength to follow the path of dharma, the humility to serve, and the devotion to remember Him in all circumstances.
May the victory of Lord Rāmacandra become a victory within our own hearts.
A Sacred Pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Lord Jagannātha 26th – 29th. November 2026
Śrī Kṣetra Parikrama is a cherished annual pilgrimage to Jagannātha Purī, the sacred abode of Lord Jagannātha, where devotees come together to walk through the holy land, chant the Lord’s names and remember the divine pastimes of Lord Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Organised by ISKCON, this pilgrimage marks its 22nd year in 2026, continuing a tradition that brings devotees, senior Vaiṣṇavas and spiritual leaders together in the service of the Lord.
Śrī Kṣetra, also known as Puruṣottama Kṣetra, holds a special place in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition. Lord Jagannātha resides here with Baladeva and Subhadrā, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spent many years in Purī immersed in deep love for Kṛṣṇa. The Dhāma is revered as a place of the Lord’s eternal pastimes, and pilgrimage through its sacred land offers devotees an opportunity to deepen their connection with the Lord through prayer, kīrtana, hearing and remembrance.
The parikrama is not simply a walk through a holy place; it is a devotional journey undertaken with humility and a desire to receive the mercy of the Dhāma. The Śrī Kṣetra Parikrama website describes the pilgrimage as a 21-kilometre journey through Purī, where devotees walk together in kīrtana and remembrance, seeking the causeless mercy and blessings of Lord Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Even the act of walking through the sacred land becomes an opportunity to turn the mind towards the Lord, hear His glories and associate with devotees who share the same aspiration.
The pilgrimage is especially meaningful when undertaken during an auspicious period of devotional observance, when devotees make a special effort to increase their hearing, chanting and service. By walking together through Śrī Kṣetra, honouring the holy places and remembering the pastimes of the Lord, pilgrims can deepen their appreciation for the spiritual significance of the Dhāma and strengthen their devotional practice.
Śrī Kṣetra Parikrama invites devotees to step away from their usual routines and spend time immersed in the atmosphere of the holy Dhāma. With every step, every kīrtana and every prayer, the pilgrimage becomes an opportunity to seek the mercy of Lord Jagannātha and experience the sacred land cherished by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
For registration please visit the LINK BELOW!
Register Here: Śrī Kṣetra Parikrama 2026
On 17 September 1965, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived at Boston’s Commonwealth Pier aboard the cargo ship Jaladuta. He was sixty-nine years old, alone in a foreign land, carrying only a few personal belongings and boxes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Yet Śrīla Prabhupāda carried something far greater: the order of his spiritual master and a profound desire to share the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Kṛṣṇa with the Western world.
Śrīla Prabhupāda departed from Calcutta on 13 August 1965. The journey across the Atlantic was extremely difficult. He suffered severe seasickness and experienced two heart attacks during the voyage. Still, he continued with determination, placing himself completely in the hands of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
His journey was the fulfillment of an instruction he had received years earlier from his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who had urged him to present the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the English-speaking world.
After years of preparation and publishing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda finally received the opportunity to travel to America.
When the Jaladuta reached Boston on the morning of 17 September, Śrīla Prabhupāda saw the vast city and harbor before him. He had no established institution, no wealthy supporters and no large group of followers awaiting him.
Instead, he had complete faith in Kṛṣṇa.
During his stay at Boston Harbor, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote a heartfelt Bengali prayer expressing his dependence upon the Lord. He acknowledged his own helplessness and prayed that Kṛṣṇa would empower him to deliver His message to the people of America.
His prayer reveals the mood with which he undertook his mission—not as a personal achievement, but as the service of his spiritual master and the Supreme Lord.
The Jaladuta departed Boston on 18 September, and on 19 September 1965, Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived in New York Harbor. He later traveled to Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was received by Gopal Agarwal, who had helped sponsor his journey.
From these humble beginnings, Śrīla Prabhupāda began teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness through Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, hari-nāma saṅkīrtana and devotional service.
In July 1966, he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York.
What appeared to be the arrival of one elderly sannyāsī in a distant land became the beginning of a worldwide spiritual movement.
Śrīla Prabhupāda had crossed the ocean with very little materially, but he carried the timeless treasure of bhakti. Through his books, teachings, kīrtanas and personal example, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa spread across the world.
His arrival in America stands as a powerful example of faith, determination, surrender and service to the spiritual master.
From Boston Harbor began a journey that would transform countless lives and carry the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu far beyond the shores of India.
All glories to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda!
