प्रत्युवाच रुषाविष्टः कोपप्रस्फुरिताधरः । धनद उवाच- आः पाप दुष्ट दुर्वृत्त कृतवान्देवहेलनम्
Seized by wrath, his lips quivering with rage, the lord of wealth spoke: 'Ah! Wicked, evil, ill-behaved one, you have shown disrespect to the gods.'
अष्टादशकुष्ठवृतो वियुक्तः कांतया तया । अस्मात्स्थानादपध्वस्तो गच्छ स्वप्नमथाधम
Afflicted with eighteen kinds of leprosy, separated from that wife, cast out from this place—go, wretched one, and sleep elsewhere.
इत्युक्ते वचने तस्य तस्मात्स्थानात्पपात सः । महादुःखाभिभूतश्च कुष्ठैः पीडितविग्रहः
When these words were spoken, he fell from that place, overwhelmed by great sorrow, his body tormented by leprosy.
न सुखं दिवसे तस्य न निद्रां लभते निशि । छायायां पीडिततनुर्निदाघेऽत्यंतपीडितः
He found no happiness by day, nor could he sleep at night; his body, afflicted, suffered in the shade and was tormented in the heat.
शिवपूजाप्रभावेन स्मृतिस्तस्य न लुप्यते । पातकेनाभिभूतोऽपि पूर्वं कर्म स्मरत्यसौ
By the power of his worship of Shiva, his memory was not lost; though overcome by sin, he remembered his former deeds.
भ्रममाणस्ततो गच्छन्हिमाद्रिं पर्वतोत्तमम् । तत्रापश्यन्मुनिवरं मार्कंडेयं तपोनिधिम्
Wandering thus, he went to the supreme mountain, Himalaya, and there he saw the great sage Markandeya, a treasury of austerity.
यस्यायुर्विद्यते राजन्ब्रह्मणो वयसा समम् । ववंदे चरणौ तस्य दूरतः पापकर्मकृत्
Whose lifespan, O King, is equal to that of Brahma himself; from a distance, the sinner bowed to his feet.
मार्कंडेयो मुनिवरो दृष्ट्वा तं कंपितं तथा । परोपकरणार्थाय समाहूयेदमब्रवीत्
The eminent sage Markandeya, seeing him trembling so, called him near for the sake of helping others and spoke these words:
कस्मात्कुष्ठाभिभूतस्त्वं कुतो निंद्यतरो ह्यसि । इत्युक्तः स प्रत्युवाच मार्कंडेयं महामुनिम्
'Why are you afflicted with leprosy? How have you come to such a wretched state?' Thus addressed, he replied to the great sage Markandeya.
हेममाल्युवाच- राजराजस्यानुचरो हेममालीति नामतः । मानसात्पद्मनिचयमानीय प्रत्यहं मुने
Hemamali said: 'I am an attendant of the king of kings, known by the name Hemamali; each day, O sage, I would bring a collection of lotuses from Lake Manasa.'
शिवपूजनवेलायां कुबेराय समर्पये । एकस्मिन्दिवसे चैव कालश्चाविदितो मया
'At the time of Shiva's worship, I would present them to Kubera; but on one day, I lost track of time.'
पत्नीसौख्यप्रसक्तेन शोकव्याकुलचेतसा । ततः क्रुद्धेन शप्तोऽस्मि राजराजेन वै मुने
'Absorbed in the pleasures of my wife, my mind distressed by sorrow, I was then cursed in anger by the king of kings, O sage.'
कुष्ठाभिभूतः संजातो वियुक्तः कांतया तया । अधुना तव सान्निध्यं प्राप्तोऽस्मि शुभकर्मणा
Afflicted by leprosy, separated from my beloved, I have now, by virtuous deeds, come into your presence.
सतां स्वभावतश्चित्तं परोपकरणे क्षमम् । इति ज्ञात्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठ मां प्रशाधि कृतागसम्
It is the nature of the virtuous, O best of sages, that their minds are inclined to helping others; knowing this, forgive me, who has committed wrong.
मार्कंडेय उवाच- त्वया सत्यमिह प्रोक्तं नासत्यं भाषितं यतः । अतो व्रतोपदेशं ते कथयामि शुभप्रदम्
Markandeya said: What you have spoken here is true, for you have not uttered a falsehood; therefore, I shall instruct you in a vow that bestows auspiciousness.
