च्यवन उवाच- चैत्रस्य चासिते पक्षे नाम्ना वै पापमोचनी । अस्या व्रते कृते पुत्र पापराशिः क्षयं व्रजेत्
Cyavana said: 'On the dark fortnight of Caitra, there is a vow called Pāpamocanī. By performing this vow, my son, a heap of sins is destroyed.'
इति श्रुत्वा पितुर्वाक्यं कृतं तेन व्रतोत्तमम् । गतं पापं क्षयं तस्य तपोयुक्तो बभूव सः
Hearing his father's words, he performed that excellent vow; his sin was destroyed, and he became devoted to austerity.
साप्येवं मंजुघोषा च कृत्वैतद्व्रतमुत्तमम् । पिशाचत्वाद्विनिर्मुक्ता पापमोचनिकाव्रतात् । दिव्यरूपधरा सा वै गता नाके वराप्सराः
Likewise, Manjughoṣā performed that supreme vow; freed from the state of a piśācī by the Pāpamocanikā vow, she, assuming a divine form, went to heaven as a foremost apsaras.
लोमश उवाच- पापमोचनिकां राजन्ये कुर्वंति नरोत्तमाः । तेषां पापं च यत्किंचित्तत्सर्वं च क्षयं व्रजेत्
Lomaśa said: 'O king, those best of men who perform the Pāpamocanikā vow, all their sins, whatever they may be, are destroyed.'
पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्राजन्गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । ब्रह्महा हेमहारी च सुरापो गुरुतल्पगः
By reciting or hearing this, O king, one obtains the merit of a thousand cows; even a Brahmin-killer, gold thief, drinker of liquor, or violator of the teacher's bed—
व्रतस्य चास्य करणात्पापमुक्ता भवंति ते । बहुपुण्यप्रदं ह्येतत्करणाद्व्रतमुत्तमम्
By performing this vow, they become freed from sin; for this supreme vow bestows abundant merit.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- वासुदेव नमस्तुभ्यं कथयस्व ममाग्रतः । चैत्रस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु किं नामैकादशी भवेत्
Yudhishthira said: O Vasudeva, I bow to you. Please tell me, right before me, what is the name of the Ekadashi that occurs in the bright fortnight of Chaitra?
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- शृणुष्वैकमना राजन्कथां पुण्यां पुरातनीम् । वसिष्ठो यामकथयत्प्राग्दिलीपाय पृच्छते
Shri Krishna said: Listen attentively, O King, to this ancient and meritorious story, which Vasishtha once told to Dilipa when he inquired.
दिलीप उवाच- भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि कथयस्व प्रसादतः । चैत्रमासि सिते पक्षे किंनामैकादशी भवेत्
Dilipa said: O venerable one, I wish to hear—please tell me graciously—what is the name of the Ekadashi in the bright half of the month of Chaitra?
वसिष्ठ उवाच- साधु पृष्टं त्वया राजन्कथयामि तवाग्रतः । चैत्रस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु कामदा नाम नामतः
Vasishtha said: Well asked, O King; I shall tell you directly. In the bright fortnight of Chaitra, it is called by name Kamada.
एकादशी पुण्यतमा पापेंधनदवानलः । शृणु राजन्कथामेतां पापघ्नीं पुण्यदायिनीम्
This Ekadashi is supremely meritorious, a wildfire consuming the wealth of sin. Listen, O King, to this story, which destroys sin and bestows merit.
पुरा नागपुरे रम्ये हेमरत्नविभूषिते । पुंडरीकमुखा नागा निवसंति महोत्कटाः
Long ago, in the beautiful city of Nagapura, adorned with gold and jewels, mighty serpents with faces like lotuses resided.
तस्मिन्पुरे पुंडरीको राजा राज्यं चकार सः । गन्धर्वैः किन्नरैश्चैव अप्सरोभिश्च सेव्यते
In that city, Pundarika was king, ruling his realm, attended by Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and Apsaras.
वराप्सरास्तु ललिता गंधर्वो ललितस्तथा । उभौ रागेण संरक्तौ दंपती कामपीडितौ
Among the best Apsaras was Lalita, and among the Gandharvas, Lalita as well; both were bound by passion, a couple afflicted by desire.
