राजोवाच- नाहमेनं वधिष्यामि तपस्यंतमनागसम् । धर्मोपदेशं कथय उपसर्गविनाशनम्
The king said: I will not kill him, for he is innocent and engaged in austerity; teach me a dharmic remedy that removes affliction.
ऋषिरुवाच- यद्येवं तर्हि नृपते कुरुष्वैकादशीव्रतम् । नभस्यस्य सिते पक्षे पद्मा नामेति विश्रुता
The sage said: If that is so, O king, then undertake the Ekādaśī vow; in the bright fortnight of Nabhasya, it is known as Padmā.
तस्या व्रतप्रभावेन सुवृष्टिर्भविता ध्रुवम् । सर्वसिद्धिप्रदा ह्येषा सर्वोपद्रवनाशिनी
By the power of her vow, there will certainly be good rainfall; this vow grants all accomplishments and destroys all calamities.
अस्या व्रतं कुरु नृप सप्रजः सपरिच्छदः । इति वाक्यमृषेः श्रुत्वा राजा स्वगृहमागतः
O king, perform this vow together with your subjects and attendants; hearing these words of the sage, the king returned to his own house.
भाद्रमासे सिते पक्षे पद्माव्रतमथाकरोत् । प्रजाभिः सह सर्वाभिश्चातुर्वर्ण्यसमन्वितः
In the bright fortnight of the Bhādra month, he performed the Padma vow, accompanied by all his subjects, including people of all four classes.
एवं व्रते कृते राजन्प्रववर्ष बलाहकः । जलेन प्लाविता भूमिरभवत्सस्यशालिनी
When the vow was thus performed, O king, the clouds poured forth rain; the earth was flooded with water and became rich in crops.
ऋषीश्वरप्रभावेन लोकाः सौख्यं प्रपेदिरे । एतस्मात्कारणादेवं कर्त्तव्यं व्रतमुत्तमम्
By the power of the sage-lord, the people attained happiness; for this reason, this excellent vow should be performed.
दध्योदनयुतं तस्यां जलपूर्णं घटं द्विजे । वस्त्रसंवेष्टितं दत्त्वा छत्रोपानहमेव च
On that day, give to a Brahmin a pot filled with water and mixed with curd and rice, wrapped in cloth, along with an umbrella and sandals.
नमो नमस्ते गोविंद बुधश्रवणसंज्ञक । अघौघसंक्षयं कृत्वा सर्वसौख्यप्रदो भव
Salutations to you, Govinda, known as Budhaśravaṇa; having destroyed the mass of sins, grant all happiness.
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदश्चैव लोकानां सुखदायकः । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्राजन्सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
He who grants enjoyment and liberation, and gives happiness to the worlds; O king, by reciting and hearing this, one is freed from all sins.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे भाद्रपदशुक्ला पद्मैकादशीनाम सप्तपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-seventh chapter, named Bhādrapada-śukla Padma-Ekādaśī, in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, which contains fifty-five thousand verses.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- कथयस्व प्रसादेन ममाग्रे मधुसूदन । इषस्य कृष्णपक्षे तु किंनामैकादशीभवेत्
Yudhiṣṭhira said: By your grace, tell me, O Madhusūdana, what is the name of the Ekādaśī that occurs in the dark fortnight of Īṣa?
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- आश्विने कृष्णपक्षे तु इंदिरा नाम नामतः । तस्या व्रतप्रभावेन महापापं प्रणश्यति
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: In the dark fortnight of Āśvina, it is called Indirā by name; by the power of its vow, great sin is destroyed.
अधोयोनि गतानां च पितॄणां गतिदायिनी । शृणुष्वावहितो राजन्कथां पापहरां पराम्
It grants passage to ancestors who have gone to lower wombs; listen attentively, O king, to this supreme story that removes sin.
यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण वाजपेयफलं लभेत् । पुरा कृतयुगे राजन्बभूव नृपनंदनः
By merely hearing it, one obtains the fruit of the Vājapeya sacrifice; formerly, in the Kṛta age, O king, there was a prince.
