श्रूयते यमलोके तु सदा वैतरणी नदी । अनाधृष्यात्वपारा च दुस्तरा बहुशोणिता
It is heard that in the realm of Yama there is always the river Vaitaraṇī, which is impassable, endless, difficult to cross, and full of much blood.
दुस्तरा सर्वभूतानां सा कथं सुतरा भवेत् । भयमेतन्महादेव यमलोकं प्रति प्रभो
It is difficult for all beings to cross; how can it become easy to cross? This is my fear, O great god, concerning the realm of Yama, O Lord.
तस्य निर्मोचनार्थाय ब्रूहि कृत्यमशेषतः । भगवन्देवदेवेश कृपां कृत्वा ममोपरि
For the sake of liberation from it, tell me completely what should be done, O Lord of gods, showing compassion to me.
महादेव उवाच- द्वारवत्यां पुरा विप्र स्नातोऽहं लवणांभसि । ददृशे मुनिमायांतं मुद्गलं नाम वाडव
Mahādeva said: Formerly, O Brahmin, I bathed in the salty waters at Dvāravatī; I saw the sage Mudgala, named Vāḍava.
ज्वलंतमिवचादित्यं तपसा द्योततांगकम् । मां प्रणम्य मुनिः प्राह मुद्गलो विस्मयान्वितः
He shone like the blazing sun, his body radiant with austerity; after bowing to me, the sage Mudgala spoke, filled with wonder.
मुद्गल उवाच- अकस्मान्मूर्च्छितो देव पतितोऽस्मि धरातले । प्रज्वलंति ममांगानि गृहीतो यमकिंकरैः
Mudgala said: O Lord, I have suddenly fainted and fallen to the ground; my limbs are burning, and I have been seized by Yama's attendants.
बलादाकृष्यमाणोऽहं पुरुषॐगुष्ठमात्रकः । बद्धो यमभटैर्गाढं नीतोऽस्मि शमनांतिकम्
Dragged by force, I, reduced to the size of a man's thumb, was tightly bound by the attendants of Yama and brought to the presence of the Lord of Death.
क्षणात्सभायां पश्यामि यमं पिंगललोचनम् । कृष्णमुखं महारौद्रं मृत्युव्याधिशतान्वितम्
In a moment, I saw Yama in the assembly, his eyes tawny, his face dark and extremely fierce, surrounded by hundreds of diseases and death.
वातपित्त श्लेष्मदोषैर्मूर्तिमद्भिस्तु सेवितम् । कायशोषज्वरातंक स्फोटिका लूतकादिभिः
He was attended by forms embodying the faults of wind, bile, and phlegm, along with emaciation, fever, boils, ulcers, and other afflictions.
ज्वालांगमर्दशीर्षार्ति भगंदर बलक्षयैः । कंठमालाक्षिरोगैश्च मूत्रकृच्छ्रज्वरव्रणैः
There were also burning pains, headaches, suffering in the limbs, fistulas, loss of strength, throat tumors, milk diseases, painful urination, fevers, and wounds.
विमूर्च्छिका गलग्राह हृद्रोगैर्भूततस्करैः । इत्थं बहुविधै रौद्रैर्नानारूपैर्भयंकरैः
There were fainting fits, throat seizures, heart diseases, and ghostly thieves; thus, with many fierce and terrifying forms of various kinds.
कपालशिरोहस्तैश्च संग्रामे नरके तथा । राक्षसैर्दानवैर्घोरैरुपविष्टैः पुरः स्थितैः
With skulls, heads, and hands, in battle and in hell, demons and dreadful danavas sat before me, stationed in front.
धर्माधिकारिभिश्चात्र चित्रगुप्तादि लेखकैः । व्याघ्र सिंह वराहैश्च शिखासर्पैः सुदुर्द्धरैः
There were also the officials of Dharma, like Citragupta and other scribes, along with tigers, lions, boars, and fierce crested serpents.
वृश्चिकैर्दंष्ट्रिभिर्भूतैः कीटकैर्मत्कुणादिभिः । वृक चित्रादि शुनकैः कंकैर्गृध्रैश्च जंबुकैः
There were scorpions, fanged spirits, insects, beetles, wolves, spotted dogs, crows, vultures, and jackals.
तस्करैर्भूतदारिद्रैर्मारिभिर्डाकिनीग्रहैः । मुक्तकेशैः श्वासकासैर्भ्रुकुटी कुटिलाननैः
There were thieves, poverty-causing spirits, marauders, witches, those with loose hair, those with breathlessness and coughs, those with frowning and crooked faces.
