पद्मयोनेः परतरस्त्वत्तः श्रेष्ठो न विद्यते । अतः कार्यवशात्प्राप्ताः समीपं भवतो वयम्
There is no one superior to you, O lotus-born, nor anyone greater; therefore, due to necessity, we have come near to you.
महीजिन्नाम राजासौ पुत्रहीनोऽस्ति सांप्रतम् । वयं तस्य प्रजा ब्रह्मन्पुत्रवत्तेन पालिताः
There is a king named Mahījit, who is currently without a son; we are his subjects, O Brahman, protected by him as if we were his own children.
तं पुत्ररहितं दृष्ट्वा तस्य दुःखेन दुःखिताः । तपः कर्तुमिहायाता मतिं कृत्वा तु नैष्ठिकीम्
Seeing him without a son, distressed by his sorrow, we came here to perform austerity, having resolved with firm intent.
तस्य भाग्येन दृष्टोऽसि ह्यस्माभिस्त्वं द्विजोत्तम । महतां दर्शनेनैव कार्यसिद्धिर्भवेन्नृणाम्
By his fortune, O best of twice-born, you have been seen by us; by the mere sight of the great, the purpose of men is accomplished.
उपदेशं वद मुने राज्ञः पुत्रो यथा भवेत् । इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा मुहूर्त्तं ध्यानमास्थितः । प्रत्युवाच मुनिर्ज्ञात्वा तस्य जन्म पुरातनम्
Give instruction, O sage, so that the king may have a son. Hearing their words, the sage entered meditation for a moment, and, knowing his former birth, replied.
लोमश उवाच- पुरा जन्मनि वैश्योऽयं धनहीनो नृशंसकृत् । वाणिज्यकर्मनिरतो ग्रामाद्ग्रामांतरं भ्रमन्
Lomaśa said: 'In a previous birth, this man was a merchant, poor and cruel in deed, engaged in trade, wandering from village to village.'
ज्येष्ठे मासि सिते पक्षे दशमी दिवसे तथा । मध्यगे द्युमणौ प्राप्ते ग्रामसीम्नि जलाशयम्
In the month of Jyeṣṭha, during the bright fortnight, on the tenth day, when the sun was at its zenith, he reached the boundary of a village and saw a reservoir of water.
कूपिकां सजलां दृष्ट्वा जलपाने मनोदधे । सद्यस्ततः सवत्सा च धेनुस्तत्र समागता
Seeing a well filled with water, he desired to drink; just then, a cow with her calf also arrived there.
तृष्णातुरा निदाघार्ता तस्यामंबुपपौ तु सा । पिबंतीं वारयित्वा तामसौ तोयं पपौ स्वयम्
Tormented by thirst and the heat of summer, she began to drink that water; but he drove her away as she drank, and drank the water himself.
कर्मणा तेन पापेन पुत्रहीनो नृपो भवेत् । कस्यापि जन्मनः पुण्यात्प्राप्तं राज्यमकंटकम्
Because of that sinful act, the king is without a son; by the merit of some birth, he has obtained a kingdom free from trouble.
लोका ऊचुः - पुण्यात्पापं क्षयं याति पुराणे श्रूयते मुने । पुण्योपदेशं कथय येन पापक्षयो भवेत् । यथा भवत्प्रसादेन पुत्रो भवति भूपतेः
The people said: O sage, it is heard in the Purāṇas that sin is destroyed by merit. Please teach us a meritorious instruction by which sin may be destroyed, just as, by your grace, a king gains a son.
लोमश उवाच- श्रावणे शुक्लपक्षे तु पुत्रदा नाम विश्रुता । एकादशी वांच्छितदा कुरुध्वं तद्व्रतं जनाः
Lomaśa said: In the bright fortnight of Śrāvaṇa, there is a renowned Ekādaśī called Putradā, the giver of sons. O people, perform that vow which grants all desires.
इति श्रुत्वा नमस्कृत्य मुनिमेत्य पुरं व्रतम् । यथाविधियथान्यायं कृतं तैर्जागरान्वितम्
Hearing this, they bowed and, approaching the sage, performed the vow in the city according to proper rules and procedures, accompanied by a night vigil.
तस्य पुण्यं सुविमलं दत्तं नृपतये जनैः । दत्ते पुण्येऽथ सा राज्ञी गर्भमाधत्त शोभनम्
The pure and excellent merit thus accrued was offered to the king by the people; and when this merit was given, the queen conceived a beautiful child.
प्राप्तो प्रसवकाले सा सुषुवे पुत्रमूर्जितम् । श्रावणस्य सिते पक्षे कर्कटस्थे दिवाकरे
When the time of birth arrived, she gave birth to a strong son, during the bright fortnight of Śrāvaṇa, when the sun was in Cancer.
