रक्षार्थं सर्वलोकानां निर्मितैकादशी तिथिः । एकादशी समं किंचित्पादत्राणं न विद्यते 5.96.
For the protection of all worlds, the eleventh lunar day was established; there is no other protection equal to even a fraction of Ekadashi.
तामुपोष्य विधानेन पुरुषाः स्वर्गगामिनः । एकादशेन्द्रियैः पापं यत्कृतं भवति द्विज
By observing it properly, men attain heaven; whatever sin is committed by the eleven senses, O twice-born, is removed.
नरो निर्द्धूय तत्तूर्णं प्रीतः स्वर्गतिमान्भवेत् । अश्वमेधसहस्राणि राजसूयशतानि च
A man, having quickly cast off that sin, becomes joyful and attains heaven; even a thousand horse sacrifices and a hundred royal consecrations—
एकादश्युपवासस्य कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । एकतः क्रतवः सर्वे सर्वतीर्थतपांसि च
—do not equal even a sixteenth part of the merit of fasting on Ekadashi; on one side are all the sacrifices and all the austerities at holy places—
महादानादिदानानि व्रतं वैष्णवमेकतः । वैष्णवव्रतजो धर्मो धर्मो यज्ञादिसंभवः
—and on the other, all great and minor gifts, and the Vaiṣṇava vow; the righteousness born from the Vaiṣṇava vow and that arising from sacrifices—
एकत्र तुलितौ धात्रा तत्र पूर्वो भवेद्गुरुः । हरिवासर भक्तानामच्युतानंतभाषिणाम्
—when weighed together by the Creator, the former is greater; on the day of Hari, among devotees who speak endlessly of the Imperishable—
नाहं शास्ता विशेषेण तेभ्यो विप्र बिभेम्यहम् । येषां पुत्रश्च पौत्रश्च एकादश्यामुपोषितः
—I am not especially the ruler over them, O brahmin; I am afraid of those whose sons and grandsons have observed Ekadashi.
सहात्मना स पुरुषाञ्छतमुद्धरते बलात् । उपोषणं ततः कुर्यात्पक्षयोरुभयोरपि
With himself, such a man forcibly uplifts a hundred men; therefore, one should observe the fast on both fortnights.
एकादश्यां स पुरुषो भुक्तिमुक्त्येकभाजनम् । जया च विजया चैव जयंती पापनाशिनी
On the eleventh day, that person becomes the sole recipient of both enjoyment and liberation; Jayā, Vijayā, and Jayantī destroy sin.
त्रिस्पृशा वंजुली चैव पक्षसंवर्धिनी वरा । तिलदुग्धा परा ज्ञेया अखंडद्वादशी तथा
Trispṛśā, Vaṃjulī, Pakṣasaṃvardhinī, and Varā; Tiladugdhā is known as supreme, and also Akhaṃḍadvādaśī.
मनोरथाख्या च परा भीमद्वादशिका तथा । इत्येवमादयो भेदा द्वादश्याः संत्यनेकशः
Manorathākhyā is another, as is Bhīmadvādaśikā; thus, these and others are many distinct forms of Dvādaśī.
व्रतेष्वेतेषु ये शक्ता ज्ञेयास्ते ब्रह्मणि स्थिताः । श्रोतारो धर्मशास्त्राणां धर्मप्रत्यय संगताः
Those who are capable of observing these vows are to be known as established in Brahman; listeners of the Dharma scriptures, united in faith in Dharma.
प्रियंकराश्च बालानां स्वर्गलोकं व्रजंति ते । मासिमास्येकदिवसे दर्शे श्राद्धव्रता नराः
Those who bring joy to children attain the heavenly realm; men who observe the Śrāddha vow on the day of the new moon each month.
तृप्यंति पितरो येषां ते धन्याः स्वर्गगामिनः । भोजनेषूपपन्नेषु भोज्यं यच्छंति सादरात्
Their ancestors are satisfied, and those people are blessed, destined for heaven; when proper food is available, they offer it with respect.
अभिन्नमुखरागेण शिष्टास्ते स्वर्गगामिनः
Those who offer with undivided affection and proper conduct are considered destined for heaven.
