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.
बंधु दौहित्र पुत्राद्यैः स्वयं भुंजीत वाग्यतः । अनेन विधिना राजन्कुरुव्रतमतंद्रितः
Together with relatives, grandsons, sons, and others, or by oneself with controlled speech, one should partake; by this method, O King, one should observe the vow with diligence.
विष्णुलोकं प्रयास्यंति पितरस्तव भूपते । इत्युक्त्वा नृपतिं राजन्मुनिरंतरधीयत
By this, your ancestors, O King, will go to the world of Viṣṇu; having said this, the sage vanished from the presence of the king.
यथोक्त विधिना राजा चकार व्रतमुत्तमम् । अंतःपुरेण सहितः पुत्रभृत्य समन्वितः
The king, as instructed, performed the excellent vow together with his inner household, accompanied by sons and attendants.
कृते व्रते तु कौंतेय पुष्पवृष्टिरभूद्दिवः । तत्पिता गरुडारूढो जगाम हरिमंदिरम्
When the vow was completed, O son of Kuntī, there was a shower of flowers from the sky; his father, mounted on Garuḍa, went to the abode of Hari.
इंद्रसेनोऽपिराजर्षिः कृत्वा राज्यमकंटकम् । राज्ये निवेश्य तनयं जगाम त्रिदिवं स्वयम्
King Indrasena, having ruled his kingdom without trouble, installed his son on the throne and himself ascended to heaven.
इंदिरा व्रत माहात्म्यं तवाग्रे कथितं मया । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्राजन् सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
The greatness of the Indirā vow has been told to you by me; by reading or hearing it, O King, one is freed from all sins.
भुक्त्वेह निखिलान्भोगान् विष्णुलोके वसेच्चिरम्
Having enjoyed all pleasures here, one dwells for a long time in the world of Viṣṇu.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यांसंहितायाम् उत्तरखंडे । उमापतिनारदसंवादे आश्विनकृष्णेंदिरैकादशीनामाष्टपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the section of fifty-five thousand verses, Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, this is the fifty-eighth chapter named 'The Indirā Ekādaśī of the dark fortnight of Āśvina.'
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- कथयस्व प्रसादेन ममाग्रे मधुसूदन । इषस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु किं नामैकादशीभवेत्
Yudhiṣṭhira said: By your grace, O Madhusūdana, please tell me before me, what is the name of the Ekādaśī that occurs in the bright fortnight of Īṣa month?
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- शृणुराजेंद्र वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं पाप नाशनम् । शुक्लपक्षे चाश्विनस्य भवेदेकादशी तु या
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Hear, O king, I will tell you the greatness that destroys sins; the Ekādaśī that occurs in the bright fortnight of Āśvina.