श्रीभगवानुवाच- हेमंते चैव संप्राप्ते मासे मार्गे च शोभने । कृष्णपक्षे च या पार्थ द्वादशी तामुपोषयेत् । दशम्यां चैकभक्तश्च शुद्धचित्तो दृढव्रतः
The Blessed Lord said: When winter arrives, in the auspicious month of Mārgaśīrṣa, O Pārtha, one should fast on the twelfth lunar day of the dark fortnight; on the tenth day, one should eat only once, with a pure mind and firm resolve.
नक्तं चैव तथा ज्ञात्वा दशम्यां नियतः सदा । दिवसस्याष्टमे भागे मंदीभूते दिवाकरे
One should also know to eat only at night on the tenth day, always with self-control, when the sun has passed into the eighth part of the day and its light has waned.
नक्तं च तद्विजानीयान्न नक्तं निशिभोजनम् । नक्षत्रदर्शनान्नक्तं गृहस्थस्य विधीयते
One should know that 'night' does not mean eating at night; for householders, 'night' is prescribed as the time when stars are visible.
यतेर्दिनाष्टमे भागे रात्रौ तस्य निषेधनम् । ततः प्रभातसमये कृत्वा च नियमं व्रती
For an ascetic, eating is prohibited during the eighth portion of the day at night; after that, at dawn, the vow-holder should perform discipline.
मध्याह्ने च तथा पार्थ स्नानं शुचिः समाचरेत् । अधमं कूपके स्नानं वाप्यां स्नानं च मध्यमम्
At midday, O Partha, the pure one should bathe; bathing in a well is inferior, in a pond is middling.
तडागे चोत्तमं स्नानं नद्यां स्नानं ततः परम् । पीड्यंते जंतवो यत्र जलमध्ये व्यवस्थिते
Bathing in a lake is superior, and in a river is even higher; where creatures are pressed together in the water.
तत्र स्नाने कृते पार्थ पापं पुण्यं समं भवेत् । गृहे चैवोत्तमं स्नानं जलं चैव विशोधयेत्
When one bathes there, O Partha, sin and merit become equal; bathing at home is also best, and one should purify the water.
तस्मात्तु पांडवश्रेष्ठ गृहे स्नानं समाचरेत् । अश्वक्रांते रथक्रांते विष्णुक्रांते वसुंधरे
Therefore, O best of the Pandavas, one should bathe at home; on earth trodden by horses, chariots, and by Vishnu.
मृत्तिके हर मे पापं यन्मया पूर्वसंचितम् । क्रोधलोभौ परित्यज्य चैकचित्तो दृढव्रतः
O clay, take away the sin that I have accumulated previously; abandoning anger and greed, with single-mindedness and firm resolve.
नालापेतांत्यजं चैव तथा पाखंडिनो नरान् । मिथ्यावादरतांश्चैव तथा ब्राह्मणनिंदकान्
One should avoid those who speak ill, as well as hypocrites; those devoted to false speech, and those who revile Brahmins.
अन्यांश्चैव दुराचारानगम्यागमनेरतान् । परद्रव्यापहारांश्च परदाराभिगामिनः
Also those of bad conduct, those engaged in forbidden relations; those who steal others' property, and those who approach others' wives.
केशवं पूजयित्वा तु नैवेद्यं तत्र कारयेत् । दीपं दद्याद्गृहे तत्र भक्तियुक्तेन चेतसा
Having worshipped Kesava, one should offer food there; one should give a lamp in the house with a mind full of devotion.
तद्दिने वर्जयेत्पार्थ निद्रां चैव तु मैथुनम् । धर्मशास्त्रविनोदेन दिनं सर्वं निवारयेत्
On that day, O Partha, one should avoid sleep and sexual union; one should spend the whole day in delighting in the Dharma scriptures.
रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा भक्तियुक्तो नृपोत्तम । विप्रेभ्यो दक्षिणां दद्यात्प्रणिपत्य क्षमापयेत्
At night, keeping vigil with devotion, O best of kings; one should give gifts to Brahmins, bowing and asking forgiveness.
यथा कृष्णा तथा शुक्ला विधिनैवं प्रकारयेत् । एकादशीं द्विजः पार्थ विभेदं नैव कारयेत्
Just as for the dark fortnight, so for the bright, one should perform the rite in this manner; a twice-born, O Partha, should not make any distinction regarding Ekadashi.
