The Glory of Ekadashi (continued): the Bhima-Dvadashi

Verse 1 (garuda.1.127.1)

ब्रह्मोवाच । माघमासे शुक्लपक्षे सूर्यर्क्षेण युता पुरा । एकादशी तथा चैका भीमेन समुपोषिता

brahmovāca māghamāse śuklapakṣe sūryarkṣeṇa yutā purā ekādaśī tathā caikā bhīmena samupoṣitā

Brahma said: Long ago, in the bright fortnight of Magha, an Ekadashi conjoined with the Sun's asterism was observed as a fast by Bhima.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.127.2)

आश्चर्य तु व्रतं कृत्वा पितॄणामनृणोऽभवत् । भीमद्वादशी विख्याता प्राणिनां पुण्यवर्धिनी

āścarya tu vrataṁ kṛtvā pitṝṇāmanṛṇo'bhavat bhīmadvādaśī vikhyātā prāṇināṁ puṇyavardhinī

Having performed this wondrous vow, he became free of his debt to the ancestors; it became renowned as the Bhima-Dvadashi, ever increasing the merit of living beings.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.127.3)

नक्षत्रेण विनाप्येषा ब्रह्महत्यादि नाशयेत् । विनिहन्ति महापापं कुनृपो विषयं यथा

nakṣatreṇa vināpyeṣā brahmahatyādi nāśayet vinihanti mahāpāpaṁ kunṛpo viṣayaṁ yathā

Even without the conjoined asterism, this vow destroys sins such as the killing of a Brahmin; it destroys great sin just as a wicked king destroys a kingdom.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.127.4)

कुपुत्त्रस्तु कुलं यद्वत्कुभार्या च पतिं यथा । अधर्मं च यथा धर्मः कुमन्त्री च यथा नृपम्

kuputtrastu kulaṁ yadvatkubhāryā ca patiṁ yathā adharmaṁ ca yathā dharmaḥ kumantrī ca yathā nṛpam

As a wicked son ruins a family, as a wicked wife ruins her husband, as dharma destroys adharma, and as a wicked minister ruins a king —

Verse 5 (garuda.1.127.5)

अज्ञानेन यथा ज्ञानं शौचमाशौचकं यथा । अश्रद्धया यथा श्रद्धा सत्यञ्चैवानृतैर्यथा

ajñānena yathā jñānaṁ śaucamāśaucakaṁ yathā aśraddhayā yathā śraddhā satyañcaivānṛtairyathā

as knowledge destroys ignorance, as purity destroys impurity, as faith destroys faithlessness, and as truth destroys falsehood —

Verse 6 (garuda.1.127.6)

हिमं यथोष्णमाहन्यादनर्थं चार्थसंचयः । यथा प्रकीर्तनाद्दानं तपो वै विस्मयाद्यथा

himaṁ yathoṣṇamāhanyādanarthaṁ cārthasaṁcayaḥ yathā prakīrtanāddānaṁ tapo vai vismayādyathā

as heat destroys cold, as the accumulation of wealth destroys misfortune, as a gift's merit is destroyed by boasting of it, and as austerity is destroyed by vanity —

Verse 7 (garuda.1.127.7)

अशिक्षया यथा पुत्रो गावो दूरगतैर्यथा । क्रोधेन च यथा शान्तिर्यथा वित्तमवर्द्धनात्

aśikṣayā yathā putro gāvo dūragatairyathā krodhena ca yathā śāntiryathā vittamavarddhanāt

as a son is ruined by lack of discipline, as cattle are lost by straying far, as peace is destroyed by anger, and as wealth dwindles when not put to use —

Verse 8 (garuda.1.127.8)

ज्ञानेनैव यथा विद्या निष्कामेन यथा फलम् । तथैव पापनाशाय प्रोक्तेयं द्वादशी शुभा

jñānenaiva yathā vidyā niṣkāmena yathā phalam tathaiva pāpanāśāya prokteyaṁ dvādaśī śubhā

as learning is fulfilled only through true knowledge, and its fruit only through desirelessness — even so, for the destruction of sin, this auspicious Dvadashi has been proclaimed.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.127.9)

ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं स्तेयं गुर्वङ्गनागमः । युगपत्तुप्रजातानि(?) न निहन्ति त्रिपुष्करम्

brahmahatyā surāpānaṁ steyaṁ gurvaṅganāgamaḥ yugapattuprajātāni(?) na nihanti tripuṣkaram

