स्वदेहभूषणान्येव क्षयं नीतानि तेन वै । गणिकाभिः परित्यक्तो निंदितश्च धनक्षयात्
He spent even his own ornaments on himself; abandoned by courtesans and reviled due to his loss of wealth.
ततश्चिंतापरो जातो वस्त्रहीनः क्षुधार्दितः । किं करोमि क्वगच्छामि केनोपायेन जीव्यते
Then, overcome by anxiety, naked and tormented by hunger, he thought: What shall I do? Where shall I go? By what means can I live?
तस्करत्वं समारब्धं तत्रैव नगरे पितुः । गृहीतो राजपुरुषैर्मुक्तश्च पितृगौरवात्
He began a life of theft in that very city of his father; he was caught by the king’s men and released out of respect for his father.
पुनर्बद्धः पुनस्त्यक्तः पुनर्बद्धः ससंभ्रमैः । धृष्टबुद्धिर्दुराचारो निबध्य निगडै र्दृढैः
Again he was arrested, again released, and yet again seized with agitation; bold-minded and of bad conduct, he was finally bound with strong fetters.
कशाघातैस्ताडितश्च पीडितश्च पुनः पुनः । न स्थातव्यं हि मंदात्मंस्त्वया मद्देशगोचरे
He was struck with whips and tormented again and again; 'You, foolish soul, must not remain in my domain,' he was told.
एवमुक्त्वा ततो राज्ञा मोचितो दृढबंधनात् । निर्जगाम भयात्तस्य गतोऽसौ गहनं वनम्
Having spoken thus, the king released him from his strong bonds; out of fear of him, he departed and went into the dense forest.
क्षुत्तृषापीडितश्चायमितश्चेतश्च धावति । सिंहवन्निजघानासौ मृग शूकर चित्रलान्
Afflicted by hunger and thirst, his mind restless, he ran about; like a lion, he killed deer, boar, and various other animals.
आमिषाहार निरतो वने तिष्ठति सर्वदा । करे शरासनं कृत्वा निषंगं पृष्ठ संगतम्
Intent on eating flesh, he always stayed in the forest, carrying a bow in his hand and a quiver fastened to his back.
अरण्यचारिणो हंति पक्षिणश्च पदाचरन् । चकोरांश्च मयूरांश्च कंक तित्तिर मूषिकान्
Roaming the forest, he killed birds as he went—chakoras, peacocks, herons, partridges, and mice.
एतानन्यान्हिनस्त्यंधो धृष्टबुद्धिस्तु निर्घृणः । पूर्वजन्मकृतैः पापैर्निमग्नः पापकर्दमे
This cruel, bold-minded man, blinded by sin, killed these and other creatures, sunk in the mire of evil from sins of previous births.
दुःखशोकसमाविष्टः पीड्यमानो दिवानिशम् । कौंडिन्यस्याश्रमपदं प्राप्तः पुण्यागमात्क्वचित्
Overwhelmed by suffering and sorrow, tormented day and night, he once reached the hermitage of Kaundinya by the force of merit.
माधवे मासि जाह्नव्याः कृतस्नानं तपोधनम् । आससाद धृष्टबुद्धिः शोकभारेण पीडितः
In the month of Mādhava, he approached the sage, who had bathed in the Ganges, himself weighed down by the burden of grief.
तद्वस्त्रबिंदुस्पर्शेन गतपापो हताशुभः । कौंडिन्यस्याग्रतः स्थित्वा प्रत्युवाच कृतांजलि
By the touch of a drop from the sage’s garment, his sins and misfortunes were destroyed; standing before Kaundinya with joined palms, he spoke.
धृष्टबुद्धिरुवाच- भो भो ब्रह्मन्द्विजश्रेष्ठ दयां कृत्वा ममोपरि । येन पुण्यप्रभावेन मुक्तिर्भवति तद्वद
Dhṛṣṭabuddhi said: 'O best of Brahmins, show me compassion; tell me by what power of merit liberation may be attained.'
कौंडिन्य उवाच- शृणुष्वैकमनाभूत्वा येन पापक्षयस्तव । वैशाखस्य सिते पक्षे मोहिनी नाम विश्रुता
Kaundinya said: 'Listen with focused mind to that by which your sins are destroyed: in the bright fortnight of Vaiśākha, there is the renowned Ekādaśī called Mohinī.'
