अत ऊर्ध्वं यथेष्टं तु कारयेच्च यथाविधि । यदा तु द्वादशी स्वल्पा पारणेन भवेद्दिवज
After that, one should act as desired, according to the rules; but when the Dvādaśī is short, O best of the twice-born, the breaking of the fast should be done accordingly.
तदा रात्रौ तु कर्त्तव्यं पारणं मुक्तिमिच्छता । तदा न रात्रिदोषः स्यान्निषिद्धं न भवेत्क्वचित्
Then, at night, the breaking of the fast should be done by one desiring liberation; at that time, there is no fault of night, nor is it ever prohibited.
यदुक्तं निशि न स्नायान्महानिशि न भोजयेत् । तत्पूर्वपरयामाभ्यां दिनवत्कर्म कारयेत्
What is said—that one should not bathe at night, nor feed others in the late night—should be performed in the two preceding watches of the night, as during the day.
यदा भवति स्वल्पा तु द्वादशी पारणे दिने । उषःकाले द्वयं कुर्यात्प्रातर्मध्याह्निकं तथा
When the Dvādaśī is short on the day of breaking the fast, one should perform both the morning and midday rites at dawn.
द्वादशी साधिता येन नरेण भुवि सर्वदा । तस्य पुण्यमहं वक्तुं न समर्थो विशेषतः
The merit of a man who always observes the Dvādaśī on earth—I am truly unable to describe it in detail.
साधयित्वाखिलान्कामान्प्राप्नुयुश्च महाजनाः । अंबरीषादयः सर्वे ये भक्ता भुवि विश्रुताः
Having fulfilled all desires, great souls such as Ambarīṣa and all those devotees renowned on earth have attained them.
द्वादशीं साधयित्वा तु ते गता विष्णुसद्मनि । सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं यदुक्तं तु मया तव
Having observed the Dvādaśī, they went to the abode of Viṣṇu; truly, truly, and again truly, what I have said to you is so.
नास्ति विष्णुसमो देवो न तिथिर्द्वादशीसमा । अत्र दत्तं च भुक्तं च तथा पूजादिकं च यत्
There is no god equal to Viṣṇu, nor any lunar day equal to Dvādaśī; whatever is given, consumed, or worshipped here attains fullness.
तत्सर्वं पूर्णतां याति पूजिते माधवे सति । किं पुनर्बहुनोक्तेन भक्तानां वल्लभो हरिः
All that becomes complete when Mādhava is worshipped; what need is there to say more? Hari is dear to his devotees.
प्रददात्यखिलान्कामान्यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् । द्वादश्यां चैव यद्दत्तं तत्सर्वं सफलं भवेत्
He grants all desires up to the end of the age; whatever is given on Dvādaśī, all that becomes fruitful.
कुरुक्षेत्रेषु यद्दत्तं निष्फलं नैव जायते । तद्वच्च द्वादशीदत्तं भवेद्देवर्षिसत्तम
Whatever is given at Kurukṣetra never becomes fruitless; likewise, O best of the sages, what is given on Dvādaśī bears the same result.
महादेव उवाच- एकस्मिन्समये पुत्र गतोऽहं विष्णुसन्निधौ । तत्र पृष्टं मया पूर्वं माहात्म्यं द्वादशीभवम्
Mahādeva said: Once, O son, I went into the presence of Viṣṇu; there, I previously asked about the greatness of the origin of Dvādaśī.
नारद उवाच कीदृशी स्यान्महादेव महाद्वादशिका परा । तस्या व्रते फलं कीदृग्वद सर्वेश्वर प्रभो
Nārada said: What is the nature, O Mahādeva, of the supreme Mahādvādaśī? Tell, O Lord of all, what is the fruit of its observance?
शिव उवाच- इयमेकादशी ब्रह्मन्महापुण्यफलप्रदा । ऋक्षयोगैश्च संयुक्ता कर्त्तव्या मुनिसत्तमैः
Śiva said: This Ekādaśī, O Brāhmaṇa, bestows the great fruit of merit; it should be observed by the best of sages, being joined with the proper lunar constellations and yogas.
जया च विजया चैव जयंती पापनाशिनी । सर्वपापहराश्चैताः कर्त्तव्याः फलकांक्षिभिः
Jaya, Vijaya, and Jayantī, destroyers of sin, are renowned as removers of all sins; those who desire results should observe them.