ये भक्तिमंतो मधुसूदनस्य नारायणस्याखिलनायकस्य । सत्येन हीना रजसापि युक्ता गच्छंति ते नाकमनंतपुण्याः
Those devoted to Madhusūdana, Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of all, though lacking truth and joined with passion, go to heaven, possessing endless merit.
वितस्तां यमुनां सीतां पुण्यां गोदावरीं नदीम् । सेवंते ये शुभाचाराः स्नानदानपरायणाः
Those of good conduct who serve the sacred rivers—Vitastā, Yamunā, Sītā, and Godāvarī—dedicated to bathing and giving.
न ते पश्यंति पंथानं नरकस्य कदाचन । ये नर्मदायामिह शर्मदायां मज्जंति तुष्यंत्यपि दर्शनेन
They never see the path to hell; those who bathe in the bliss-giving Narmadā here are satisfied even by its sight.
विधूय पापानि महेशलोकं गच्छंति ते तत्र चिरं रमंते
Having washed away their sins, they go to the realm of Maheśa and there delight for a long time.
स्नाताश्चर्मनदी तीरे त्रिरात्रं नियता नराः । व्यासाश्रमे विशेषेण ते नरा नाकिनः स्मृताः
Men who have bathed on the bank of the bliss-giving river for three nights with discipline, especially at Vyāsa's hermitage, are regarded as destined for heaven.
गंगाजले प्रयागे च केदारे पुष्करे तथा । व्यासाश्रमे प्रभासे च मृतास्ते विष्णुगामिनः
Those who die in the waters of the Gaṅgā at Prayāga, Kedāra, Puṣkara, Vyāsa's hermitage, or Prabhāsa are destined for Viṣṇu.
द्वारवत्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे योगाभ्यासेन वा मृताः । हरिरित्यक्षरं वक्त्रे येषां ते न पुनर्भवाः
Those who die in Dvāravatī or Kurukṣetra, or through the practice of yoga, and whose mouths utter 'Hari,' do not return to mortal existence.
त्रिरात्रमपि ये विप्र द्वारवत्यां पुरि स्थिताः । मज्जंति गोमती तीरे धन्यास्ते केशवप्रियाः
Even those who, for three nights, remain in the city of Dvāravatī and bathe on the bank of the Gomati are blessed and dear to Keśava.
नरनारायणावासे त्रिरात्रं ये समाश्रिताः । मर्त्यलोके च नंदायां धन्यास्ते केशवप्रियाः
Those who take refuge for three nights in the abode of Nara-Nārāyaṇa, or in Nandā on earth, are blessed and dear to Keśava.
षण्मासमुषिता विप्र पुरुषोत्तमसंनिधौ । ते नूनमच्युतात्मानो दृष्ट्वा स्युरघहारिणः
O Brahmin, those who have stayed for six months in the presence of Puruṣottama are surely souls of Acyuta, having seen the remover of sin.
अनेक जन्मार्जितपुण्यतोये मज्जंति तोये मणिकर्णिकायाः । नमंति विश्वेशमवाप्यकाशीं ते वै मयापीह भवंति वंद्याः
Those who bathe in the waters of Maṇikarṇikā, earned through merit over many births, bow to Viśveśa and attain Kāśī; they are honored by me here.
पूजयित्वा हरिं ये तु भूमौ दर्भ तिलैः सह । तिलान्विकीर्य लोहं च दत्वा धेनुं पयस्विनीम्
Those who worship Hari upon the earth with darbha grass and sesame seeds, who scatter sesame seeds and give iron, and who donate a milch cow,
ये मृता विधिवद्विप्र ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः । उत्पाद्य पुत्रान्संस्थाप्य पितृपैतामहे पदे
Those who die in accordance with the prescribed rites, O Brahmin, are destined for heaven; having produced sons and established them in the ancestral lineage,
निर्ममा निरहंकारा ये मृतास्तेऽपि नाकिनः । स्तैन्यान्निवृत्ताः सततं संतुष्टाः स्वधनेन च
Those who die free from possessiveness and pride are also heaven-bound; always abstaining from stolen food, content with their own wealth,
स्वभाग्येनोपजीवंति ते नराः स्वर्गगामिनः । श्लक्ष्णां वाणीं निराबाधां मधुरोपाय वर्जिताम्
Those who live by their own fortune are destined for heaven; whose speech is gentle, unobstructed, and devoid of deceit,