Devraaj Indra ke ramaniya Chaitrarath van mein Chyavana rishi ke putra, yuva muni Medhavi, ghor tapasya kar rahe the. Unke tej aur tapobal se devta tak prabhaavit the. Kaamdev ko laga ki yeh tap uski satta ke liye chunauti hai, isliye unhone apsara Manjughosha ko muni ka tap bhang karne bheja.
Manjughosha apne roop, sangeet aur haav-bhaav se muni ke aashram ke paas vihaar karne lagi. Dheere-dheere apne yauvan aur madhur gaan se usne yuva muni Medhavi ka man moh liya. Muni apni tapasya, dhyaan aur niyam — sab bhoolkar varshon tak uske sang bhog-vilaas mein doob gaye. Poore sattaees varsh aise hi beet gaye.
Ek din Manjughosha ne swarg lautne ki ichha jataayi. Tab muni ko hosh aaya ki kaise unka anmol tapobal nasht ho gaya. Apni is dasha ka kaaran apsara ko maankar, krodh mein aakar unhone Manjughosha ko Pishachini (pretni) hone ka shraap de diya. Apsara thar-thar kaanpti hui kshama ki bhikh maangne lagi.
Daya aakar muni ne use upaay bataaya — "Tum Chaitra maas ke Krishna paksha ki Papmochani Ekadashi ka vrat karo; iske punya se tum shraap se mukt ho jaaogi." Manjughosha ne shraddha se vrat kiya aur Pishacha-yoni se mukt hokar phir se divya apsara ban gayi. Udhar Medhavi ke pita Chyavana rishi ne unhe samjhaaya ki unka tap bhi nasht ho gaya hai, aur yahi Papmochani vrat karne ko kaha. Muni ne bhi vrat karke apne sab paap dho diye aur khoya hua tapobal phir paaya.
Seekh: Papmochani Ekadashi sikhaati hai ki sachhe pashchaataap aur is vrat se bade se bade paap bhi dhul jaate hain. Krodh aur moh manushya ka patan karte hain, par shraddha-poorn vrat use phir uthhaa leta hai.