इंद्रसेन इति ख्यातः पुरा माहिष्मतीपतिः । स राजा पालयामास धर्मेण यशसान्वितः
He was known as Indrasena, the king of Māhiṣmatī; that king ruled with righteousness and was endowed with fame.
पुत्रपौत्रसमायुक्तो धनधान्यसमन्वितः । माहिष्मत्यधिपो राजा विष्णुभक्तिपरायणः
Surrounded by sons and grandsons, possessing wealth and grain, the king of Māhiṣmatī was devoted to Viṣṇu.
जपन्गोविंदनामानि मुक्तिदानि नराधिपः । कालं नयति विधिवदध्यात्मध्यानचिंतकः
The ruler recited the names of Govinda, which grant liberation, and spent his time properly, absorbed in contemplation of the Self.
एकस्मिन्दिवसे राज्ञि सुखासीने सदो गते । अवतीर्यागमत्तत्र ह्यंबरान्नारदो मुनिः
On one day, as the king sat comfortably in his assembly, the sage Nārada descended from the sky and arrived there.
तमागतमभिप्रेक्ष्य प्रत्युत्थाय कृतांजलि । पूजयित्वाथ विधिना चासने संन्यवेशयत्
Seeing him arrive, the king rose and joined his palms; after worshipping him according to the rite, he seated him on a chair.
सुखोपविष्टं स मुनिं प्रत्युवाच नृपोत्तमः । राजोवाच-। त्वत्प्रसादान्मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वं च कुशलं मम
The best of kings addressed the sage, who was seated comfortably: The king said— By your grace, O foremost of sages, all is well with me.
अद्य क्रतुक्रियाः सर्वाः सफलास्तव दर्शनात् । प्रसादं कुरु देवर्षे ब्रूह्यागमनकारणम्
Today, because I have seen you, all my sacrificial rites have borne fruit. Be gracious, O divine sage, and tell me the reason for your coming.
नारद उवाच- श्रूयतां नृपशार्दूल मद्वचो विस्मयप्रदम् । ब्रह्मलोकादहं प्राप्तो यमलोकं नृपोत्तम
Nārada said— Hear, O tiger among kings, my words that bring wonder. I have come from Brahmā's world to Yama's realm, O best of kings.
शमनेनार्चितो भक्त्या उपविष्टो वरासने । धर्मशीलः सत्यवांस्तु भास्करिं समुपासते
Honored by Śamana with devotion, I was seated on a noble seat; the righteous and truthful one worships Bhāskara there.
बहुपुण्यप्रकर्त्ता च व्रतवैकल्यदोषतः । सभायां श्राद्धदेवस्य मया दृष्टः पिता तव
Your father, a doer of many good deeds, was seen by me in the assembly of the Lord of Ancestors, due to a fault in his observance of vows.
कथितस्तेन संदेशस्तं निबोध जनेश्वर । इंद्रसेन इति ख्यातो राजा माहिष्मतीपतिः
He gave me a message—listen to it, O lord of people: 'Indrasena is the name of the king, the ruler of Māhiṣmatī.'
तस्याग्रे कथयब्रह्मन्स्थितं मां यमसंनिधौ । केनापि चांतरायेण पूर्वजन्मोद्भवेन च
O brāhmaṇa, I stood before him in Yama's presence, due to some obstacle arising from a previous birth.
स्वर्गं प्रेषय मां पुत्र इंदिरा पुण्य दानतः । इत्युक्तोऽहं समायातः समीपं तव पार्थिव
He said, 'Send me to heaven, my son, by the merit of Indirā's vow and charity.' Thus addressed, I have come near you, O king.
पितुः स्वर्गकृते राजन्निंदिरा व्रतमाचर । तेन व्रतप्रभावेन स्वर्गं यास्यति ते पिता
O king, for the sake of your father's ascent to heaven, observe the Indirā vow; by the power of this vow, your father will go to heaven.
राजोवाच- कथयस्व प्रसादेन भगवन्निंदिरा व्रतम् । विधिना केन कर्त्तव्यं कस्मिन्पक्षे तिथौ तथा
The king said— Out of your grace, O blessed one, tell me about the Indirā vow: by what method should it be performed, and on which lunar phase and date?