Vishnu, the Lord of all, spoke with compassion and assurance: “O auspicious one, all that you have asked shall indeed come to pass. You, O blessed one, will be the fulfiller of every desire, and it cannot be otherwise. My devotees throughout the world, and especially those who are steadfast in their devotion during the sacred month of Karttika, will be celebrated across the four ages and throughout the three worlds. “I recognize your great power, you who so faithfully observe the Ekadashi vow. All those who worship me with sincerity will surely attain liberation—there is no doubt in this. Of all the lunar days, the third, eighth, ninth, and fourteenth are holy, but above all, the eleventh day—Ekadashi—is dearest to Hari. Its merit surpasses that of all sacred places, truly and without question. “Having granted her the boon of three wishes without hesitation, Ekadashi, the great vow, became radiant with joy and strength. You, Ekadashi, destroy the enemies of righteousness and grant supreme attainment; you remove all obstacles and bestow every desired accomplishment. “O Partha, know that the blessed Ekadashi is equal in both the waxing and waning lunar fortnights; it is neither bright nor dark—no distinction should be made. Those who observe all vows should make no difference in this regard. Whether by day or by night, those who listen with devotion are blessed. “There is one tithi that occurs in both lunar fortnights: when the eleventh day wanes and the thirteenth day draws to a close. In the middle, when the twelfth day is complete and touches three tithis, that day—so dear to Hari—should be observed with a fast, for it yields the fruit of a thousand Ekadashi fasts. “By breaking the fast on the twelfth day in this manner, the merit is multiplied a thousandfold. The eighth, eleventh, sixth, third, and fourteenth days—if touched by the preceding tithi—should not be observed; but if touched by the following, one should fast. The eleventh day endures a full day and night, with a portion extending into the morning. “That tithi should be avoided; one should fast when the twelfth is joined. Thus have I described the rules for observing Ekadashi in both lunar fortnights. Indeed, one must undertake fasting on the eleventh day without doubt; those who do so attain the Vaishnava abode where Vishnu, with Garuda as his banner, resides. “Blessed are those in the world who are devoted to Vishnu. Whoever recites the greatness of Ekadashi at all times gains merit equal to the gift of a thousand cows. Whether by day or by night, those who listen with devotion are freed from even the gravest sins, such as the killing of a brahmin. There is nothing equal to the Dharma of Vishnu, nor to the meaning of the Gita, O best of kings; and there is no vow equal to Ekadashi for destroying sin.” Later, Yudhishthira approached Krishna with humility and longing for knowledge: “O noble Krishna, Lord of the universe, primeval God, master of the worlds, please, by your grace, tell me—show me your compassion. In the dark fortnight of Magha, which is the Ekadashi? What is its name, and what is the proper procedure for its observance? Please explain this to me in detail.” Dalabhya, another sage, added, “O Brahman, beings born in this mortal world are afflicted by many sins, even grave ones such as the killing of a brahmin. Some steal the wealth of others, some are deluded by vice—how do they escape hell? Please tell me truthfully. By what effortless means, or by what small gift, can sin be destroyed? You ought to reveal this.” Pulastya, the sage, replied with joy, “Excellent, excellent, O great one! This secret is exceedingly rare, not revealed to anyone by Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, or the gods. Yet, because you have asked, I shall tell you, O best of the twice-born. When the month of Magha arrives, one who is pure, bathed, and self-controlled—free from desire, anger, pride, envy, greed, and slander—should remember the Lord of gods and wash his feet with water. “He should gather cow-dung that has fallen on the ground, mix it with sesame seeds and a piece of cloth, and form small balls. There is no need to deliberate further about the number one hundred and eight; when the month of Magha arrives, if the constellation Ashadha is present, or if it is the beginning of the dark fortnight, or the eleventh day with its observances, then, at the auspicious time, one should undertake the rite. Listen as I describe the procedure. “Having worshipped the Lord of gods and bathed thoroughly, with a mind intent and pure, one should recite the names of Krishna, especially in case of any error or omission. One should keep vigil through the night, first performing a fire offering and worshipping the Lord of lords; on the second day, worship Hari again. “Offer sandalwood, aguru, and camphor, and likewise kṛsara, while remembering and repeatedly invoking the name of Krishna. With gourds, coconuts, or vessels filled with seeds—or if none of these are available, with suitable areca nuts—one should offer arghya to Janardana according to the rite, having worshipped him. “Pray: ‘O Krishna, Krishna, compassionate one, be the refuge of those who have none; O Supreme Person, have mercy on those immersed in the ocean of worldly existence. Salutations to you, O lotus-eyed one; salutations to you, creator of the universe; O Subrahmanya, salutations to you, ancient great person; accept the arghya offered by me together with Lakshmi, O Lord of the world.’ “This is the arghya-mantra. Afterwards, one should honor a brahmin by giving him a water-pot, along with an umbrella, sandals, and cloth, saying, ‘May Krishna be pleased with me.’ If possible, a black cow should be given to the best of the twice-born; and a vessel filled with sesame seeds should also be given. For bathing and for consumption, black sesame seeds are best; these should be given with care, according to one’s ability, to the best of the twice-born. As many sesame seeds as have sprouted should be given to kshatriyas. “For as many thousands of years as the number of sesame seeds given for bathing, anointing, fire offering, and water offering, one is honored in heaven. One who gives, consumes, bathes with, anoints with, offers in fire, and offers water with sesame—these six uses of sesame destroy sin.” At this point, Narada inquired further: “O Krishna, Krishna, mighty-armed, salutations to you, creator of the universe. What is the result of observing the Shat-tila Ekadashi? Tell me, with its story, if you are pleased, O descendant of Yadu.” Sri Krishna replied: “Hear, O king, as it happened; I will tell you what I saw. Long ago, on earth, there was a brahmani, O Narada, always devoted to vows and ever intent on worshipping the gods.