नारद उवाच- अहो विश्वेश्वरो विष्णुः पवित्रीकरणः सदा । तस्योपवासमाहात्म्यं श्रुतं हि त्वन्मुखाच्छिव
Nārada said: O, Viśveśvara Viṣṇu is always the purifier; I have heard the greatness of his fasting from your own mouth, O Śiva.
तथापि श्रोतुमिच्छामि माहात्म्यं जागरस्य तु । कीदृक्जागरमाहात्म्यं रात्रो भक्तिस्तु कीदृशी
Still, I wish to hear about the greatness of the night vigil; what is the greatness of the vigil, and what is the nature of devotion during the night?
प्रहरेषु च या पूजा वद विश्वेश्वर प्रभो । त्वं लोकेषु सदा पूज्यस्त्वं हि देवो जनार्दनः । त्वं हि विश्वेश्वरो देवो यतो भक्तिर्जनार्दने
Tell me, O Lord of the universe, what worship is to be done in each watch of the night; you are always worshipped in the worlds, for you are the god Janārdana; you are indeed the Lord of all, for devotion is directed to Janārdana.
सर्वेषां चैव भक्तानां त्वं च श्रेष्ठ उमापतिः । लोकेस्मिन्सर्वदा भक्त्या तवाख्या वर्त्तते सदा
Of all devotees, you are the foremost, O Lord of Umā; in this world, your fame always endures through devotion.
अतो येन प्रकारेण लोकानां मुक्तिरेव च । विश्वेश्वर वद त्वं तु माहात्म्यं जागरस्य तु
Therefore, O Lord of the Universe, tell by what means and in what manner the liberation of beings occurs, and the greatness of the night vigil.
महादेव उवाच-। एकादश्यां जनो विष्णुं रात्रौ संपूज्य भक्तितः । कुर्याज्जागरणं विष्णोः पुरतो वैष्णवैः सह
Mahadeva said: On Ekadashi, a person should worship Vishnu at night with devotion, and keep vigil before Vishnu together with Vaishnavas.
गीतं वाद्यं तथा नृत्यं पुराणपठनं तथा । धूपं दीपं च नैवेद्यं पुष्पं गंधानुलेपनम्
Singing, instrumental music, and dance, as well as recitation of the Puranas, incense, lamps, offerings of food, flowers, and fragrant ointments—
फलमर्घं तथा श्रद्धा दानमिंद्रियसंयमम् । सत्यान्वितं च विप्रेंद्र वचोयुक्तं क्रियान्वितम्
Fruits, arghya, faith, gifts, control of the senses, truthfulness, speech accompanied by action, and deeds performed—
विनिद्रं च मुदायुक्तो यः करोति नरः सदा । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो जायते विष्णुवल्लभः
Whoever, remaining awake and joyful, always performs these, becomes freed from all sins and is beloved of Vishnu.
रात्रौ जागरणे प्राप्ते निद्रां कुर्वंति वैष्णवाः । हारितं चोपवासं तैर्व्रतं वै विष्णुसंज्ञकम्
When the time for the night vigil arrives, if Vaishnavas sleep, their fasting and vow known as Vishnu's are rendered void.
ये कुर्वंति नराः प्राज्ञ जागरे विष्णुसंज्ञके । जागरं कृष्णभावेन न स्वपंति कदाचन
Those wise men who keep vigil on the night dedicated to Vishnu, never sleep, their minds absorbed in Krishna.
कृष्णस्य नाम मनसा वदंति च पुनः पुनः । ते तु धन्यतमा ज्ञेया अस्यां रात्रौ विशेषतः
Those who repeatedly utter Krishna's name in their minds are to be known as most blessed, especially on this night.
क्षणेक्षणे तु गोदानं घट्यां चैव चतुर्गुणम् । प्रहरे कोटिगुणितं चतुर्यामेष्वसंख्यकम्
In each moment, the gift of a cow yields fourfold merit; in each hour, a crore-fold; and in the four watches, the merit is beyond count.
जागरे निमिषार्द्धे तु केशवाग्रे विशेषतः । तत्फलं कोटिगुणितं तस्य संख्या न विद्यते
During the vigil, even for half a blink before Kesava, the merit is multiplied by crores; its measure cannot be known.