आषाढे कृष्णपक्षे तु योगिनीव्रतमाचर । अस्य व्रतस्य पुण्येन कुष्ठं यास्यति वै ध्रुवम्
In the dark fortnight of Ashadha, observe the Yogini Vow; by the merit of this vow, your leprosy will certainly be removed.
इति वाक्यमृषेः श्रुत्वा दंडवत्पतितो भुवि । उत्थापितः स मुनिना बभूवातीव हर्षितः
Hearing the sage’s words, he fell to the ground in prostration; raised up by the sage, he became exceedingly joyful.
मार्कंडेयोपदेशेन व्रतं तेन कृतं यथा । अष्टादशेव कुष्ठानि गतानि तस्य सर्वशः
By Markandeya’s instruction, he performed the vow as prescribed, and all eighteen types of leprosy left him completely.
मुनेर्वाचा ततः सम्यग्व्रते चीर्णेऽभवत्सुखी । ईदृग्विधं नृपश्रेष्ठ कथितं योगिनीव्रतम्
By the sage’s words and by rightly observing the vow, he became happy; thus, O best of kings, the Yogini Vow has been described.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि द्विजान्भोजयते तु यः । तत्समं फलमाप्नोति योगिनीव्रतकृन्नरः
Whoever feeds eighty-four thousand brahmins attains the same result as a man who observes the Yogini Vow.
महापापप्रशमनं महापुण्यफलप्रदम् । पठनाच्छ्रवणान्मर्त्यः सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
It destroys great sins and bestows the fruit of great merit; by reciting or hearing it, a mortal is freed from all sins.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे आषाढकृष्णयोगिन्येकादशीमाहात्म्यंनाम द्विपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-second chapter, named 'The Glory of the Yogini Ekadashi of the Dark Fortnight of Ashadha,' in the dialogue between Uma, Patin, and Narada, in the Uttarakanda of the great Padma Purana, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- आषाढस्य सिते पक्षे का च एकादशी भवेत् । किं नाम को विधिस्तस्या एतद्विस्तरतो वद
Yudhishthira said: In the bright fortnight of Ashadha, which is the Ekadashi? What is its name and what is its procedure? Please tell me this in detail.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- कथयामि महापुण्यां स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदायिनीम् । शयनीं नामनामेति सर्वपापहरां पराम्
Sri Krishna said: I shall tell you of the most meritorious Ekadashi, which grants heaven and liberation; it is called Shayani, supreme and destroyer of all sins.
यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण वाजपेयफलं लभेत् । सत्यं सत्यं मया प्रोक्तं नातः परतरं नृणाम्
By merely hearing of it, one obtains the fruit of a Vajapeya sacrifice; truly, truly I say, there is nothing higher than this for people.
पापिनां पापनाशाय सृष्टा धात्रा महोत्तमा । अतः परा न राजेंद्र वर्त्तते मोक्षदायिनी
Created by the Creator for the destruction of sins of sinners, O best of kings, there is no greater liberating Ekadashi than this.
एतस्मात्कारणाद्राजन्श्रूयतां गतिरुत्तमा । भवेन्नराणां श्रोतॄणां कथायाः श्रवणादपि
For this reason, O king, listen to the supreme path that comes even from hearing the account of this Ekadashi for men.
ते सदा वैष्णवा राजन्मम भक्तिपरायणाः । आषाढे वामनश्चैव पूज्यते परमेश्वरः
They are always Vaishnavas, O king, devoted to me in faith; in Ashadha, Vamana, the Supreme Lord, is worshipped.
वामनः पूजितो येन कमलैः कमलेक्षणः । आषाढस्य सिते पक्षे कामिकाया दिने तथा
He who worships Vamana, the lotus-eyed, with lotuses on the day of Kamika in the bright fortnight of Ashadha—
तेनार्चितं जगत्सर्वं त्रयो देवाः सनातनाः । कृता चैकादशी येन हरिवासरमुत्तमम्
By worshipping him, the entire universe and the three eternal gods are worshipped, and he has observed the supreme Ekadashi, the holy day of Hari.