एकादशीव्रतं तस्याः कुरु मद्वाक्यनोदितः । मेरुतुल्यानि पापानि क्षयं गच्छंति देहिनाम्
'Observe the vow of Ekādaśī on that day as I instruct you; sins as great as Mount Meru are destroyed for embodied beings.'
बहुजन्मार्जितान्येषा मोहिनी समुपोषिता । इति वाक्यं मुनेः श्रुत्वा धृष्टबुद्धिः प्रसन्नधीः
'Mohinī, when properly observed, destroys sins accumulated over many births.' Hearing the sage’s words, Dhṛṣṭabuddhi became serene in mind.
व्रतं चकार विधिवत्कौंडिन्यस्योपदेशतः । कृते व्रते नृपश्रेष्ठ गतपापो बभूव सः
He performed the vow according to the instructions of Kaundinya; when the vow was completed, O best of kings, he became free from sin.
दिव्यदेहस्ततो भूत्वा गरुडोपरिसंस्थितः । जगाम वैष्णवं लोकं सर्वोपद्रव वर्जितम्
Then, having attained a divine body, he mounted Garuḍa and went to the world of Viṣṇu, free from all afflictions.
इतीदृशं रामचंद्र उत्तमं मोहिनी व्रतम् । नातः परतरं किंचित्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे
Thus, O Rāma, is the supreme Mohinī vow; in all the three worlds, there is nothing greater than this among moving and unmoving beings.
यज्ञादितीर्थदानानि कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्राजन्गोसहस्र फलं लभेत्
Sacrifices, pilgrimages, and gifts do not equal even a sixteenth part; by reciting or hearing, one attains the fruit of a thousand cows.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां सहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे वैशाखशुक्ले मोहन्येकादशीनाम एकोनपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-ninth chapter, named 'Mohinī Ekādaśī of the bright fortnight of Vaiśākha,' in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
नारद उवाच- यमस्याराधनं ब्रूहि मद्धितार्थं सुरोत्तम । कथं न गम्यते देव नरेण नरकांतरे
Nārada said: O best of gods, tell me for my benefit the worship of Yama; how can a man avoid going to another hell, O Lord?
श्रूयते यमलोके तु सदा वैतरणी नदी । अनाधृष्यात्वपारा च दुस्तरा बहुशोणिता
It is heard that in the world of Yama there is always the river Vaitaraṇī, impossible to approach, boundless, difficult to cross, and filled with much blood.
दुस्तरा सर्वभूतानां सा कथं सुतरा भवेत् । भयमेतन्महादेव यमलोकं प्रति प्रभो
It is difficult for all beings to cross; how can it be easily crossed? This is my great fear, O Mahādeva, regarding the world of Yama, O Lord.
तस्य निर्मोचनार्थाय ब्रूहि कृत्यमशेषतः । भगवन्देवदेवेश कृपां कृत्वा ममोपरि
For the sake of liberation from that, tell me fully what should be done, O Lord of gods, showing your compassion upon me.
महादेव उवाच- द्वारवत्यां पुरा विप्र स्नातोऽहं लवणांभसि । ददृशे मुनिमायांतं मुद्गलं नाम वाडव
Mahādeva said: Once, O brāhmaṇa, I bathed in the salt ocean at Dvāravatī; there I saw the sage Mudgala approaching.
ज्वलंतमिवचादित्यं तपसा द्योततांगकम् । मां प्रणम्य मुनिः प्राह मुद्गलो विस्मयान्वितः
He shone like a blazing sun, his body radiant with austerity; after bowing to me, the sage Mudgala, filled with wonder, spoke.
मुद्गल उवाच- अकस्मान्मूर्च्छितो देव पतितोऽस्मि धरातले । प्रज्वलंति ममांगानि गृहीतो यमकिंकरैः
Mudgala said: O Lord, I suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground; my limbs were burning, and I was seized by Yama's attendants.
बलादाकृष्यमाणोऽहं पुरुषॐगुष्ठमात्रकः । बद्धो यमभटैर्गाढं नीतोऽस्मि शमनांतिकम्
Dragged by force, I became the size of a man's thumb; tightly bound by Yama's guards, I was led near the Lord of Death.