बृहत्प्रतापैर्नोभीतैः शासकैः पापकर्मणाम् । यमः सभायां शुशुभे सेव्यमानः परिग्रहैः
There were great, fearless punishers of evil deeds, and Yama shone in the assembly, attended by his retinue.
भीमाटविकजीवैश्च यथा व्यालांजनो गिरिः । ततो विश्वेश्वरः प्राह समयः किंकरान्प्रति
There were also dreadful forest-dwellers, like wild beasts on a mountain; then the Lord of the Universe spoke to his attendants.
नामभ्रांतैर्भवद्भिश्च समानीतः कथं मुनिः । भीमकस्यात्मजो ग्रामे कौंडिन्ये मुद्गलाभिधः
How was this sage, named Mudgala, son of Bhīma, brought here by you, confused about his name, from the village of Kauṇḍinya?
क्षीणायुः क्षत्रियः सोऽस्ति आनेयो मुच्यतामसौ । श्रुत्वैतत्ते गतास्तस्मादायाताः पुनरेव ते
He is a kṣatriya whose lifespan is exhausted; he should be released and brought back. Hearing this, they departed and returned again.
धर्मराजं पुनः प्राहुः सर्वे ते यमकिंकराः । तत्रास्माभिर्गतैर्देही क्षीणायुर्नोपलक्षितः
All those attendants of Yama spoke again to the Lord of Dharma: 'When we went there, the embodied soul whose lifespan was finished was not found.'
यम उवाच- किं कारणमदृश्यास्ते प्रायेण भवतां नराः । सुकृता द्वादशीयैस्तु ख्याता वैतरणी नदी
Yama said: 'What is the reason that most of your men are unseen? The river Vaitaraṇī is renowned for those who perform the dvādaśī rites.'
उज्जयिन्यां प्रयागे वा यमुनायां च ये मृताः । तिलहस्तिहिरण्यादि दत्तं यैस्तु गवाह्निकम्
Those who died in Ujjayinī, Prayāga, or on the Yamunā, and those who gave sesame, gold, or other offerings daily with cows.
दूता ऊचुः - तद्व्रतं कीदृशं ब्रह्मन्ब्रूहि सर्वमशेषतः । किं तत्र देव कर्त्तव्यं पुरुषैस्तवतोषदम्
The messengers said: 'O Brahman, tell us in detail what kind of vow this is. What must men do there to please the gods?'
येन कृता नरश्रेष्ठ द्वादशी कृष्णपक्षजा । उपवासे च तेनैव कथं पापात्प्रमुच्यते
By which, O best of men, the dvādaśī of the dark fortnight is performed with fasting, and how does one thereby become freed from sin?
तद्व्रतं केन विधिना कर्त्तव्यं च यथा वद । सुप्रसन्नेन वक्तव्यं दयां कृत्वा दयानिधे
Tell me, by what method should that vow be performed, and how? Speak kindly, O ocean of compassion, showing mercy.
श्रीमुद्गल उवाच- दूतानां वचनं श्रुत्वा उवाच मधुरं तदा । सर्वं वदामि भो दूता यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम्
Śrī Mudgala said: Hearing the words of the messengers, he then spoke sweetly: 'O messengers, I will tell you everything as I have seen and heard.'
यम उवाच- मार्गशीर्षादि मासे तु या इमाः कृष्णपक्षजाः । तासु पूर्वासु विधिवद्दूता वैतरणीव्रतम्
Yama said: In the months beginning with Mārgaśīrṣa, during the dark lunar phases, the messengers should properly perform the Vaitaraṇī vow in the earlier days.
प्रतिमासं च कर्त्तव्यं यावद्वर्षं भवेद्ध्रुवम् । यां तु कृत्वा तु भो दूता मुच्यते नात्र संशयः
It should be performed every month, throughout the year without fail. O messengers, whoever performs it is freed—there is no doubt about this.
उपवासस्य नियमः कर्त्तव्यो विष्णु तुष्टिदः । अद्य मे देवदेवेश उपवासो भविष्यति
The discipline of fasting must be observed, which pleases Viṣṇu. Today, O Lord of gods, my fast will take place.
द्वादश्यां पूज्य गोविंदं भक्तिभावसमन्वितम् । स्वप्नेंद्रियस्य वैकल्याद्भोजनं यच्च मैथुनम्
On the twelfth day, worship Govinda with devotion. Forgive any faults in eating or sexual activity due to weakness of the senses in sleep.