एवं हि कुरुते यस्तु शृणु तस्य हि यत्फलम् । शंखोद्धारे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा देवं गदाधरम्
Whoever acts thus, hear what result he attains; after bathing at the Shankha-uddhara, seeing the god with the mace.
एकादश्युपवासस्य कलां नार्हति षोडशीम् । संक्रांतिषु चतुर्लक्षं यो ददाति नृपोत्तम
Even giving four hundred thousand at the solstices, O best of kings, does not equal one-sixteenth of the merit of fasting on Ekadashi.
एकादश्युपवासस्य कलां नार्हति षोडशीम् । प्रभासक्षेत्रे यत्पुण्यं ग्रहणे चंद्र सूर्ययोः
The merit gained at Prabhasa, or during the lunar or solar eclipse, does not equal one-sixteenth of the merit of fasting on Ekadashi.
तत्फलं जायते नूनमेकादश्युपवासिनः । केदारे चोदकं पीत्वा पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते
That result surely arises for the Ekadashi faster; drinking water at Kedara, one does not experience rebirth.
तथा चैकादशी पार्थ गर्भवासक्षयंकरी । अश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य पृथिव्यां यत्फलं लभेत्
Thus, O Partha, Ekadashi destroys the stay in the womb; the fruit obtained from the horse sacrifice on earth is attained.
तस्माच्छतगुणं पुण्यमेकादश्युपवासिनः । तपस्विनो गृहे यस्य भुंजते च द्विजोत्तमाः
Therefore, the merit of one who fasts on Ekadashi is a hundred times greater than that gained by ascetics in whose house the best of Brahmins partake of food.
तत्फलं जायते नूनमेकादश्युपवासिनः । गोसहस्रेण यत्पुण्यं दत्वा वेदांतपारगे
Certainly, the fruit obtained by one who fasts on Ekadashi equals the merit earned by gifting a thousand cows to a knower of the Vedas.
तस्माच्छतगुणं पुण्यमेकादश्युपवासिनः । येषां देहे त्रयो देवा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः
Therefore, the merit of one who fasts on Ekadashi is a hundred times greater than that of those in whose bodies the three gods—Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara—reside.
वसंति तेषां ते तुल्या एकादश्युपवासिनः । ते नराः पुण्यकर्माणो ये भक्ता हरिपूजकाः
Those who fast on Ekadashi are equal to them; those men of virtuous deeds who are devoted and worshippers of Hari.
एकादशीव्रतस्यापि पुण्यसंख्या न विद्यते । एतत्पुण्यं भवेत्तस्य यत्सुरैरपि दुर्ल्लभम्
Even the quantity of merit from the vow of Ekadashi cannot be known; this merit is attained by him which is difficult even for the gods to obtain.
एतस्मादर्द्धपुण्यं तु प्राप्यते नक्तभोजनात् । नक्तस्यार्द्धं भवेत्पुण्यमेकभक्तेन देहिनाम्
From eating only at night, one attains half of this merit; and from eating once, embodied beings obtain half of the merit of eating at night.
तावद्गर्जंति तीर्थानि दानानि नियमानि च । यावन्नोपोषयेज्जंतुर्वासरं विष्णुवल्लभम्
So long as a being does not observe the day dear to Vishnu, pilgrimages, gifts, and vows resound in vain.
तस्मात्त्वं पांडवश्रेष्ठ व्रतमेतत्समाचर । पुण्यसंख्यां न जानामि यत्त्वं पृच्छसि पांडव
Therefore, O best of the Pandavas, you should observe this vow; as for the measure of its merit which you ask, O Pandava, I do not know.
एतद्धि कथितं पार्थ यद्गोप्यं व्रतमुत्तमम् । एकादशीसमं नास्ति कृत्वा यज्ञसहस्रकम्
This supreme vow, which is to be kept secret, has been described to you, O Partha; there is nothing equal to Ekadashi, even after performing a thousand sacrifices.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- उत्पन्ना सा कथं देव पुण्या चैकादशी तिथिः । कथं पवित्रा विश्वेऽस्मिन्कथं वै देवताप्रिया
Yudhishthira said: How did that meritorious Ekadashi day arise, O Lord? How did it become pure in this world, and how did it become dear to the gods?