षट्तिलैकादशीभूतं कीदृशं फलमस्ति वै । सोपाख्यानं मम ब्रूहि यदि तुष्टोऽसि यादव । श्रीकृष्ण उवाच शृणु राजन्यथावृत्तं दृष्टं तत्कथयामि ते । मर्त्यलोके पुरा ह्यासीद्ब्राह्मण्येका च नारद । व्रतचर्यारता नित्यं देवपूजारता सदा
"What is the result of observing the Ṣaṭ-tilā Ekādaśī? Tell me, with its story, if You are pleased, O descendant of Yadu." Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: "Hear, O king, as it happened; I shall tell you what I saw. Long ago, on earth, O Nārada, there was a certain Brahmin woman, always devoted to vows and worship of the gods."
मासोपवासनिरता मम भक्ता च सर्वदा । कृष्णोपवाससंयुक्ता मम पूजापरायणा
She was always devoted to monthly fasts, always my devotee, observing the Kṛṣṇa fast, and intent on my worship.
शरीरं क्लेशितं चैव उपवासैर्द्विजोत्तम । देवानां ब्राह्मणानां च कुमारीणां च भक्तितः
Her body was afflicted, O best of twice-born, by fasting; with devotion, she served the gods, Brahmins, and maidens.
गृहादिकं प्रयच्छंती सर्वकालं महासती । अतिकृच्छ्ररता सा तु सर्वकालं तु वै द्विज
That great and virtuous woman continually gave away her household and possessions; she was always engaged in severe austerities, O Brahmin.
न दत्ता भिक्षुके भिक्षा ब्राह्मणा न च तर्पिताः
She did not give alms to the beggar, nor were the Brahmins satisfied.
ततः कालेन महता मया वै चिंतितं द्विज । शुद्धमस्याः शरीरं हि व्रतैः कृच्छ्रैर्न संशयः
Then, after a long time, I reflected, O Brahmin; her body was indeed purified by vows and severe austerities, without doubt.
अर्चितो वैष्णवो लोकः कायक्लेशेन वै तया । न दत्तमन्नदानं हि येन तृप्तिः परा भवेत्
The Vaishnava world was worshipped by her through bodily hardship; but she did not give the gift of food, by which supreme satisfaction is attained.
एवं ज्ञात्वा अहं ब्रह्मन्मर्त्यलोकमुपागतः । कापालं रूपमास्थाय भिक्षापात्रे च याचिता
Knowing this, O Brahmin, I entered the mortal world; assuming the form of a mendicant, I begged with a begging bowl.
कस्मात्त्वमागतो ब्रह्मन्क्व यासि वद मेऽग्रतः । पुनरेव मया प्रोक्तं देहि भिक्षां च सुंदरि
I asked her, 'Why have you come, O Brahmin? Where are you going? Tell me in front.' Again I said, 'Give alms, O beautiful one.'
तया कोपेन महता मृत्पिंडस्ताम्रभाजने । क्षिप्तो यावदहं ब्रह्मन्पुनः स्वर्गं गतो द्विज
With great anger, she threw a lump of clay into a copper vessel; and, O Brahmin, while I was there, I again went to heaven.
ततः कालेन महता तापसी सुमहाव्रता । सदेहा स्वर्गमायाता व्रतचर्या प्रभावतः
Then, after a long time, that ascetic woman of great vows, by the power of her vow-practice, went to heaven with her body.
मृत्पिंडिकाप्रदानेन गृहं प्राप्तं मनोरमम् । संजातं चैव विप्रर्षे धान्यराशि विवर्जितम्
By giving the lump of clay, she obtained a delightful house; but, O sage among Brahmins, it was devoid of any heap of grain.
गृहं यावन्निरीक्षेत न किंचित्तत्र पश्यति । तावद्गृहाद्विनिष्क्रांता ममांते चागता द्विज
As long as she looked at the house, she saw nothing there; then she left the house and came to me, O Brahmin.
क्रोधेन महताविष्टमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् । मया व्रतैश्च कृच्छ्रैश्च उपवासैरनेकशः
Filled with great anger, she spoke these words: 'By vows, severe austerities, and repeated fasting,
पूजयाराधितो देवः सर्वलोकस्य पालकः । न तत्र दृश्यते किंचिद्गृहे मम जनार्दन
'I have worshipped and honored the god, the protector of all worlds; but nothing is seen in my house, O Janardana.'