नर्त्तनं कुरुते यस्तु केशवाग्रे नरोत्तमः । न फलं हीयते तस्य आजन्ममरणांतिकम्
Whoever, best of men, dances before Kesava during the vigil, his merit is never diminished from birth to death.
साश्चर्यं चैव सोत्साहं पापालापादिवर्जितम् । प्रदक्षिणसमायुक्तं नमस्कारपुरःसरम्
With wonder, with enthusiasm, free from sinful talk, accompanied by circumambulation and preceded by prostration—
नीराजनसमायुक्तमनिर्विण्णेन चेतसा । यामेयामे महाभाग कुर्यादारार्तिकं हरेः
With mind not dejected, joined with waving of lights, O highly fortunate one, one should perform arati for Hari in each watch of the night.
षड्विंशगुणसंयुक्तमेकादश्यां च जागरम् । यः करोति नरो भक्त्या न पुनर्जायते भुवि
Whoever, with devotion, keeps vigil on Ekadashi, which is endowed with twenty-sixfold merit, is not born again on earth.
य एवं कुरुते भक्त्या वित्तशाठ्यविवर्जितः । जागरं वासरे विष्णोर्लीयते परमात्मनि
Whoever does so with devotion, free from deceit regarding wealth, keeps vigil on Vishnu's day, merges into the Supreme Self.
धनवान्वित्तशाठ्येन यः करोति प्रजागरम् । तेनात्माहारितो नूनं कितवेन दुरात्मना
But the wealthy man who keeps vigil with deceit concerning wealth, surely harms his own soul, like a gambler of evil mind.
विष्णुजागरणे प्राप्ते उपहासं करोति यः । षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि विष्ठायां जायते कृमिः
Whoever mocks the vigil of Vishnu, is born as a worm in excrement for sixty thousand years.
वेदविद्ब्राह्मणो यस्तु नर्त्तनेन विशेषतः । उपहासपरः प्राप्तः स वै चांडाल उच्यते
A Brahmin learned in the Vedas who mocks, especially by dancing, is indeed called a Chandala.
निमिषं निमिषार्द्धं वा यः करोति प्रजागरम् । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां प्राप्नोति पदमव्ययम्
Whoever remains awake, even for a moment or half a moment, attains the imperishable state of dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa.
वेदशास्त्ररतो नित्यं नित्यं वै यज्ञयाजकः । रात्रौ जागरणे प्राप्ते निंदां कुर्वन्व्रजत्यधः
One who is always devoted to the Vedas and scriptures, and who regularly performs sacrifices, but speaks ill during the night of vigil, falls downward.
मम पूजां प्रकुर्वाणो विष्णुनिंदासु तत्परः । एकविंशत्कुलेनैव नरकं प्रतिपद्यते
He who performs my worship but is intent on reviling Viṣṇu, goes to hell along with twenty-one generations of his family.
विष्णुः शिवः शिवो विष्णुरेकमूर्तिर्द्विधा स्थिताः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रकारेण नैव निंदां प्रकारयेत् । दष्टाः कलिभुजंगेन स्वपंति मधुहाहनि
Viṣṇu is Śiva, and Śiva is Viṣṇu; one form appears as two. Therefore, in every way, one should never utter slander; those bitten by the serpent of Kali sleep during the festival of the Slayer of Madhu.
कुर्वंति जागरं नैव मायया ते च मोहिताः । प्राप्ता एकादशी येषां कलौ जागरणं विना
Those who do not keep vigil are deluded by Māyā; for whom the Ekādaśī has come in Kali Yuga without wakefulness.
ते विनष्टा न संदेहो यस्माज्जीवितमध्रुवम् । उद्धृतं नेत्रयुग्मं तु दत्त्वा वै वैष्णवं पदम्
They are destroyed, without doubt, for life is uncertain; but those who keep their eyes open attain the Vaiṣṇava abode.
कृतं ये नैव पश्यंति पापिनो हरिजागरम् । अभावे वाचकस्याथ गीतं नृत्यं तु कारयेत्
Sinners who do not witness the night vigil for Hari, in the absence of a reciter, should arrange for singing and dancing.
वाचके सति देवर्षे पुराणं प्रथमं पठेत् । अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य वाजपेयायुतस्य च
If a reciter is present, O divine sage, one should first recite the Purāṇa; this equals a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices and ten thousand Vājapeya sacrifices.