विष्णुरुवाच-। यत्त्वं वदसि कल्याणि तत्सर्वं च भविष्यति । सर्वान्मनोरथान्भद्रे दास्यसि त्वं च नान्यथा
Vishnu said: O auspicious one, whatever you have asked will all come to pass. You will grant all desires, O blessed one, and it cannot be otherwise.
मम भक्ताश्च ये लोके ये च भक्तास्तु कार्त्तिके । चतुर्युगेषु विख्यातास्त्रिषु लोकेषु वै प्रभो
My devotees in the world, and those who are devoted in Karttika, will be renowned in the four ages and in the three worlds, O Lord.
त्वां च शक्तिमहं मन्ये एकादशीव्रतस्थिताः । मम पूजां करिष्यंति मोक्षगास्ते न संशयः
I consider you to have great power, you who observe the Ekadashi vow. Those who worship me will attain liberation—of this there is no doubt.
तृतीया चाष्टमी चैव नवमी च चतुर्दशी । एकादशी विशेषेण तिथिरेषा हरिप्रिया । सर्वतीर्थाधिकं पुण्यं सत्यं सत्यं न संशयः
The third, eighth, ninth, and fourteenth lunar days, and especially Ekadashi—this lunar day is dear to Hari. It is more meritorious than all sacred places; truly, truly, there is no doubt.
इदं दत्त्वा वरं तस्यै तिस्रो वाचो न संशयः । हृष्टा पुष्टा च संजाता एकादशीमहाव्रता
Having granted her this boon of three wishes without doubt, Ekadashi, the great vow, became joyful and strong.
शत्रुं हंसि परां तस्य ददासि परमां गतिम् । त्वं हंसि सर्वविघ्नानि सर्वसिद्धिवरप्रदा
You destroy the enemy and grant supreme attainment to him; you remove all obstacles and bestow all desired accomplishments.
उभयोः पक्षयोः पार्थ तुल्या एकादशी शुभा । न शुक्ला नैव कृष्णा च विभेदं नैव कारयेत्
O Partha, the auspicious Ekadashi is equal on both lunar fortnights; it is neither bright nor dark, and no distinction should be made.
विभेदो नैव कर्त्तव्यः समस्तव्रतकारिभिः । दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ शृणोति भक्तितत्परः
No distinction should be made by those who observe all vows. Whether by day or by night, one who listens with devotion—
तिथिरेका भवेत्सर्वा पक्षयोरुभयोरपि । उभयैकादशी स्वल्पा ह्यंते चैव त्रयोदशी
There is one tithi that occurs in both lunar fortnights; when both the eleventh day is diminished and the thirteenth day is at the end.
मध्ये तु द्वादशी पूर्णा त्रिस्पृशा सा हरिप्रिया । एकामुपोषयेत्तां वै सहस्रैकादशीफलम्
But in the middle, the twelfth day is complete, touching three tithis; that day, dear to Hari, should be observed with a fast, yielding the fruit of a thousand eleventh-day fasts.
सहस्रगुणितं ह्येवं द्वादश्यां पारणे कृते । अष्टम्येकादशी षष्ठी तृतीया च चतुर्दशी
Indeed, by thus breaking the fast on the twelfth day, the merit is multiplied a thousandfold; the eighth, eleventh, sixth, third, and fourteenth days—
पूर्वविद्धा न कर्तव्या परविद्धामुपोषयेत् । एकादशी ह्यहोरात्रं प्रभाते घटिका भवेत्
—if they are touched by the previous tithi, should not be observed; but if touched by the following, one should fast. The eleventh day lasts a full day and night, with a portion in the morning.
सा तिथिः परिहर्तव्या उपोष्या द्वादशीयुता । एवंविधा मया प्रोक्ता पक्षयोरुभयोरपि
That tithi should be avoided; one should fast when the twelfth is joined. Thus have I described the rules for both lunar fortnights.
एकादश्यां प्रकुर्वीत ह्युपवासं न संशयः । ते यांति वैष्णवं स्थानं यत्रास्ते गरुडध्वजः
One should indeed undertake fasting on the eleventh day, without doubt; those who do so attain the Vaishnava abode where Garuda-bannered Vishnu resides.
