ब्राह्मणं पूजयित्वा तु सर्वं तस्मै निवेदयेत् । जामदग्न्य घटे तत्र वस्त्रयुग्ममुपानहौ
After worshipping a brāhmaṇa, one should offer everything to him: the Jamadagni pot, a pair of garments, and sandals.
जामदग्न्यस्वरूपेण प्रीयतां मम केशवः । ततश्चामलकीं स्पृष्ट्वा कृत्वा चैव प्रदक्षिणाम्
May Keśava be pleased with me in the form of Jamadagni; then, touching the āmalakī tree and circumambulating it—
स्नानं कृत्वा विधानेन ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेत्ततः । ततश्च स्वयमश्नीयात्कुटुंबेन समावृतः
After bathing according to the prescribed rite, one should feed the Brahmins; then, together with one's family, one may eat oneself.
एवं कृतेन यत्पुण्यं तत्सर्वं कथयामि ते । सर्वतीर्थेषु यत्पुण्यं सर्वदानेषु यत्फलम्
I will now tell you all the merit obtained by performing this; it equals the merit gained at all sacred waters and the fruit of all gifts.
सर्वयज्ञाधिकं चैव लभते नात्र संशयः । एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम्
Indeed, one attains even more than all sacrifices—of this there is no doubt; I have thus described to you the supreme vow among all vows.
एतावदुक्त्वा देवेशस्तत्रैवांतरधीयत । ते चापि ऋषयः सर्वे चक्रुः सर्वमशेषतः
Having spoken thus, the Lord of the gods vanished there itself; and all those sages performed everything completely.
तथा त्वमपि राजेन्द्र कर्तुमर्हसि सत्तम । व्रतमेतद्दुराधर्षं सर्वपापप्रमोचनम्
In the same way, O best of kings, you too should undertake this difficult vow, which destroys all sins.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- फाल्गुनस्य सिते पक्षे श्रुता चामलकी तथा । चैत्रस्य कृष्णपक्षे तु किं नामैकादशी भवेत्
Yudhishthira said: In the bright fortnight of Phalguna, the Amalaki vow has been heard; in the dark fortnight of Chaitra, what is the name of the Ekadashi?
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- शृणु राजेंद्र वक्ष्यामि आख्यानं पापनाशनम् । यल्लोमशोऽब्रवीत्पृष्टो मांधात्रा चक्रवर्तिना
Shri Krishna said: Listen, O king, I will tell you a story that destroys sin, which Lomasha spoke when asked by Mandhata, the emperor.
मांधातोवाच - भगवन्श्रोतुमिच्छामि लोकानां हितकाम्यया । चैत्रस्य प्रथमे पक्षे का नामैकादशी भवेत् । को विधिः किं फलं तस्याः कथयस्व प्रसादतः
Mandhata said: O Lord, desiring the welfare of all beings, I wish to hear: In the bright fortnight of Chaitra, what is the name of the Ekadashi? What is its rite, and what is its fruit? Please tell me out of your grace.
लोमश उवाच- चैत्रमास्यसिते पक्षे नाम्ना वै पापमोचनी । एकादशी समाख्याता पिशाचत्वविनाशिनी
Lomasha said: In the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra, the Ekadashi called Papamochani, destroyer of sins and of the state of being a ghost, is renowned.
शृणु तस्याः प्रवक्ष्यामि कामदां सिद्धिदां नृप । कथां विचित्रां शुभदां पापघ्नीं धर्मदायिनीम्
Hear now, O king, the wondrous, auspicious, sin-destroying, and virtue-bestowing story of that Ekadashi, which grants desires and success.
पुरा चैत्ररथोद्देशे अप्सरोगणसेविते । वसंतसमये प्राप्ते षट्पदाकुलिते वने
Long ago, in the region of Chaitraratha, attended by groups of Apsaras, when spring arrived and the forest was filled with bees,
गंधर्वकन्यावादित्रै रमंति सह किंनरैः । पाकशासनमुख्याश्च क्रीडांते त्रिदिवौकसः
Gandharva maidens, skilled in music, enjoyed themselves there with Kinnaras, and the chief of the gods, along with the residents of heaven, played there as well.