द्वादश्यां वासुदेवाय पवित्रारोपणं स्मृतम् । हेम रौप्य ताम्र क्षौमैः सूत्रैः कौशेयपद्मजैः
On the twelfth day, the rite of pavitrāropaṇa for Vāsudeva is prescribed, using threads of gold, silver, copper, linen, silk, and lotus fiber.
कुशैः काशैश्च कार्पासैर्ब्राह्मण्या कर्तितैः शुभैः । स्नात्वा त्रिगुणितं सूत्रं त्रिगुणीकृत्य शोधयेत्
With sacred threads made of kuśa grass, kāśa grass, and cotton, prepared by a brāhmaṇī, one should bathe and then purify a threefold-twisted thread by twisting it three times.
गोदोहांतरिते काले पूर्वेद्युरधिवासनम् । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमस्कृत्य गुरुपादौ प्रणम्य च
On the previous day, during the time between the two milkings of the cows, the rite of consecration is performed; after bowing to the brāhmaṇas and reverently saluting the guru's feet.
गीतमंगलनिर्घोषः कुर्याज्जागरणं ततः । ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्या भिल्लाः शूद्रास्तथैव च
With auspicious songs and music, one should then keep vigil; brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, bhillas, and śūdras alike,
स्वधर्मावस्थिताः सर्वे भक्त्या कुर्युः पवित्रकम् । ततः पवित्रं गुरवे दद्याद्वै विधिपूर्वकम्
All, established in their own duties, should perform the pavitra rite with devotion; then, the pavitra should be given to the guru according to prescribed rules.
ब्राह्मणान्वैष्णवांश्चैव गंधपुष्पादिनार्चयेत् । अतो देवेति मंत्रेण द्विजो विष्णौ निवेदयेत्
Brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas should worship with fragrance and flowers; then, with the mantra 'Ato deve', the twice-born should offer it to Viṣṇu.
शूद्रस्तु मूलमंत्रेण यथा विष्णौ तथा शिवे । वर्षेवर्षे प्रकर्त्तव्यं पवित्रारोपणं नरैः
A śūdra should use the root mantra, and offer it to Śiva as to Viṣṇu; every year, the rite of pavitrāropaṇa should be performed by men.
भुक्तिं मुक्तिं च इच्छद्भिः संसारे शोकसागरे । न करोति विधानेन पवित्रारोपणं तु यः
Those who desire enjoyment or liberation, who are in the ocean of worldly sorrow—if they do not properly perform the pavitrāropaṇa rite,
तस्य सांवत्सरी पूजा निष्फला वैष्णवस्य तु । श्रुत्वा माहात्म्यमेतस्या नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते । इह पुत्रसुखं प्राप्य परत्र स्वर्गतिं भवेत्
For such a Vaiṣṇava, the annual worship is fruitless; but hearing the greatness of this, a man is freed from sin, attains the joy of a son in this world, and reaches heaven hereafter.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहिता। यामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे श्रावणशुक्लापवित्रारोपणी पुत्रदैकादशीनाम पंचपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-fifth chapter, named 'The Śrāvaṇa Bright Fortnight Pavitrāropaṇī and Putradā Ekādaśī', in the dialogue of Umāpati and Nārada, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- भाद्रस्य कृष्णपक्षे तु किंनामैकादशीभवेत् । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं कथयस्व जनार्दन
Yudhiṣṭhira said: In the dark fortnight of Bhādra, what is the name of the Ekādaśī? I wish to hear this; please tell me, O Janārdana.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- शृणुष्वैकमना राजन्कथयिष्यामि विस्तरात् । अजेति नामतः प्रोक्ता सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Listen attentively, O king; I will tell you in detail. It is called Aja, and is declared to destroy all sins.
पूजयित्वा हृषीकेशं व्रतमस्यां करोति यः । पापानि तस्य नश्यंति व्रतस्य श्रवणादपि
Whoever worships Hṛṣīkeśa and observes this vow, his sins are destroyed—even by merely hearing about this vow.
नातः परतरा राजन्लोकद्वयहिताय वै । सत्यमुक्तं मया ह्येतन्नासत्यं मम भाषितम्
O King, nothing is greater than this for the welfare of both worlds; I have spoken the truth, and my words are not false.
हरिश्चन्द्र इति ख्यातो बभूव नृपतिः पुरा । चक्रवर्ती सत्यसंधः समस्ताया भुवः पतिः
There was once a king renowned as Harishchandra, a sovereign devoted to truth, the lord of the entire earth.