धन्यास्ते मानवा लोके विष्णुभक्तिपरायणाः । एकादश्याश्च माहात्म्यं सर्वकालेषु यः पठेत्
Blessed are those people in the world who are devoted to Vishnu; and whoever recites the greatness of the eleventh day at all times—
गोसहस्रफलं सोऽपि पुण्यं प्राप्नोति मानवः । दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ ये वै शृण्वंति भक्तितः
That person also obtains the merit equal to a thousand cows; whether by day or by night, those who listen with devotion—
ब्रह्महत्यादिपापेभ्यो मुच्यंते नात्र संशयः । विष्णुधर्मसमं नास्ति गीतार्थं च नृपोत्तम । एकादशीसमं नास्ति व्रतं पापप्रणाशनम्
They are freed from sins such as brahmin-murder, without doubt. There is nothing equal to the Dharma of Vishnu, nor to the meaning of the Gita, O best of kings; there is no vow equal to the eleventh day for destroying sin.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- साधु कृष्ण जगन्नाथ आदिदेव जगत्पते । कथयस्व प्रसादेन कृपां कुरु ममोपरि
Yudhishthira said: O noble Krishna, Lord of the universe, primeval god, master of the worlds, please, by your grace, tell me and show compassion to me.
माघस्य कृष्णपक्षे तु का वा चैकादशी भवेत् । किं नाम को विधिस्तस्या एतद्विस्तरतो वद
In the dark fortnight of Magha, which is the Ekadashi? What is its name and what is its procedure? Please explain this to me in detail.
दालभ्य उवाच- मर्त्यलोकमनुप्राप्ताः पापं कुर्वंति जंतवः । ब्रह्महत्यादिपापैश्च युक्ता ये विविधादिभिः
Dalabhya said: Beings who are born in the mortal world commit sins, and are afflicted by various sins, including the killing of a brahmin.
परद्रव्यापहाराश्च परव्यसनमोहिताः । कथं न यांति नरकं ब्रह्मंस्तद्ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः
Some steal others' wealth, some are deluded by others' vices; how do they not go to hell? O Brahman, tell me this truthfully.
अनायासेन भगवन्दानेनाल्पेन केनचित् । पापं प्रशमनं याति एतन्मे वक्तुमर्हसि
By what effortless means, O Lord, or by what small gift, can sin be destroyed? You ought to tell me this.
पुलस्त्य उवाच- साधुसाधु महाभाग गुह्यमेतत्सुदुर्ल्लभम् । यन्न कस्यचिदाख्यातं विष्णुब्रह्मेंद्रदैवतैः
Pulastya said: Excellent, excellent, O great one! This secret is very rare, not revealed to anyone by Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, or the gods.
तदहं कथयिष्यामि त्वया पृष्टो द्विजोत्तम । माघमासे तु संप्राप्ते शुचिस्नातो जितेंद्रियः
But since you have asked, I shall tell you, O best of twice-born. When the month of Magha arrives, one who is pure, bathed, and self-controlled—
कामक्रोधाभिमानेर्ष्यालोभ पैशुन्य वर्जितः । देवदेवं च संस्मृत्य पादौ प्रक्षाल्य वारिभिः
—free from desire, anger, pride, envy, greed, and slander, remembering the Lord of gods, and washing his feet with water—
भूमावपतितं गृह्य गोमयं तत्र मानवः । तिलान्प्रक्षिप्य कार्पांसं पिंडिकाश्चैव कारयेत्
—should take cow-dung fallen on the ground, mix it with sesame seeds and a piece of cloth, and make small balls.
अष्टोत्तरशतं चैव नात्र कार्या विचारणा । ततो माघे च संप्राप्ते ह्याषाढर्क्षं भवेद्यदि
There is no need for further deliberation regarding the one hundred and eight; then, when the month of Māgha arrives, if the constellation Āṣāḍhā is present—
मूलं वा कृष्णपक्षस्यैकादशी नियमांस्ततः । गृह्णीयात्पुण्यकाले च विधानं तत्र मे शृणु
Or if it is the root of the dark fortnight, or the eleventh day with its observances, then, at the auspicious time, one should undertake the rite; hear from me the procedure therein.
देवदेवं समभ्यर्च्य सुस्नातः प्रयतः शुचिः । कृष्णनामानि संकीर्त्य पुनः प्रस्खलितादिषु
Having worshipped the Lord of gods, having bathed thoroughly, with mind intent and pure, one should recite the names of Kṛṣṇa, especially in cases of error or omission.
रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्यादादौ होमं च कारयेत् । अर्चयेद्देवदेवेशं द्वितीयेऽह्नि पुनर्हरिम्
One should keep vigil through the night, first performing a fire offering, and worship the Lord of lords; on the second day, worship Hari again.