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.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- कथयामि महीपाल कथामाश्चर्यकारिणीम् । कथयामास यां ब्रह्मा नारदाय महात्मने
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O king, I will tell you a wondrous story, which Brahmā narrated to the great sage Nārada.
नारद उवाच- कथयस्व प्रसादेन चतुर्मुख नमोऽस्तु ते । नभस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु किं नामैकादशी भवेत् । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं विष्णोराराधनाय वै
Nārada said: Out of your grace, please tell me, O Four-faced One, I bow to you; in the bright fortnight of Nabhasya, what is the name of the Ekādaśī? I wish to hear this, for the worship of Viṣṇu.
ब्रह्मोवाच- वैष्णवोऽसि मुनिश्रेष्ठ साधुपृष्टं किल त्वया । नातः परतरा लोके पवित्रा हरिवासरात्
Brahmā said: You are a devotee of Viṣṇu, O best of sages; you have asked well. There is nothing in the world more sacred than the day of Hari.
पद्मा नामेति विख्याता नभस्यैकादशी सिता । हृषीकेशः पूज्यतेऽस्यां कर्त्तव्यं व्रतमुत्तमम्
It is well known as Padmā, the bright Ekādaśī of Nabhasya; on this day Hṛṣīkeśa is worshipped, and the supreme vow should be observed.
कथयामि तवाग्रेऽहं कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण महापापं प्रणश्यति
I will tell you, before you, an ancient and auspicious story, by hearing which even once, great sin is destroyed.
मांधाता नाम राजर्षिर्विवस्वद्वंशसंभवः । बभूव चक्रवर्ती स सत्यसंधः प्रतापवान्
There was a royal sage named Māndhātā, born in the lineage of Vivasvat; he became a universal emperor, steadfast in truth and powerful.
धर्मतः पालयामास प्रजाः पुत्रानिवौरसान् । न तस्य राज्ये दुर्भिक्षं नाधयो व्याधयस्तथा
He ruled his subjects righteously, as if they were his own sons; in his kingdom there was no famine, nor any afflictions or diseases.
निरातंकाः प्रजास्तस्य धनधान्यसमेधिताः । न्यायेनोपार्जितं वित्तं तस्य कोशे महीपते
His subjects were free from fear, abundant in wealth and grain; the king's treasury was filled with wealth acquired justly.
स्वस्वधर्मे प्रवर्त्तंते सर्वे वर्णाश्रमास्तथा । कामधेनुसमाभूमिस्तस्य राज्ये महीपतेः
All the varṇas and āśramas engaged in their own duties; in his kingdom, the earth was like a wish-fulfilling cow.
तस्यैवं कुर्वतो राज्यं बहुवर्षगणा गताः । अथैकस्मिंश्च संप्राप्ते विपाकः कर्मणः खलु
While he ruled thus, many years passed; then, at a certain time, the result of karma indeed manifested.