जीवघातरतो नित्यं स्तेयद्यूतकलानिधिः । सर्वं च नगरं तेन मुषितं पापकर्मणा
Devoted always to killing, a master of theft and gambling, he wickedly plundered the entire city.
स्तेयाभिगामी नगरे गृहीतः स निशाचरैः । उवाच तान्सुतोऽहं वै राज्ञो माहिष्मतस्य च
Engaged in theft, he was caught in the city by night-wanderers; he told them, 'I am the son of King Māhiṣmata.'
स तैर्मुक्तः पापकर्मा चागतो विपिनं पुनः । आमिषाभिरतो नित्यं तरोर्वै फलभक्षणे
Released by them, the evildoer returned again to the forest, always intent on meat and eating the fruits of trees.
आश्रमस्तस्य दुष्टस्य वासुदेवस्य संनिधौ । अश्वत्थो वर्त्तते तत्र जीर्णश्च बहुवार्षिकः
Near the hermitage of that wicked one, in the presence of Vāsudeva, there stood a banyan tree, old and many years aged.
देवत्वं तस्य वृक्षस्य विपिने वर्तते महत् । तत्रैव निवसंश्चैव लुंपकः पापबुद्धिमान्
That tree possessed great divinity in the forest; and there, Lumpaka, of sinful mind, dwelled.
गते बहुतिथे काले कस्यचित्पुण्यसंचयात् । पौषस्य कृष्णपक्षे तु दशम्यां दिवसे तथा
After much time had passed, by the accumulation of some merit, on the tenth day of the dark half of the month of Pauṣa...
फलानि भुक्त्वा वृक्षाणां रात्रौ शीतेन पीडितः । लुंपको नाम पापिष्ठो वस्त्रहीनो गतेक्षणः
Having eaten the fruits of the trees, at night, afflicted by cold, Lumpaka, the most sinful, lacking clothing, with his senses gone...
पीड्यमानोऽतिशीतेन हरिवृक्षसमीपतः । न निद्रा न सुखं तस्य गतप्राण इवाभवत्
Tormented by intense cold near the tree of Hari, he found neither sleep nor comfort, and became as if lifeless.
आछाद्य दशनैरास्यमेवं नीता निशाखिला । भानूदयेऽपि पापिष्ठो न लेभे चेतनां तदा
Covering his mouth with his teeth, thus the entire night passed; even at sunrise, the most sinful did not regain consciousness.
लुंपको गतसंज्ञस्तु सफलाया दिने तथा । रवौ मध्यंगते चैव संज्ञां लेभे स लुंपकः
Lumpaka, unconscious, on that fruitful day, when the sun reached its zenith, regained his senses.
इतस्ततो विलोक्याथ व्यथितश्च तदासनात् । स्खलत्पद्भ्यां प्रचलितः खंजन्निव मुहुर्मुहुः
Looking around here and there, distressed, he rose from his seat, stumbling and limping again and again.
वनमध्ये गतस्तत्र क्षुत्क्षामः पीडितोऽभवत् । न शक्तिर्जीवघाते तु लुंपकस्य दुरात्मनः
Having gone into the middle of the forest, he became emaciated by hunger and afflicted; the wicked Lumpaka no longer had the strength to kill for a living.
फलानि च तदा राजन्नाजहार स लुंपकः । यावत्समागतस्तत्र तावदस्तं गतो रविः
Then, O King, that thief did not take the fruits; while he remained there, the sun set.
किं भविष्यति तातेति स विलापं चकार ह । फलानि तत्र भूरीणि वृक्षमूले न्यवेशयत्
He lamented, saying, 'What will happen now, father?' and placed the many fruits at the root of the tree.
इत्युवाच फलैरेभिः श्रीपतिस्तुष्यतां हरिः । इत्युक्त्वा लुंपकश्चैव निद्रां लेभे न वै निशि
He said, 'May Lord Hari, the husband of Śrī, be pleased with these fruits.' Having said this, the thief did not sleep at all that night.
