हैमं वा राजतं वापि ताम्रं वाप्यथ मृन्मयम् । स्थापयेच्छोभितं चैव जलपूर्णं सपल्लवम्
One should place a pot made of gold, or silver, or copper, or even of clay, adorned and filled with water, along with fresh leaves.
सप्तधान्यान्यधस्तस्य यवानुपरि विन्यसेत् । तस्योपरि न्यसेद्देवं हैमं नारायणं प्रभुम्
Seven kinds of grains should be placed beneath it, with barley on top; above that, one should set a golden image of Lord Nārāyaṇa.
एकादशीदिने प्राप्ते प्रातः स्नानं समाचरेत् । निश्चलं स्थापयेत्कुंभं कंठमाल्यानुलेपनैः
When the eleventh day arrives, one should bathe in the morning, and place the pot steadily, decorating it with garlands for the neck and fragrant ointments.
पूगीफलैर्नालिकेरैः पूजयेच्च विशेषतः । गंधैर्धूपैश्चदीपैश्च नैवेद्यैर्विविधैरपि
One should especially worship with betel nuts, coconuts, perfumes, incense, lamps, and various offerings of food.
कुंभाग्रे तद्दिनं राम नीयते सत्कथादिभिः । रात्रौ जागरणं चैव तस्याग्रे कारयेद्बुधः
O Rāma, that day should be spent at the forefront of the pot with recitation of sacred stories and the like; at night, one should keep vigil before it.
प्रकाशयेद्घृतदीपमखंडव्रतहेतवे । द्वादशीदिवसे प्राप्ते मार्तंडस्योदये सति
A ghee lamp should be kept burning continuously as part of the vow; when the twelfth day arrives and the sun rises—
नीत्वा कुंभं जलोद्देशे नद्याः प्रस्रवणे तथा । तडागे स्थापयित्वा तं पूजयित्वा यथाविधि
One should carry the pot to a body of water, to the source of a river or a pond, and, after placing and worshipping it there according to the proper method—
दद्यात्सदेवं तं कुंभं ब्राह्मणे वेदपारगे । कुंभेन सह राजेंद्र महादानानि दापयेत्
One should give that pot, along with the deity, to a learned Brāhmaṇa; together with the pot, O king, one should also give great gifts.
अनेनविधिना राम यूथपैः सह संगतः । कुरु व्रतं प्रयत्नेन विजयस्ते भविष्यति
O Rāma, following this procedure together with your companions, undertake the vow with effort; you will surely attain victory.
इति श्रुत्वा ततो रामो यथोक्तमकरोत्तदा । कृते व्रते स विजयी बभूव रघुनंदनः
Having heard this, Rāma then did exactly as instructed; having performed the vow, the descendant of Raghu became victorious.
प्राप्ता सीता जिता लंका पौलस्त्यो निहतो रणे । अनेनविधिना पुत्र ये कुर्वंति नरा व्रतम्
Sītā was regained, Laṅkā was conquered, and the son of Pulastya was slain in battle; by this procedure, O son, those men who perform the vow—
इहलोकजयप्राप्तिः परलोकस्तथाक्षयः । एतस्मात्कारणात्पुत्र कर्तव्यं विजयाव्रतम्
They attain victory in this world and imperishable merit in the next; for this reason, O son, the vow of victory should be performed.
विजयायाश्च माहात्म्यं सर्वकिल्बिषनाशनम् । पठनाच्छ्रवणाच्चैव वाजपेयफलं लभेत्
The greatness of the Vijayā vow destroys all sins; by reciting or hearing it, one obtains the fruit of the Vājapeya sacrifice.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे फाल्गुनकृष्णाविजयामाहात्म्यंनाम चतुश्चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-fourth chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of Vijayā in the Dark Fortnight of Phālguna,' in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- माहात्म्यं विजयायाश्च श्रुतं कृष्ण महत्फलम् । फाल्गुनस्यार्जुने पक्षे यन्नाम्नी तां वदाधुना
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: The greatness of Vijayā has been heard, O Kṛṣṇa, with its great fruit; now tell me the name of the vow that occurs in the fortnight of Phālguna.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच-। धर्मपुत्र महाभाग शृणु वक्ष्यामितेऽधुना । योक्ता पृष्टेन मांधात्रा वसिष्ठेन महात्मना
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Dharmaputra, greatly fortunate one, listen as I now speak; I will tell you what was asked by Māndhātṛ and taught by the great sage Vasiṣṭha.
