भवंति नात्र संदेहो सर्वप्राणिभयंकराः । व्रतानां चैव सर्वेषां श्रेष्ठां चैकादशीं शुभाम्
There is no doubt about this: they are terrifying to all beings; and among all vows, the most auspicious and best is Ekadashi.
उपोष्य जागृयाद्विष्णोः कुर्य्याच्च मंडनं महत् । तुलसीदलैस्तु यो मर्त्यो हरिपूजां करोति वै
One should fast, keep vigil for Vishnu, and make great decorations; whoever worships Hari with tulasi leaves,
दलेनैकेन लभते कोटियज्ञफलं द्विज । अगम्यागमने चैव यत्पापं समुदाहृतम्
By a single leaf, he obtains the merit of ten million sacrifices, O twice-born; and whatever sin is declared from going to forbidden women,
तत्पापं याति विलयं चैकादश्यामुपोषणात् । घृतपूर्णं प्रदीपं यो दद्याद्विष्णुदिने द्विज
That sin is destroyed by fasting on Ekadashi; whoever gives a lamp filled with ghee on Vishnu's day, O twice-born,
अंते विष्णुपुरं याति तमो हत्वा स्वतेजसा । धन्या जनपदास्ते वै धन्यः स च महीपतिः
At the end, he goes to Vishnu's city, dispelling darkness by his own brilliance; blessed are those lands and blessed is that king
हरेर्दिने यस्य राज्ये चैकादश्या महोत्सवः । नारायणस्य शयने पार्श्वस्य परिवर्त्तने
In whose kingdom, on Hari's day, there is a great festival of Ekadashi; at the turning of Narayana on his couch,
विशेषेण प्रबोधिन्या निराहारा भवंति ये । मदंति कं नानयध्वंप्राणिनःपुण्यभागिनः
Especially on Prabodhini, those who remain without food—what other beings, possessing merit, can compare to them?
अहर्निशं पितृपतिः समादिशति दूतकान् । एकादशी जगन्नाथ वल्लभा पुण्यवर्धिनी
Day and night, the lord of the ancestors commands his messengers: 'Ekadashi, beloved of the Lord of the Universe, increases merit.'
विष्णुर्देहं दोहत्येव तस्यामन्नस्य भक्षणे । तेषां धिग्जीवनं संपत्धिक्सौंदर्यं च वर्तनम्
Vishnu himself destroys the body of one who eats food on that day; condemned is their life, condemned their wealth, condemned their beauty and conduct.
येऽन्नमश्नंति पापिष्ठाश्चैकादश्यां हि विड्भुजः । एकादश्यां द्विजश्रेष्ठ भुक्तिमाश्रित्य केवलम्
Those most sinful ones who eat food on Ekadashi are like eaters of filth; O best of twice-born, those who, on Ekadashi, seek only enjoyment—
बहूनि विविधान्येव तिष्ठंति दुरितानि च । अमावास्यां यथा स्त्रीणां संगमे कलुषं महत्
Many and various sins remain, and on the new moon day, for women, there is great impurity in union.
एकादश्यां तथैवान्नभक्षणे वृजिनं भवेत् । रोगिणश्च तथा खंज काससोदरकुष्ठकाः
Likewise, on the eleventh day, eating food brings misfortune; and so it is for the sick, the lame, those with cough, dropsy, or leprosy.
भवंति प्राणिनस्ते वै तस्यामन्नस्य भक्षणे । ग्रामशूकरतां यांति दारिद्र्यं च प्रयांति वै
Those living beings who eat such food become village pigs and fall into poverty.
राजबद्धा द्विजश्रेष्ठ तस्यामन्नस्य भक्षणे । संसारे यानि पापानि तानि विप्र हरेर्दिने
O best of twice-born, those who eat such food are bound by the king; all the sins in worldly existence, O Brahmin, occur on the day of Hari.
भुक्तिमाश्रित्य तिष्ठंति जलभक्षणमाज्ञया । कुर्वतां सर्वपापानि नरकान्निष्कृतिर्भवेत्
Relying on food, they remain, eating only water by command; for those who do so, all sins are absolved and hell is avoided.