एकादश्यां यदा ऋक्षं शुक्लपक्षे पुनर्वसुः । नाम्ना सा च जया ख्याता तिथीनामुत्तमा तिथिः
When, on the eleventh lunar day in the bright fortnight, the moon is in the constellation Punarvasu, that day is called Jaya, the best among lunar days.
तामुपोष्य नरः पापान्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । यदा च शुक्लद्वादश्यां नक्षत्रं श्रवणं भवेत्
By observing a fast on that day, a person is freed from sins—there is no doubt of this; and when, on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight, the star Śravaṇa occurs,
विजया सा समाख्याता तिथीनामुत्तमा तिथिः । सहस्रगुणितं दानं यस्यां वै विप्र भोजनम्
That day is called Vijaya, the foremost of lunar days; on it, giving gifts or feeding Brahmins yields a thousandfold result.
होमस्तथोपवासश्च सहस्राधिफलप्रदः । यदा च शुक्लद्वादश्यां प्राजापत्यं हि जायते
Likewise, performing fire offerings and fasting on that day bestows a thousand times the merit; and when, on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight, the constellation Prajāpatya arises,
जयंती नाम सा प्रोक्ता सर्वपापहरा तिथिः । सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु
That day is known as Jayantī, the lunar day that removes all sins; whether the sin is small or great, accumulated over seven births,
प्रक्षालयति गोविंदस्तस्यामभ्यर्चितो ध्रुवम् । यदा वै शुक्लद्वादश्यां पुष्यं भवति कर्हिचित्
Govinda, when worshipped on that day, certainly washes away such sin; and whenever the constellation Puṣya falls on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight,
तदा तु सा महापुण्या भविता पापनाशिनी । यो ददाति तिलप्रस्थं नित्यं संवत्सरं प्रति
Then that day becomes supremely meritorious and a destroyer of sin; whoever gives a measure of sesame daily for a year,
उपवासं च यस्तस्यां करोत्येतत्समं स्मृतम् । तस्यां जगत्पतिर्देवस्तुष्टः सर्वेश्वरो हरिः
Or whoever observes a fast on that day—these are considered equal in merit; on that day, the Lord of the universe, Hari, is pleased.
प्रत्यक्षतां प्रयात्येव तत्रानंतफलं स्मृतम् । सगरेण ककुत्स्थेन नहुषेण च साधितः
He appears directly to the devotee, and the reward is said to be infinite; Sagara, Kakutstha, and Nahuṣa attained success by it.
तस्यामाराधितः कृष्णो दत्तवानखिलं भुवि । वाचिकान्मानसाद्वापि कायजाच्च विशेषतः
On that day, when Krishna was worshipped, he granted all things on earth; by words, by thought, or especially by bodily acts,
सप्तजन्मकृतात्पापान्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । तामेकां समुपोष्याथ पुण्यनक्षत्रसंयुताम्
One is freed from sins committed over seven births—of this there is no doubt; by observing a single fast on that day, joined with an auspicious star,
एकादशीसहस्रस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः । स्नानं दानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायो देवतार्चनम्
A person attains the merit of a thousand Ekādaśī fasts; bathing, giving, recitation, fire offering, self-study, and worship of deities,
यत्तस्यां क्रियते किंचित्तदक्षयफलं स्मृतम् । तस्मादेषा प्रकर्तव्या यत्नेन फलकांक्षिभिः
Whatever is performed on that day is said to yield inexhaustible results; therefore, those who desire rewards should carefully observe it.
पंचमेनाश्वमेधेन यदि स्नातो युधिष्ठिरः । पर्यपृच्छत धर्मात्मा कृष्णं यदुकुलोद्वहम्
Having bathed after performing the fifth Aśvamedha, the righteous Yudhiṣṭhira questioned Krishna, the scion of the Yadu dynasty.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- उपवासस्य नक्तस्य त्वेकभुक्तस्य मे प्रभो । किं पुण्यं किं फलं तस्य ब्रूहि सर्वं जनार्दन
Yudhiṣṭhira said: O Lord, what merit and what result comes from fasting, from eating only at night, or from taking a single meal? Tell me everything, O Janārdana.