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.
कस्यापि कर्मणः प्राप्तौ राज्यभ्रष्टो बभूव सः । विक्रीतौ वनितापुत्रौ स चकारात्मविक्रयम्
Due to the result of some deed, he lost his kingdom; he sold his wife and son, and even sold himself.
पुल्कसस्य च दासत्वं गतो राजा स पुण्यकृत् । सत्यमालंब्य राजेंद्र मृतचैलापहारकः
That virtuous king became the servant of a Chandala, O king, relying upon truth, and took away the garments of the dead.
सोऽभवन्नृपतिश्रेष्ठो न सत्याच्चलितस्तथा । एवं च तस्य नृपतेर्बहवो वत्सरा गताः
He became the foremost of kings, never swerving from truth; thus, many years passed for that ruler.
ततश्चिंतापरो राजा स बभूवातिदुःखितः । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि निष्कृतिर्मे कथं भवेत्
Then the king became absorbed in worry and was greatly distressed: 'What shall I do? Where shall I go? How will I find atonement?'
इति चिंतयतस्तस्य मग्नस्य वृजिनार्णवे । आजगाम मुनिः कश्चिज्ज्ञात्वा राजानमातुरम्
As he pondered thus, sunk in the ocean of affliction, a certain sage, knowing the king's suffering, arrived.
परोपकारणार्थाय निर्मिता ब्रह्मणा द्विजाः । स तं दृष्ट्वा द्विजवरं ननाम नृपसत्तमः
For the sake of helping others, Brahma created the Brahmins; seeing that excellent Brahmin, the noble king bowed.
कृतांजलिपुटो भूत्वा गौतमस्याग्रतः स्थितः । कथयामास वृत्तांतमात्मनो दुःखसंयुतम्
With hands joined in reverence, standing before Gautama, he began to recount his own story, full of sorrow.
श्रुत्वा नृपतिवाक्यानि गौतमो विस्मयान्वितः । उपदेशं नृपतये व्रतस्यास्य ददौ मुनिः
Hearing the king's words, Gautama was filled with wonder; the sage gave the king instruction regarding this vow.
मासि भाद्रपदे राजन्कृष्णपक्षेति शोभना । एकादशी समायाता अजा नामेति पुण्यदा
O King, in the month of Bhādrapada, during the dark fortnight, the auspicious Ekadashi arrives, called Ajā, bestowing merit.
अस्याः कुरु व्रतं राजन्पापस्यांतो भविष्यति । तव भाग्यवशादेषा सप्तमेऽह्नि समागता
Perform this vow, O King; the end of your sin will come. By your good fortune, it has arrived on the seventh day.
उपवासपरो भूत्वा रात्रौ जागरणं कुरु । एवमस्या व्रते चीर्णे तव पापक्षयो ध्रुवम्
Engage in fasting and keep vigil at night; thus, by observing this vow, your destruction of sin is certain.
तव पुण्यप्रभावेण चागतोऽहं नृपोत्तम । इत्येवं कथयित्वा च मुनिरंतरधीयत
By the power of your merit, O noble king, I have come; having spoken thus, the sage vanished.
मुनिवाक्यं नृपः श्रुत्वा चकार व्रतमुत्तमम् । कृते तस्मिन्व्रते राज्ञः पापस्यांतोऽभवत्क्षणात्
Hearing the sage's words, the king performed the excellent vow; when the vow was completed, the king's sin ended instantly.
श्रूयतां राजशार्दूल प्रभावोऽस्य व्रतस्य च । यद्दुःखंबहुभिर्वर्षैर्भोक्तव्यंतत्क्षयोभवेत्
Hear, O tiger among kings, the power of this vow: the suffering that must be endured for many years is destroyed.
निस्तीर्णदुःखो राजासीद्व्रतस्यास्य प्रभावतः । पत्न्या सह समायोगं पुत्रजीवनमाप सः
Freed from suffering by the power of this vow, the king was reunited with his wife and regained his son's life.
दिवि दुंदुभयो नेदुः पुष्पवर्षमभूद्दिवः । एकादश्याः प्रभावेन प्राप्यराज्यमकंटकम्
Drums resounded in heaven, flowers rained from the sky; by the power of Ekadashi, he attained a kingdom free from obstacles.
स्वर्गं लेभे हरिश्चंद्रः सपुरः सपरिच्छदः । ईदृग्विधं व्रतंराजन्ये कुर्वंति च मानवाः
Hariśchandra, together with his city and attendants, attained heaven; such a vow, when performed by kings, is also undertaken by men.
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तास्त्रिदिवं यांति ते नृप । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्वापि अश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
Freed from all sins, they go to the heavenly realm, O King; even by reciting or hearing this, one obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे भाद्रपदकृष्णाजैकादशीनाम षट्पंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-sixth chapter, named 'Bhādrapada Kṛṣṇa Ekādaśī,' in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच - नभस्यस्य सिते पक्षे किंनामैकादशी भवेत् । को देवः को विधिस्तस्य एतदाख्याहि केशव
Yudhiṣṭhira said: In the bright fortnight of Nabhasya, what is the name of the Ekādaśī? Which deity is associated with it, and what is its observance? Please tell me this, O Keśava.