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.
पापांकुशेति विख्याता सर्वपापहरा परा । पद्मनाभाभिधानं मां पूजयेत्तत्र मानवः
It is renowned as Pāpāṅkuśā, supreme remover of all sins; on that day, a person should worship me, Padmanābha.
सर्वाभीष्ट फलं प्राप्तौ स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदं नृणाम् । तपस्तप्त्वा पुनस्तीव्रं चिरं सुनियतेन्द्रियः
By attaining all desired results, it grants heaven and liberation to people; even after performing severe austerity for a long time with well-controlled senses,
यत्फलं समवाप्नोति तन्न त्वा गरुडध्वजम् । कृत्वापि बहुशःपापं नरो मोह समन्वितः
The fruit thus obtained is not equal to that gained by worshipping me, Garuḍa-bannered one, even if a person, deluded, has committed many sins.
न याति नरकं नत्वा सर्वपापहरं हरिम् । पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च
He does not go to hell, having bowed to Hari, the remover of all sins; all the holy places and sacred shrines on earth,
तानि सर्वाण्यवाप्नोति विष्णोर्नामानुकीर्त्तनात् । देवं शार्ङ्गधरं विष्णुं ये प्रपन्ना जनार्दनम्
All these are attained by reciting the names of Viṣṇu; those who take refuge in Viṣṇu, the bearer of the Śārṅga bow, Janārdana,
न तेषां यमलोकस्य यातना जायते क्वचित् । उपोष्यैकादशीमेकां प्रसंगेनापि मानवः । न याति यातनां यामीं पापं कृत्वापि दारुणम्
For them, there is never any torment of Yama's realm; even by observing Ekādaśī once, incidentally, a person does not go to Yama's torment, even after committing terrible sin.
वैष्णवः पुरुषो भूत्वा शिवनिंदां करोति यः । न विंदेद्वैष्णवं लोकं स याति नरकं ध्रुवम्
Whoever, being a devotee of Vishnu, speaks ill of Shiva, does not attain the world of Vishnu and certainly goes to hell.
शैवः पाशुपतो भूत्वा विष्णुनिंदां करोति चेत् । रौरवे पच्यते घोरे यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश
If someone, being a devotee of Shiva or Pashupati, speaks ill of Vishnu, he is cooked in the dreadful hell called Raurava for as long as the fourteen Indras reign.
नेदृशं पावनं किंचित्त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते । यादृशं पद्मनाभस्य व्रतं पातकनाशनम्
There is nothing in the three worlds as purifying as the vow of Padmanabha, which destroys sins.
तावत्पापानि देहेऽस्मिन्तिष्ठंति मनुजाधिपम् । यावन्नोपवसेज्जंतुः पद्मनाभदिनं शुभम्
Sins remain in a person's body, O king of men, until he observes the auspicious day of fasting for Padmanabha.