ततश्चोक्तं मया तस्यै गृहं गच्छ महाव्रते । आगमिष्यंति सुतरां कौतूहल समन्विताः
Then I said to her, 'Go to your house, O woman of great vows; many will come, filled with curiosity.'
देवपत्न्यो हि द्रष्टुं त्वां विस्मयाभिसमन्विताः । द्वारं नोद्घाटय विना षट्तिलापुण्यवाचनात्
'The wives of the gods will come to see you, filled with wonder; do not open the door without reciting the merit of the Six-Sesame Vow.'
एवमुक्ता मया सा तु गता वै मानुषी तदा । अत्रांतरे समायाता देवपत्न्यश्च वाडव
Thus addressed by me, she went away, being human at that time; meanwhile, the wives of the gods arrived, O Vadava.
ताभिश्च कथितं तत्र त्वां द्रष्टुं हि समागताः । द्वारमुद्घाटयस्वाद्य त्वां प्रपश्याम शोभने
There, they said, 'We have come to see you; open the door, O beautiful one, so that we may behold you.'
मानुष्युवाच- यदि मद्दर्शनं कार्यं सत्यं वाच्यं विशेषतः । षट्तिलाया व्रतं पुण्यं द्वारोद्घाटनकारणात्
The human woman said: 'If my sight is desired, let the truth be spoken especially; the merit of the Six-Sesame Vow is the cause for opening the door.'
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच-। एकापिनावदत्तत्र षट्तिलैकादशीव्रतम् । अन्यया कथितं तत्र द्रष्टव्या मानुषी मया
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: There, only one woman was not speaking about the Ṣaṭtilā Ekādaśī vow; the rest were narrating it, and I, in human form, observed her.
ततो द्वारं समुद्घाट्य दृष्टा ताभिश्च मानुषी । न देवी न च गंधर्वी नासुरी न च पन्नगी
Then, opening the door, that woman was seen by them; she was not a goddess, nor a gandharvī, nor an asurī, nor a serpent-woman.
दृष्टा पूर्वं तथा नारी यादृशीयं द्विजर्षभ । देवीनामुपदेशेन षट्तिलाया व्रतं कृतम्
Never before had such a woman been seen, O best of twice-born; by the instruction of the goddesses, she had performed the Ṣaṭtilā vow.
मानुष्या सत्यव्रतया भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम् । रूपकांतिसमायुक्ता क्षणेन समवाप सा
Being human and steadfast in her vow, she attained both enjoyment and liberation as fruits, and in a moment she became endowed with radiant beauty.
धनं धान्यं च वस्त्रादि सुवर्णं रौप्यमेव च । भवनं सर्वसंपन्नं षट्तिलायाः प्रभावतः
Through the power of Ṣaṭtilā, she obtained wealth, grain, garments, gold, silver, and a house filled with all prosperity.
रूपकांतिसमायुक्ता क्षणेन समपद्यत
Endowed with radiant beauty, she was instantly transformed.
अतितृष्णा न कर्त्तव्या वित्तशाठ्यं विवर्जयेत् । आत्मवित्तानुसारेण तिलान्वस्त्राणि दापयेत्
One should not be excessively greedy, nor resort to deceit for wealth; according to one’s means, one should give sesame seeds and garments.
लभते चैवमारोग्यं नरो जन्मनि जन्मनि । न दारिद्र्यं न कष्टत्वं न च दौर्भाग्यमेव च 6.42.
In this way, a person attains health in every birth; there is no poverty, no suffering, nor misfortune.
संभवेद्वै द्विजश्रेष्ठ षट्तिलासमुपोषणात् । अनेन विधिना भूप तिलदाता न संशयः
O best of twice-born, by observing the Ṣaṭtilā fast, and by this method, there is no doubt that the giver of sesame attains this.
मुच्यते पातकैः सर्वैरनायासेन मानवः । दानं च विधिवत्पात्रे सर्वपातकनाशनम् । नानर्थः कश्चिन्नायासः शरीरे नृपसत्तम
A person is freed from all sins without effort; giving, properly and to a worthy recipient, destroys all sins. There is no harm, nor any hardship to the body, O best of kings.