मासोपवासनिरता मम भक्ता च सर्वदा । कृष्णोपवाससंयुक्ता मम पूजापरायणा
'She was always engaged in monthly fasts, ever devoted to me, always observing Kṛṣṇa-fasts, and wholly dedicated to my worship.'
शरीरं क्लेशितं चैव उपवासैर्द्विजोत्तम । देवानां ब्राह्मणानां च कुमारीणां च भक्तितः
'Her body was afflicted by austerities, O best of brāhmaṇas, through her devotion to the gods, brāhmaṇas, and maidens.'
गृहादिकं प्रयच्छंती सर्वकालं महासती । अतिकृच्छ्ररता सा तु सर्वकालं तु वै द्विज
'She constantly gave away household goods, O great sage, always devoted to severe austerities at all times.'
न दत्ता भिक्षुके भिक्षा ब्राह्मणा न च तर्पिताः
'But she did not give alms to beggars, nor did she satisfy the brāhmaṇas.'
ततः कालेन महता मया वै चिंतितं द्विज । शुद्धमस्याः शरीरं हि व्रतैः कृच्छ्रैर्न संशयः
Then, after a long time, O twice-born, I reflected: surely her body has become pure through severe vows and austerities, without doubt.
अर्चितो वैष्णवो लोकः कायक्लेशेन वै तया । न दत्तमन्नदानं हि येन तृप्तिः परा भवेत्
The world of Viṣṇu has indeed been worshipped by her through bodily hardship; but she did not give the gift of food, by which supreme satisfaction is attained.
एवं ज्ञात्वा अहं ब्रह्मन्मर्त्यलोकमुपागतः । कापालं रूपमास्थाय भिक्षापात्रे च याचिता
Knowing this, O Brahmin, I came to the mortal world, assuming the form of a skull-bearer, and begged with a mendicant’s bowl.
कस्मात्त्वमागतो ब्रह्मन्क्व यासि वद मेऽग्रतः । पुनरेव मया प्रोक्तं देहि भिक्षां च सुंदरि
She asked me, 'Why have you come, O Brahmin? Where are you going? Tell me before me.' Again I said to her, 'Give alms, O beautiful one.'
तया कोपेन महता मृत्पिंडस्ताम्रभाजने । क्षिप्तो यावदहं ब्रह्मन्पुनः स्वर्गं गतो द्विज
Overcome by great anger, she threw a lump of clay into the copper vessel; and while this happened, O Brahmin, I returned again to heaven.
ततः कालेन महता तापसी सुमहाव्रता । सदेहा स्वर्गमायाता व्रतचर्या प्रभावतः
Then, after a long time, that ascetic woman of great vows, by the power of her observances, ascended to heaven in her own body.
मृत्पिंडिकाप्रदानेन गृहं प्राप्तं मनोरमम् । संजातं चैव विप्रर्षे धान्यराशि विवर्जितम्
By giving the lump of clay, she obtained a delightful house, but, O best of Brahmins, it was devoid of any heap of grain.
गृहं यावन्निरीक्षेत न किंचित्तत्र पश्यति । तावद्गृहाद्विनिष्क्रांता ममांते चागता द्विज
As long as she looked around the house, she saw nothing there; so she left the house and came to me, O Brahmin.
क्रोधेन महताविष्टमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् । मया व्रतैश्च कृच्छ्रैश्च उपवासैरनेकशः
Overcome by great anger, she spoke these words: 'Through many vows, severe austerities, and numerous fasts performed by me—'
पूजयाराधितो देवः सर्वलोकस्य पालकः । न तत्र दृश्यते किंचिद्गृहे मम जनार्दन
—'the Lord, protector of all worlds, has been worshipped and propitiated; yet nothing is seen in my house, O Janārdana.'
ततश्चोक्तं मया तस्यै गृहं गच्छ महाव्रते । आगमिष्यंति सुतरां कौतूहल समन्विताः
Then I said to her, 'Go to your house, O great-vowed one; many, filled with curiosity, will soon come to you.'
