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.
यावज्जीवं व्रतमिदं कर्त्तव्यं पुरुषर्षभ । स्वर्गतिं प्राप्तुमिच्छद्भिरत्र नैवास्ति संशयः
O best of men, this vow should be observed for one's whole life by those who wish to attain heaven; there is no doubt about this.
आपपापा दुराचाराः पापिष्ठा धर्मवर्जिताः । एकादश्यां न भुंजाना न ते यांति यमांतिकम्
Even those who are sinful, of bad conduct, and devoid of righteousness—if they do not eat on Ekadashi, they do not go to the abode of Yama.
इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कंपितोऽश्वत्थपत्रवत् । भीमसेनो महाबाहुर्नत्वोवाच गुरुं प्रति
Hearing these words, Bhimasena, mighty-armed, trembled like a leaf of the Ashvattha tree, and bowed to his teacher and spoke.
भीमसेन उवाच- पितामह महाबुद्धे शृणु मे परमं वचः । युधिष्ठिरश्च कुंती च तथा द्रुपदनंदिनी
Bhimasena said: O grandsire, greatly wise, listen to my supreme words. Yudhishthira, Kunti, and the daughter of Drupada—
अर्जुनो नकुलश्चैव सहदेवस्तथैव च । एकादश्यां न भुंजंति कदाचिदपि सुव्रताः
Arjuna, Nakula, and likewise Sahadeva—all these virtuous ones never eat on Ekadashi.
ते मां ब्रुवंति वै नित्यं मा भुंक्ष्व त्वं वृकोदर । अहं तानब्रुवं तात बुभुक्षा दुःसहा मम
They always say to me, 'Do not eat, O Vrikodara.' But I tell them, 'Father, my hunger is unbearable.'
दानं दास्यामि विधिवत्पूजयिष्यामि केशवम् । भीमसेनवचः श्रुत्वा व्यासो वचनमब्रवीत्
I will give charity as prescribed and worship Keshava; hearing Bhimasena's words, Vyasa spoke.
व्यास उवाच- यदि स्वर्गमभीष्टं ते नरकं दुष्टमेव च । एकादश्यां न भोक्तव्यं पक्षयोरुभयोरपि
Vyasa said: If you desire heaven and wish to avoid a dreadful hell, you must not eat on Ekadashi, on either of the two fortnights.
भीमसेन उवाच- पितामह महाबुद्धे कथयामि तवाग्रतः । एकभक्ते न शक्नोमि उपवासे कुतः प्रभो
Bhimasena said: O grandsire, greatly wise, I speak before you: I cannot manage even one meal a day—how then can I fast, O lord?
वृकोऽपिनाम यो वह्निः स सदा जठरे मम । अतिवेलं यदाश्नामि तदा समुपशाम्यति
There is a fire named Vrika that always burns in my stomach; only when I eat excessively does it become quiet.
नैकं शक्नोम्यहं कर्तुमुपवासं महामुने । येनैव प्राप्यते स्वर्गस्तत्कर्त्तास्मि यथातथम् । तदेकं वद निश्चित्य येन श्रेयोऽहमाप्नुयाम्
O great sage, I am unable to perform even a single fast; tell me, with certainty, that one act by which heaven is attained, and I will do it as best as I can, so that I may obtain the highest good.
व्यास उवाच- वृषस्थे मिथुनस्थे वा यदा चैकादशी भवेत् । ज्येष्ठमासे प्रयत्नेन सोपोष्योदकवर्जिता
Vyāsa said: When the eleventh day (Ekādaśī) falls while the moon is in the constellation of Vṛṣa or Mithuna, especially in the month of Jyeṣṭha, one should carefully observe a fast, abstaining from water.
गंडूषाचमनं वारि वर्जयित्वोदकं बुधः । उपभुंजीत नैवेह व्रतभंगोऽन्यथा भवेत्
The wise should avoid even rinsing the mouth or sipping water; only then may one partake of food, otherwise the vow is broken.
उदयादुदयं यावद्वर्जयित्वोदकं नरः । श्रूयतां समवाप्नोति द्वादशद्वादशी फलम्
If a person abstains from water from sunrise to sunrise, it is said that he attains the merit of observing the Dvādaśī fast on both sides.
ततः प्रभाते विमले द्वादश्यां स्नानमाचरेत् । जलं सुवर्णं दत्त्वा च द्विजातिभ्यो यथाविधि
Then, in the pure morning of Dvādaśī, one should bathe and, according to rule, give water and gold to the twice-born.
भुंजीत कृतकृत्यस्तु ब्राह्मणैः सहितो वशी । एवं कृते च यत्पुण्यं भीमसेन शृणुष्व तत्
Having fulfilled his duty, he should eat together with the brāhmaṇas, being self-controlled; now, Bhīmasena, listen to the merit gained by this observance.
संवत्सरे तु याश्चैव एकादश्यो भवंति हि । तासां फलमवाप्नोति ह्यत्र मे नास्ति संशयः
Whatever Ekādaśīs occur in the year, he obtains the fruit of all of them; about this, I have no doubt.
इति मां केशवः प्राह शंखचक्रगदाधरः । सर्वान्परित्यज्य पुमान्मामेकं शरणं व्रजेत्
Thus Keśava, the bearer of the conch, discus, and mace, spoke to me: 'Abandoning all others, a man should take refuge in me alone.'
एकादश्यां निराहारस्ततः पापात्प्रमुच्यते । द्रव्यशुद्धिः कलौ नास्ति संस्कारः स्मार्त्त एव च
By fasting on Ekādaśī, one is freed from sin; in the age of Kali, there is no purity of material things, and only the prescribed rites remain.
वैदिकस्तु कुतश्चापि प्राप्ते दुष्टे कलौ युगे । किं नु ते बहुनोक्तेन वायुपुत्र पुनः पुनः
And where is the Vedic rite in this corrupt age of Kali? Why speak at length, O son of Vāyu, again and again?