रात्रौ जागरणं मेने विष्णुस्तस्य दुरात्मनः । फलैस्तु पूजनं मेने सफलायास्तथानघ
Viṣṇu regarded his wakefulness at night as an austerity, and his offering of fruits as a worthy worship, O sinless one.
अकस्माद्व्रतमेवैतत्कृतवान्वै स लुंपकः । तेन पुण्यप्रभावेन प्राप्तं राज्यमकंटकम्
That thief, by chance, performed this very vow; by the power of that merit, he obtained a kingdom free from obstacles.
सूर्यस्योदयनं यावत्तावद्विष्णुर्जगाम ह । दिवि तत्कालमुत्पन्ना वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
As the sun was about to rise, Viṣṇu departed; at that moment, a bodiless voice arose in the sky.
राज्यं प्राप्स्यसि पुत्रत्वं सफलायाः प्रसादतः। तथेत्युक्ते तु वचसि दिव्यरूपधरोऽभवत्
'You will obtain a kingdom and become a son, by the grace of the Saphalā vow.' When these words were spoken, he assumed a divine form.
मतिरासीत्ततस्तस्य परमा वैष्णवी नृप । दिव्याभरणशोभाढ्यो लेभे राज्यमकंटकम्
Then, O King, his mind became supremely devoted to Viṣṇu; adorned with divine ornaments, he obtained a kingdom free from obstacles.
कृतं राज्यं तु तेनैवं वर्षाणि दशपंच च । मनोदास्तस्यपुत्रास्तु दाराः कृष्णप्रसादतः
He ruled the kingdom in this way for fifteen years; by Kṛṣṇa's grace, he had sons and wives as he wished.
आशु राज्यं परित्यज्य पुत्रे चैव समर्प्य च । गतः कृष्णस्य सांनिध्यं यत्र गत्वा न शोचति
Quickly renouncing the kingdom and entrusting it to his son, he went to the presence of Kṛṣṇa, where, having gone, one does not grieve.
एवं यः कुरुते राजन्सफलाव्रतमुत्तमम् । इहलोके सुखं प्राप्य मृतो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्
Thus, O King, whoever performs the supreme Saphalā vow attains happiness in this world and, upon death, obtains liberation.
धन्यास्ते मानवा लोके सफलायां च ये रताः । तेषां च सफलं जन्म नात्र कार्या विचारणा
Blessed are those people in the world who are devoted to Saphalā; their birth is fruitful—of this there is no doubt.
पठनाच्छ्रवणाच्चैव करणाच्च विशांपते । राजसूयस्य यज्ञस्य फलमाप्नोति मानवः
By reciting, hearing, or performing this, O lord of men, a person attains the fruit of the Rājasūya sacrifice.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- कथिता वै त्वया कृष्ण सफलैकादशी शुभा । कथयस्व प्रसादेन शुक्लपक्षस्य या भवेत्
Yudhiṣṭhira said: O Kṛṣṇa, you have described the auspicious Saphalā Ekādaśī; by your grace, tell me which one occurs in the bright fortnight.
किन्नाम को विधिस्तस्याः को देवस्तत्र पूज्यते । कस्मै तुष्टो हृषीकेशस्त्वमेव पुरुषोत्तमः
What is its name, what is its procedure, which deity is worshipped there? O Hṛṣīkeśa, when pleased, you alone are the Supreme Person.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच-। शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि शुक्ला पौषस्य या भवेत् । कथयामि महाराज लोकानां हितकाम्यया
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Hear, O King, I will tell you about the bright fortnight of Pauṣa; I will narrate it, O great king, for the welfare of all beings.
पूर्वेण विधिना राजन्कर्त्तव्यैषा प्रयत्नतः । पुत्रदा नाम नाम्ना सा सर्वपापहरा परा
This should be performed with great care, O King, according to the previous procedure; it is called Putradā by name, the supreme remover of all sins.
नारायणोऽधिदेवोऽस्या कामदः सिद्धिदायकः । नातः परतरा काचित्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे
Nārāyaṇa is the presiding deity of this vow, the bestower of desires and giver of success; there is none greater than this in the three worlds, among moving and non-moving beings.