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.
विद्यावंतं यशस्वंतं करोति च नरं हरिः । शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि कथां पापहरां पराम्
Hari makes a man learned and renowned; listen, O King, I will tell you a supreme story that removes sin.
भद्रावत्यां पुरा ह्यासीत्पुर्यां राजा सुकेतुमान् । तस्य राज्ञस्तथाराज्ञी चंपका नाम वर्त्तते
Long ago, in the city of Bhadravati, there lived a king named Suketuman; his queen was known as Campaka.
पुत्रहीनेन राज्ञा च काले नीतो मनोरथैः । नैवात्मजं नृपो लेभे वंशकर्त्तारमेव च
The king, lacking a son, was carried along by his desires over time; yet he did not obtain a son, nor a maker of his lineage.
तेनैव राज्ञा धर्मेण चिंतितं बहुकालतः । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि सुतप्राप्तिः कथं भवेत्
That king, with righteousness, pondered for a long time: 'What shall I do? Where shall I go? How might I obtain a son?'
न राष्ट्रे न पुरे सौख्यं लेभे राजा सुकेतुमान् । साध्व्य स्वकांतया सार्द्धं प्रत्यहं दुःखितोऽभवत्
King Suketuman found no happiness in his kingdom or city; every day he became sorrowful together with his virtuous wife.
तावुभौ दंपती नित्यं चिंताशोकपरायणौ । पितरोऽस्य जलं दत्तं कवोष्णमुपभुंजते
Both husband and wife were always absorbed in anxiety and grief; his parents, having given him water, partook of it warm.
राज्ञः पश्चान्न पश्यामो योऽस्मान्संतर्पयिष्यति । इत्येवं संस्मरंतोऽस्य दुःखिताः पितरोऽभवन्
'We do not see, after the king, who will satisfy us,' thus remembering this, his parents became distressed.
न बांधवा न मित्राणि नामात्याः सुहृदस्तथा । रोचयंत्यस्य भूपस्य न गजाश्वाः पदातयः
Neither relatives nor friends nor ministers nor companions, nor elephants, horses, or foot soldiers pleased the king.
नैराश्यं भूपतेस्तस्य नित्यं मनसि वर्त्तते । नरस्य पुत्रहीनस्य नास्ति वै जन्मनः फलम्
Despair always dwelled in the mind of that king; for a man without a son, there is truly no fruit of birth.
अपुत्रस्य गृहं शून्यं हृदयं दुःखितं सदा । पितृदेवमनुष्याणां नानृणत्वं सुतं विना
The house of one without a son is empty, the heart is always sorrowful; without a son, there is no freedom from debt to ancestors, gods, and men.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सुतमुत्पादयेन्नरः । इह लोके यशस्तेषां परलोके शुभा गतिः
Therefore, by every effort, a man should produce a son; in this world, they gain fame, and in the next, an auspicious path.
येषां तु पुण्यकर्तॄणां पुत्रजन्मगृहे भवेत् । आयुरारोग्यसंपत्तिस्तेषां गेहे प्रवर्तते
For those whose house has the birth of a son from doers of merit, long life, health, and prosperity prevail in their home.
पुत्रजन्म गृहे येषां लोकानां पुण्यकारिणाम् । पुण्यं विना न च प्राप्तिर्विष्णुभक्तिं विना नृप
For those in whose house a son is born among the virtuous, attainment is not possible without merit, nor without devotion to Vishnu, O King.
पुत्राश्च संपदो वापि निश्चयादिति मे मतिः । एवं विचिंत्यमानोऽसौ न शर्म लभते नृपः
Sons or wealth, indeed, are certain—this is my thought; thus pondering, that king finds no happiness.
प्रत्यूषे चिंतयद्राजा निशीथे चिंतयत्ततः । स्वयमात्मविनाशं च चिंतयामास केतुमान्
At dawn the king pondered, and again at midnight; Ketuman himself began to contemplate self-destruction.
आत्मघाते दुर्गतिं च चिंतयित्वा तदा नृपः । दृष्ट्वात्मदेहं पतितमपुत्रत्वं तथैव च
Having considered self-harm and misfortune, the king saw his own body fallen, and his childlessness likewise.
पुनर्विचार्यात्मबुद्ध्या आत्मनो हितकारणम् । अश्वारूढस्ततो राजा जगाम गहनं वनम्
Reflecting again with his own mind for the sake of his welfare, the king mounted a horse and went to a dense forest.
पुरोहितादयः सर्वे न जानंति गतं नृपम् । गंभीरे विपिने राजा मृगपक्षिनिषेविते
All the priests and others did not know the king had departed; in the deep forest, frequented by beasts and birds, the king wandered.
विचचार तदा राजा वनवृक्षान्विलोकयन् । वटानश्वत्थबिल्वांश्च खर्जूरान्पनसांस्तथा
Then the king wandered, gazing at the forest trees—banyans, sacred fig trees, bilva trees, as well as date palms and jackfruit trees.
बकुलान्सप्तपर्णांश्च तिंदुकांस्तिलकानपि । शालांस्तालांस्तमालांश्च ददर्श सरलान्नृपः
He saw bakula trees, saptaparna trees, tinduka trees, tilaka trees, as well as sala, palmyra, tamala, and pine trees.