न निष्कृतिर्भवेन्नॄणां भुंजतां च हरेर्दिने । नरा यावंति चान्नानि भुंजते च हरेर्दिने
There is no absolution for those who eat on the day of Hari; as many morsels as men eat on the day of Hari,
प्रत्यन्नं च ब्रह्महत्याकोटिजं वृजिनं भवेत् । पुनर्वच्मि पुनर्वच्मि श्रूयतां श्रूयतां नराः
For each morsel, there is sin equal to ten million acts of Brahmin-murder; I say again and again, listen, listen, O men!
न भोक्तव्यं न भोक्तव्यं न भोक्तव्यं हरेर्दिने । गंगादिषु च तीर्थेषु स्नात्वा यत्फलमाप्यते
One must not eat, one must not eat, one must not eat on the day of Hari; the fruit obtained by bathing at holy places like the Ganges,
चंद्रसूर्योपरागे च चैकादश्यामुपोषितः । अर्चित्वोत्पलमालाभिस्तस्यां च कमलापतिम्
During a lunar or solar eclipse, or when one has fasted on the eleventh day, and worshipped the Lord of Lakshmi with garlands of lotuses,
विधिवत्पारणं कृत्वा न मातुर्गर्भभाजनम् । एकादश्यां हरेर्गेहे करोति मंडनं द्विज
Having properly broken the fast, one does not return to the mother's womb; O Brahmin, one who decorates the house of Hari on the eleventh day,
परमां गतिमासाद्य तिष्ठेद्विष्णुनिकेतने । एकादशीं समासाद्य निराहारा भवंति ये
Attaining the highest state, they remain in the abode of Vishnu; those who observe the eleventh day, remaining without food,
तेषां विष्णुपुरे शश्वन्निवासोऽपि न संशयः । तुलसीभक्तिसंलीनं मनो येषां विराजते
For them, there is surely eternal residence in Vishnu's city; those whose minds are absorbed in devotion to Tulasi,
ते यांति परमं विष्णोः स्थानमेव न संशयः । परद्रव्येष्वभिरुचिर्येषां चैव न विद्यते
They go to the supreme abode of Vishnu, without doubt; those who have no desire for the wealth of others,
संतुष्टमनसो येऽपि तेषां विष्णुपुरं ध्रुवम् । दुर्भिक्षकालमासाद्य प्राणिभ्यो ये नरोत्तमाः
Even those whose minds are content, for them, Vishnu's city is certain; the best of men who, in times of famine, give food to living beings,
ददत्यन्नं हरेः सद्म तेषां चैव न संशयः । गवां द्विजानां त्राणाय स्वामिनो योषितस्तथा
And those who give food at the house of Hari, for them there is no doubt; those who protect cows, Brahmins, and their master's wives,
प्राणान्मुंचंति ये मर्त्त्यास्तेषां विष्णुपुरं ध्रुवम् । प्राणिभिर्दशमीविद्धा न चोपोष्या कदाचन
Those mortals who give up their lives for these, for them, Vishnu's city is certain; the eleventh day joined with the tenth by living beings must never be observed as a fast.
परिहार्यं द्विजश्रेष्ठ दुर्जनस्यांतिकं यथा । अरुणोदयवेलायां दशमी संगता यदि
O best of Brahmins, just as one should avoid the company of wicked people, so too must one avoid the tenth day when it joins with dawn.
तत्रोपोष्या द्वादशी स्यात्त्रयोदश्यां तु पारणम् । दशमीशेषसंयुक्तो यदि स्यादरुणोदयः
In that case, the fast should be observed on the twelfth day, and the breaking of the fast on the thirteenth; if the tenth day is joined with dawn,
वैष्णवेन न कर्त्तव्यं तद्दिनैकादशीव्रतम् । चतस्रो घटिकाः प्रातररुणोदय उच्यते
A Vaiṣṇava should not perform the Ekādaśī vow on that day; the time of dawn is said to be four ghaṭikās after sunrise.
यतीनां स्नानकालोयं गंगांभः सदृशः स्मृतः । अरुणोदयकाले तु दशमी यदि दृश्यते
For ascetics, this is the time for bathing, considered equal to the waters of the Gaṅgā; if Daśamī is seen at the time of dawn—