यज्ञादितीर्थदानानि कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्राजन्गोसहस्र फलं लभेत्
Sacrifices, pilgrimages, and gifts do not equal even a sixteenth part of it; by reciting or hearing this, one obtains the merit of giving a thousand cows.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां सहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे वैशाखशुक्ले मोहन्येकादशीनाम एकोनपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-ninth chapter, named 'Mohini Ekadashi of the bright fortnight of Vaishakha,' in the dialogue between Umapati and Narada, in the Uttarakhanda of the glorious Padma Mahapurana, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- ज्येष्ठस्य कृष्णपक्षे तु किं नामैकादशी भवेत् । श्रोतुमिच्छामि माहात्म्यं तद्वदस्व जनार्दन
Yudhishthira said: 'In the dark fortnight of Jyeshtha, what is the name of the Ekadashi? I wish to hear its greatness; please tell me, O Janardana.'
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- साधु पृष्टं त्वया राजन्लोकानां हितकाम्यया । बहुपुण्यप्रदा ह्येषा महापातकनाशिनी
Shri Krishna said: 'Well asked, O king, for the welfare of the worlds. This Ekadashi bestows great merit and destroys the gravest sins.'
अपरा नाम राजेंद्र अपरा पुत्रदायिनी । लोके प्रसिद्धितां याति अपरां यस्तु सेवते
O King, there is another vow called Aparā, renowned as bestowing sons; whoever observes Aparā attains fame in the world.
ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतोऽपि गोत्रहा भ्रूणहा तथा । परापवादवादी च परस्त्री रसिकोऽपि च
Even one afflicted by the sin of killing a Brahmin, a destroyer of his lineage, a slayer of the unborn, a slanderer, or one who delights in another's wife—
अपरा सेवनाद्राजन्विपाप्मा भवति ध्रुवम् । कूटसाक्ष्यं कूटमानं तुलाकूटं करोति यः
O King, by observing Aparā, such a sinner is certainly purified; even one who gives false testimony, uses false weights, or commits fraud with scales—
कूटवेदं पठेद्यस्तु कूटशास्त्रं तथैव च । ज्योतिषी गणकः कूटः कूटायुर्वैदिको भिषक्
Whoever recites false Vedas, teaches false scriptures, or is a deceitful astrologer, calculator, physician, or priest—
कूटसाक्ष्य समायुक्तो विज्ञेया नरकौकसः । अपरा सेवनाद्राजन्पापैर्मुक्ता भवंति ते
Those associated with false testimony are known as dwellers in hell; but, O King, by observing Aparā, they are freed from their sins.
क्षत्त्रियः क्षात्रधर्मं यस्त्यक्त्वा युद्धात्पलायते । स याति नरकं घोरं स्वीयधर्मबहिष्कृतः
A Kṣatriya who abandons his warrior duty and flees from battle, forsaking his own dharma, goes to a terrible hell.
अपरा सेवनात्सोऽपि पापं त्यक्त्वा दिवं व्रजेत् । विद्यावान्यः स्वयं शिष्यो गुरुनिंदां करोति च
Even he, by observing Aparā, casting off sin, attains heaven; and one who, though learned, slanders his own teacher—
स महापातकैर्युक्तो निरयं याति दारुणम् । अपरा सेवनात्सोऽपि सद्गतिं प्राप्नुयान्नरः
Such a person, burdened with great sins, goes to dreadful hell; yet, by observing Aparā, he too attains a good destination.
