Adhyaya 59

The chapter opens with Yudhiṣṭhira asking Śrī Kṛṣṇa to name and describe the Ekādaśī of Āśvina’s bright fortnight. Kṛṣṇa identifies it as Pāpāṃkuśā Ekādaśī, centered on worship of Padmanābha (Viṣṇu), and praises it as a supreme vow that destroys sins and grants both heaven and liberation. Ekādaśī is exalted above major śrauta sacrifices, and Hari-bhakti—fasting, night vigil, and glorifying the divine Name—is presented as fully equivalent to a complete tīrtha. The text declares that even incidental fasting can bar Yama’s punishments. It also warns against sectarian revilement: a Vaiṣṇava should not disparage Śiva, nor a Śaiva insult Viṣṇu, for devotional ethics are integral to spiritual attainment. The chapter closes by reaffirming that Pāpāṃkuśā frees one from sins and leads to Hari’s world, with supportive merits of charity also mentioned.