फाल्गुनस्य विशेषेण विशेषः कथितो नृप । आमलकीव्रतं पुण्यं विष्णुलोकफलप्रदम्
O king, in particular, the special vow of Phālguna has been described—the sacred Āmalakī vow, which bestows the reward of reaching Viṣṇu's abode.
आमलक्यास्तले गत्वा जागरं तत्र कारयेत् । कृत्वा जागरणं रात्रौ गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Going to the base of the āmalakī tree, one should keep vigil there; by keeping vigil at night, one obtains the merit of giving a thousand cows.
मांधातोवाच - आमलकी कदा ह्येषा उत्पन्ना द्विजसत्तम । एतत्सर्वं ममाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि मे
Māndhātā said: O best of twice-born, when did this āmalakī arise? Please tell me all of this, for I am greatly curious.
कस्मादियं पवित्रा च कस्मात्पापप्रणाशिनी । कस्माज्जागरणं कृत्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Why is this tree pure, why does it destroy sin, and why does one who keeps vigil attain the merit of giving a thousand cows?
वसिष्ठ उवाच- कथयामि महाभाग यथेयमभवत्क्षितौ । आमलकी महावृक्षः सर्वपापप्रणाशनः
Vasiṣṭha said: I will tell you, O greatly fortunate one, how this āmalakī, the great tree that destroys all sins, came to be on earth.
एकार्णवे पुरा जाते नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे । नष्टे देवासुरगणे प्रणष्टोरगराक्षसे
Once, in the single ocean, when all that is movable and immovable was destroyed, when the hosts of gods and demons, serpents and rākṣasas had perished,
तत्र देवादिदेवेशः परमात्मा सनातनः । जगाम ब्रह्मपरममात्मनः पदमव्ययम्
There, the Lord of gods, the supreme, eternal Self, attained the highest, imperishable state of Brahman.
ततोऽस्य जाग्रतो ब्रह्ममुखाच्छशिसमप्रभः । ष्ठीवनाद्बिंदुरुत्पन्नः स भूमौ निपपात ह
Then, as he remained awake, from the mouth of Brahman, a drop radiant like the moon emerged and fell to the earth.
तस्माद्बिंदोः समुत्पन्नः स्वयं धात्री नगो महान् । शाखाप्रशाखाबहुलः फलभारेण नामितः
From that drop, the āmalakī tree itself arose, a great tree, abundant in branches and twigs, bowed down by the weight of its fruit.
सर्वेषां चैव वृक्षाणामादिरोहः प्रकीर्तितः । ब्रह्मणाथ ततः पश्चात्संसृष्टाश्च इमाः प्रजाः
It is said to be the first sprouting among all trees; then, by Brahman, these creatures were created.
देवदानवगंधर्वयक्षराक्षसपन्नगान् । असृजद्भगवान्देवो महर्षींश्च तथामलान्
The blessed Lord created gods, demons, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, serpents, and also the great sages, pure in nature.
आजग्मुस्तत्र देवास्ते यत्र धात्री हरिप्रिया । तां दृष्ट्वा ते महाभाग परं विस्मयमागताः
The gods came there, where the āmalakī, beloved of Hari, was; seeing it, those greatly fortunate ones were filled with wonder.
न जानीम इमं वृक्षं चिंतयंतोऽभिसंस्थिताः । एवं चिंतयतां तेषां वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
Not knowing this tree, they stood thinking; as they pondered thus, a bodiless voice spoke.
आमलकी नगो ह्येष प्रवरो वैष्णवो मतः । अस्य संस्मरणादेव लभेद्गोदानजं फलम्
This āmalakī tree is considered the foremost among Vaiṣṇava trees; by merely remembering it, one attains the fruit of giving a cow.