देवपत्न्यो हि द्रष्टुं त्वां विस्मयाभिसमन्विताः । द्वारं नोद्घाटय विना षट्तिलापुण्यवाचनात्
The wives of the gods, indeed, will come to see you, filled with wonder; do not open the door without reciting the merit of the Ṣaṭtilā vow.
एवमुक्ता मया सा तु गता वै मानुषी तदा । अत्रांतरे समायाता देवपत्न्यश्च वाडव
Thus addressed by me, she went as a human woman; meanwhile, O Vāḍava, the wives of the gods arrived.
ताभिश्च कथितं तत्र त्वां द्रष्टुं हि समागताः । द्वारमुद्घाटयस्वाद्य त्वां प्रपश्याम शोभने
They said to her there, 'We have come together to see you; open the door now, O beautiful one, so we may behold you.'
मानुष्युवाच- यदि मद्दर्शनं कार्यं सत्यं वाच्यं विशेषतः । षट्तिलाया व्रतं पुण्यं द्वारोद्घाटनकारणात्
The human woman said: 'If you truly wish to see me, you must especially speak the merit of the Ṣaṭtilā vow as the reason for opening the door.'
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच-। एकापिनावदत्तत्र षट्तिलैकादशीव्रतम् । अन्यया कथितं तत्र द्रष्टव्या मानुषी मया
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: One of them spoke there about the Ṣaṭtilā Ekādaśī vow; by another it was described, and thus I, as a human, was to be seen.
ततो द्वारं समुद्घाट्य दृष्टा ताभिश्च मानुषी । न देवी न च गंधर्वी नासुरी न च पन्नगी
Then, after opening the door, the human woman was seen by them; she was neither a goddess, nor a gandharvī, nor an asura woman, nor a serpent-woman.
दृष्टा पूर्वं तथा नारी यादृशीयं द्विजर्षभ । देवीनामुपदेशेन षट्तिलाया व्रतं कृतम्
Never before had such a woman been seen, O best of Brahmins, as this one; by the instruction of the goddesses, the Ṣaṭtilā vow was performed.
मानुष्या सत्यव्रतया भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम् । रूपकांतिसमायुक्ता क्षणेन समवाप सा
By truthfulness in her vows, that woman attained, in a moment, beauty and radiance, and the fruits of enjoyment and liberation.
धनं धान्यं च वस्त्रादि सुवर्णं रौप्यमेव च । भवनं सर्वसंपन्नं षट्तिलायाः प्रभावतः
Through the power of offering sesame, she obtained wealth, grain, garments, gold, silver, and a home filled with all prosperity.
रूपकांतिसमायुक्ता क्षणेन समपद्यत
Endowed with beauty and radiance, she became so in an instant.
अतितृष्णा न कर्त्तव्या वित्तशाठ्यं विवर्जयेत् । आत्मवित्तानुसारेण तिलान्वस्त्राणि दापयेत्
One should not be excessively greedy, nor resort to deceit for wealth; one should give sesame and garments according to one's means.
लभते चैवमारोग्यं नरो जन्मनि जन्मनि । न दारिद्र्यं न कष्टत्वं न च दौर्भाग्यमेव च 6.42.
In this way, a person attains health in every birth; there is no poverty, no suffering, and no misfortune.
संभवेद्वै द्विजश्रेष्ठ षट्तिलासमुपोषणात् । अनेन विधिना भूप तिलदाता न संशयः
O best of twice-born, by observing the sixfold sesame vow in this manner, there is no doubt that the giver of sesame attains this result.
मुच्यते पातकैः सर्वैरनायासेन मानवः । दानं च विधिवत्पात्रे सर्वपातकनाशनम् । नानर्थः कश्चिन्नायासः शरीरे नृपसत्तम
A person is freed from all sins without effort; giving, according to rule, to a worthy recipient destroys all sins. There is no harm, nor any strain on the body, O best of kings.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- माहात्म्यं विजयायाश्च श्रुतं कृष्ण महत्फलम् । फाल्गुनस्यार्जुने पक्षे यन्नाम्नी तां वदाधुना
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: You have heard the greatness of Vijayā and its great fruit, O Kṛṣṇa. Now tell me the name of that which occurs in the bright half of Phālguna.