महिमानमपरायाः शृणु राजन्वदाम्यहम् । मकरस्थे रवौ माघे प्रयागे यत्फलं नृणाम्
Hear, O King, the greatness of Aparā, which I now declare: whatever merit is gained at Prayāga when the sun enters Capricorn in Māgha—
काश्यां यत्प्राप्यते पुण्यमुपरागे निमज्जनात् । गयायां पिंडदानेन पितॄणां तृप्तिदो यथा
Whatever merit is obtained by bathing at Kāśī during an eclipse, or by offering ancestral oblations at Gayā, satisfying one's forefathers—
सिंहस्थिते देवगुरौ गौतम्यां स्नातको नरः । कन्यागते गुरौ राजन्कृष्णवेणी निमज्जनात्
Whatever result is gained by bathing in the Godāvarī when Jupiter is in Leo, or by immersing in the Kṛṣṇaveṇī when Jupiter is in Virgo—
यत्फलं समवाप्नोति कुंभकेदार दर्शनात् । बदर्याश्रमयात्रायां तत्तीर्थसेवनादपि
Whatever fruit is attained by beholding Kumbhakedāra, or by pilgrimage to Badarī's hermitage, or by visiting those sacred places—
यत्फलं समवाप्नोति कुरुक्षेत्रे रविग्रहे । गजाश्व हेमदानेन यज्ञं कृत्वा सदक्षिणम्
Whatever fruit is gained at Kurukṣetra during a solar eclipse, by giving elephants, horses, and gold, or by performing a sacrifice with proper gifts—
तादृशं फलमाप्नोति अपरा व्रतसेवनात् । अर्धप्रसूतां गां दत्वा सुवर्णं वसुधां तथा
Such is the fruit attained by observing the vow of Aparā; by giving a cow about to calve, gold, or land—
नरो यत्फलमाप्नोति अपराया व्रतेन तत् । पापद्रुमकुठारीयं पापेंधन दवानलः
Whatever result a man obtains by these, he gains by the vow of Aparā; it is the axe for the tree of sin, the forest fire for the fuel of evil.
पापांधकारतरणिः पापसारंग केसरी । बुद्बुदा इव तोयेषु पुत्तिका इव जंतुषु
It is the sun that dispels the darkness of sin, the lion among the deer of sin; just as bubbles among waters, or insects among creatures—
जायंते मरणायैव एकादश्या व्रतं विना । अपरां समुपोष्यैव पूजयित्वा त्रिविक्रमम्
So are beings born only for death, except for those who observe the vow of Ekādaśī; by observing Aparā and worshipping Trivikrama—
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो विष्णुलोके महीयते । लोकानां च हितार्थाय तवाग्रे कथितं मया । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्राजन्गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
One is freed from all sins and honored in the world of Viṣṇu. For the welfare of all beings, I have told this before you, O King; by reading or hearing this, one obtains the merit of giving a thousand cows.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे ज्येष्ठकृष्णापरैकादशीनाम पंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fiftieth chapter, entitled 'The Ekadashi of the Dark Half of Jyestha,' in the dialogue between Uma's Lord and Narada, in the Uttara Khanda of the glorious Padma Mahapurana, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- अपरायाश्च माहात्म्यं श्रुतं सर्वं जनार्दन । ज्येष्ठस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु स्याद्या तां वद मानद
Yudhishthira said: O Janardana, I have heard all about the greatness of the previous Ekadashi. Now, please tell me about the first Ekadashi that occurs in the bright half of Jyestha, O bestower of honor.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- एनां वक्ष्यति धर्मात्मा व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । सर्वशास्त्रार्थतत्त्वज्ञो वेदवेदांगपारगः
Sri Krishna said: The righteous Vyasa, son of Satyavati, who knows the essence of all scriptures and is accomplished in the Vedas and their branches, will explain this.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- श्रुता मे मानवा धर्मा वासिष्ठाश्च श्रुता मया । द्वैपायन यथावत्त्वं वैष्णवान्वक्तुमर्हसि
Yudhishthira said: I have heard the codes of Manu and those of Vasishtha as well; O Dvaipayana, you should properly explain the Vaishnava observances.
श्रीवेदव्यास उवाच - श्रुतास्तु मानवा धर्मा वैदिकाश्च श्रुतास्त्वया । कलौ युगे न शक्यंते ते वै कर्तुं नराधिप
Sri Vedavyasa said: You have heard the codes of Manu and the Vedic laws, but in the age of Kali, O king, people are not able to perform them.
सुखोपायमल्पधनमल्पक्लेशं महाफलम् । पुराणानां च सर्वेषां सारभूतं महामते
O wise one, there is a means that is easy, requires little wealth, causes little hardship, and yields great fruit; it is the very essence of all the Puranas.
एकादश्यां न भुंजीत पक्षयोरुभयोरपि । द्वादश्यां तु शुचिर्भूत्वा पुष्पैः संपूज्य केशवम्
On Ekadashi, one should not eat, on either of the two fortnights; but on Dvadashi, after purifying oneself, one should worship Keshava with flowers.
अन्नं भुंजीत सत्कृत्य पश्चाद्विप्रपुरःसरम् । सूतकेऽपि न भोक्तव्यं नाशौचे च जनाधिप
After duly honoring the Brahmins, one should then eat food, O king; but during impurity due to birth or death, one must not eat.