नापरं सुखदं किंचिद्विना चैत्ररथाद्वनम् । तस्मिन्वने तु मुनयस्तपंति बहुलं तपः
There is no other place as delightful as the Chaitraratha forest; in that forest, sages performed intense austerities.
मेधावि नामानमृषिं तत्रस्थं ब्रह्मचारिणम् । अप्सरास्तं मुनिवरं मोहनायोपचक्रमे
There, an ascetic named Medhavi, a celibate sage, was present; the Apsaras began to try to enchant that great sage.
मंजुघोषेति विख्याता भावं तस्य वितन्वती । क्रोशमात्रं स्थिता तस्य भयादाश्रमसन्निधौ
One named Manjughosha, spreading her charm, stood at a distance of a krosha from his hermitage, out of fear.
गायंती मधुरं साधु पीडयंती विपंचिकाम् । गायंतीं तामथालोक्य पुष्पचंदनसेविताम्
Singing sweetly and skillfully, playing the Vina, she sang while adorned with flowers and sandalwood, and he saw her thus.
कामोऽपि विजयाकांक्षी शिवभक्तान्मुनीश्वरान् । तस्याः शरीरे संवासमकरोन्मनसः सुतः
Even Kama, desiring victory over the great sages devoted to Shiva, entered her body—the son of the mind.
कृत्वा भ्रुवौ धनुष्कोटिं गुणं कृत्वा कटाक्षकम् । मार्गणौ नयने कृत्वा पक्ष्मयुक्ते यथाक्रमम्
He made her eyebrows into the bow's ends, her sidelong glances into the bowstring, and her eyes, with their lashes, into arrows, just as is proper.
कुचौ कृत्वा पटकुटीं विजयायोपचक्रमे । मंजुघोषाभवत्तस्य कामस्यैव वरूथिनी
She made a small bundle of cloth with her breasts and set out for victory; Mañjughoṣā became the foremost among the troops of Kāma himself.
मेधाविनं मुनिं दृष्ट्वा सापि कामेन पीडिता । यौवनोद्भिन्नदेहोऽसौ मेधाव्यपि विराजते
Seeing the wise sage, she too was afflicted by desire; his body, blossoming with youth, shone even upon Medhāvin.
सितोपवीतसहितो दृष्टः स्मर इवापरः । मेधावी वसते चासौ च्यवनस्याश्रमे शुभे
Wearing a white sacred thread, he appeared like another god of love; Medhāvin dwelled there in the auspicious hermitage of Cyavana.
मंजुघोषा स्थितं तत्र दृष्ट्वा सा मुनिपुंगवम् । मदनस्य वशं प्राप्ता मंदं मंदमगायत
Mañjughoṣā, seeing that eminent sage standing there, fell under the sway of love and began to sing softly, gently.
रणद्वलयसंयुक्तां शिंजन्नूपुरमेखलाम् । गायंतीं तां तथाभूतां विलोक्य मुनिपुंगवः
Adorned with jingling bracelets, ringing anklets, and a tinkling girdle, as she sang in that manner, the eminent sage beheld her.
मदनेन ससैन्येन नीतो मोहवशं बलात् । मंजुघोषा समागम्य मुनिं दृष्ट्वा तथाविधम्
Overpowered by the force of love and his entire army, Mañjughoṣā approached and beheld the sage in that state.
हावभावकटाक्षैस्तं मोहयामास चांगना । अधः संस्थाप्य वीणां सा सस्वजे तं मुनीश्वरम्
With gestures, expressions, and sidelong glances, the woman bewitched him; placing her vīṇā down, she embraced the lordly sage.
वलितेव लता वृक्षं वातवेगेन कंपितम् । सोऽपि रेमे तया सार्द्धं मेधावी मुनिपुंगवः
Like a vine entwining a tree shaken by the wind, so too did the eminent sage Medhāvin delight together with her.
तस्मिन्नेव ततो दृष्ट्वा तस्यास्तं देहमुत्तमम् । शिवतत्वं गतं तस्य कामतत्त्ववशं गतः
At that very moment, seeing her excellent body, he who had attained the state of Śiva fell under the sway of desire.
न निशां न दिनं सोऽपि रमन्जानाति कामुकः । बहुवर्षं गतः कालो मुनेराचारलोपतः
That lover no longer knew night or day in his enjoyment; many years passed as the sage neglected his practices.