रेमाते स्वगृहे रम्ये धनधान्ययुते तदा । ललितायाश्च हृदये पतिर्वसति सर्वदा
They delighted in their splendid home, filled with wealth and grain; and in Lalita’s heart, her husband always dwelled.
हृदये तस्य ललिता नित्यं वसति भामिनी । एकदा पुंडरीकोऽथ क्रीडते सदसि स्थितः
And in his heart, Lalita, the radiant one, always resided. One day, as Pundarika played in the assembly hall—
गीतं गानं प्रकुरुते ललितो दयितां विना । पदबंधस्खलज्जिह्वो बभूव ललितां स्मरन्
Lalita sang a song, but without his beloved; his tongue faltered in the arrangement of words, for he was thinking of Lalita.
मनोभावं विदित्वास्य कर्कटो नागसत्तमः । पदबंधच्युतिं तस्य पुंडरीके न्यवेदयत्
Perceiving his state of mind, Karkata, the foremost of serpents, reported his lapse in song to Pundarika.
श्रुत्वा कर्कोटकवचः पुंडरीको भुजंगराट् । क्रोधसंरक्तनयनो बभूवातिभयंकरः
Hearing Karkotaka’s words, Pundarika, king of serpents, his eyes red with anger, became exceedingly terrifying.
शशाप ललितं तत्र गायंतं मदनातुरम् । राक्षसो भव दुर्बुद्धे क्रव्यादः पुरुषादकः
He cursed Lalita there, who was singing, maddened by love: 'Become a Rakshasa, you fool, a flesh-eating, man-devouring demon!'
यतः पत्नीवशोपेतो गायमानो ममाग्रतः । वचनात्तस्य राजेंद्र रक्षोरूपो बभूव सः
Because, under the sway of your wife, you sang before me—by my words, O king, he assumed the form of a Rakshasa.
रौद्राननो विरूपाक्षो दृष्टमात्रो भयंकरः । बाहूयोजनविस्तीर्णौ मुखं कंदरसन्निभम्
With a fierce face, deformed eyes, terrifying at a glance, his arms stretched a yojana wide, his mouth like a mountain cave.
चंद्रसूर्यनिभे नेत्रे ग्रीवापर्वतसंनिभा । नासारंध्रे तु विवरे अधरौ योजनायतौ
His eyes resembled the moon and sun, his neck like a mountain; his nostrils were gaping holes, his lips a yojana long.
शरीरं तस्य राजेंद्र उत्थितं योजनाष्टकम् । ईदृशो राक्षसो भूत्वा भुंजानः कर्मणः फलम्
His body, O king, rose to eight yojanas in height; thus, having become a Rakshasa, he suffered the fruit of his actions.
ललिता तु तथालोक्य स्वपतिं विकृताकृतिम् । चिंतयामास मनसा दुःखेन महतार्दिता
Lalitā, seeing her husband in such a deformed state, was deeply afflicted with sorrow and began to ponder in her mind.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि पतिः शापेन पीडितः । इति संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य मनसा शर्म नालभत्
"What shall I do? Where shall I go? My husband is tormented by a curse." Thinking this over and over in her mind, she found no peace.
चचार पतिना सार्द्धं ललिता गहने वने । बभ्राम विपिने दुर्गे कामरूपी स राक्षसः
Lalitā wandered with her husband in the dense forest; that Rākṣasa, able to assume any form at will, roamed in the wild and difficult woods.
निर्घृणः पापनिरतो विरूपः पुरुषादकः । न सुखं लभते रात्रौ न दिवा पापपीडितः
Cruel, intent on evil, hideous, and a devourer of men, he found no happiness by night or day, afflicted by sin.
ललिता दुःखितातीव पतिं दृष्ट्वा तथाविधम् । बभ्राम तेन सार्द्धं सा रुदती गहने वने
Lalitā, seeing her husband in such a miserable state, wandered with him, weeping, in the dense forest.
दृष्ट्वाश्रमपदं रम्यं मुनिं संशांतविग्रहम् । शीघ्रं जगाम ललिता नमस्कृत्याग्रतः स्थिता
Seeing a beautiful hermitage and a sage of peaceful appearance, Lalitā quickly approached, offered her respects, and stood before him.