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?
नारदउवाच- शृणु राजेंद्र ते वच्मि व्रतस्यास्य विधिं शुभम् । आश्विनस्यासिते पक्षे दशमी दिवसे शुभे
Nārada said— Hear, O king, as I tell you the auspicious procedure for this vow: on the tenth day of the dark fortnight of Āśvina month.
प्रातःस्नानं प्रकुर्वीत श्रद्धायुक्तेन चेतसा । ततो मध्याह्नसमये स्नानं कृत्वा समाहितः
One should bathe in the morning with a mind full of faith; then, at midday, bathe again with concentration.
पितॄणां प्रीतये श्राद्धं कुर्याच्छ्रद्धा समन्वितः । एकभक्तं ततः कृत्वा रात्रौ भूमौ शयीत च । प्रभाते विमले जाते प्राप्ते चैकादशी दिने
For the satisfaction of the ancestors, one should perform śrāddha with devotion; then, after taking one meal, sleep on the ground at night. When the pure morning comes, on the eleventh day,
मुख प्रक्षालनं कुर्याद्दंतधावन वर्जितम् । उपवासस्य नियमं गृह्णीयाद्भक्तिभावतः
One should wash the face, avoiding brushing the teeth, and accept the vow of fasting with devotion.
अद्यस्थित्वा निराहारः सर्वभोग विवर्जितः । श्वो भोक्ष्ये पुंडरीकाक्ष शरणं मे भवाच्युत
Remaining without food today, avoiding all enjoyments, one should say: 'Tomorrow I will eat; O lotus-eyed one, Achyuta, be my refuge.'
इत्येवं नियमं कृत्वा मध्याह्न समये तथा । शालग्राम शिलाग्रे तु स्नानं कुर्याद्यथाविधि
Thus having taken this vow, at midday, one should bathe properly before the śālagrāma stone.
पूजयित्वा हृषीकेशं धूप गंधादिभिस्तथा । रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्यात्केशवस्य समीपतः
Having worshipped Hṛṣīkeśa with incense, fragrance, and the like, one should keep vigil at night near Keśava.
ततः प्रभातसमये प्राप्ते वै द्वादशी दिने । अर्चयित्वा हरिं भक्त्या श्राद्धं कुर्याद्यथाविधि
Then, when the morning of the twelfth day arrives, after worshipping Hari with devotion, one should perform śrāddha according to the proper method.
पितॄणां प्रीतये श्राद्धं कुर्याच्छ्रद्धा समन्वितः । गोधूम चूर्णैर्यछ्राद्धं कृतं मेध्यकृतं भवेत्
One should perform the śrāddha with faith for the satisfaction of the ancestors; a śrāddha performed with wheat flour becomes pure and sanctified.
यवैर्व्रीहितिलैर्माषैर्गोधूमैश्चणकैस्तथा । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेद्राजन् दक्षिणाभिः प्रपूजितान्
With barley, rice, sesame, black gram, wheat, and chickpeas, O King, one should feed duly honored brāhmaṇas, giving them gifts.