The killing of a Brahmin, drinking liquor, theft, and union with the guru's wife — even when all committed together, not even the triple Pushkara pilgrimage destroys them as this vow does —

Verse 10 (garuda.1.127.10)

न चापि नैमिषं क्षेत्रं कुरुक्षेत्रं प्रभासकम् । कालिन्दी यमुना गङ्गा न चैव न सरस्वती

na cāpi naimiṣaṁ kṣetraṁ kurukṣetraṁ prabhāsakam kālindī yamunā gaṅgā na caiva na sarasvatī

nor does the sacred field of Naimisha, nor Kurukshetra, nor Prabhasa; nor the Kalindi, the Yamuna, the Ganga, nor the Sarasvati destroy them as this vow does.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.127.11)

न चैव सर्वतीर्थानि एकादश्याः समानि हि । न दानं न जपो होमो न चान्यत्सुकृतं क्वचित्

na caiva sarvatīrthāni ekādaśyāḥ samāni hi na dānaṁ na japo homo na cānyatsukṛtaṁ kvacit

Indeed, no place of pilgrimage at all is equal to the Ekadashi; neither giving, nor recitation, nor fire-offering, nor any other meritorious act whatsoever equals it.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.127.12)

एकतः पृथिवीदानमेकतो हरिवासरः । ततोऽप्येका महापुण्या इयमेकादशी वरा

ekataḥ pṛthivīdānamekato harivāsaraḥ tato'pyekā mahāpuṇyā iyamekādaśī varā

On one side, the gift of the whole earth; on the other, a single day of Hari — even more meritorious still is this excellent Ekadashi.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.127.13)

अस्मिन्वराहपुरुषं कृत्वा देवं तु हाटकम् । घटोपरि नवे पात्रे कृत्वा वै ताम्रभाजने

asminvarāhapuruṣaṁ kṛtvā devaṁ tu hāṭakam ghaṭopari nave pātre kṛtvā vai tāmrabhājane

On this day, having fashioned the god in the form of the Boar out of gold, and placed it upon a jar, in a new copper vessel —

Verse 14 (garuda.1.127.14)

सर्वबीजभृते विप्राः सितवस्त्रावगुण्ठिते । सहिरण्यप्रदीपाद्यैः कृत्वा पूजां प्रयत्ननः

sarvabījabhṛte viprāḥ sitavastrāvaguṇṭhite sahiraṇyapradīpādyaiḥ kṛtvā pūjāṁ prayatnanaḥ

O Brahmins, that vessel filled with every kind of seed and covered with white cloth should be worshipped with careful effort, with gold, lamps, and the like.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.127.15)

वराहाय नमः पादौ क्रोडाकृतये नमः कटिम् । नाभिं गंभीरघोषाा उरः श्रीवत्सधारिणे

varāhāya namaḥ pādau kroḍākṛtaye namaḥ kaṭim nābhiṁ gaṁbhīraghoṣāā uraḥ śrīvatsadhāriṇe

'Salutation to Varaha' — thus worship the feet; 'salutation to the Boar-formed one' — the waist; worship the navel as belonging to him of the deep roar, and the chest as belonging to the bearer of the Shrivatsa mark.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.127.16)

बाहुं सहस्रशिरसे ग्रीवां सर्वेश्वराय च । मुखं सर्वात्मने पूज्यं ललाटं प्रभवाय च

bāhuṁ sahasraśirase grīvāṁ sarveśvarāya ca mukhaṁ sarvātmane pūjyaṁ lalāṭaṁ prabhavāya ca

Worship the arms as belonging to the thousand-headed one, the neck as belonging to the Lord of all; the face is to be worshipped as the Self of all, and the forehead as the source of all.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.127.17)

केशाः शतमयूखाय पूज्या देवस्य चक्रिणः । विधिना पूजयित्वा तु कृत्वा जागरणं निशि

keśāḥ śatamayūkhāya pūjyā devasya cakriṇaḥ vidhinā pūjayitvā tu kṛtvā jāgaraṇaṁ niśi

The hair of the disc-bearing god is to be worshipped as belonging to the hundred-rayed sun. Having thus worshipped according to rule, and having kept vigil through the night —

Verse 18 (garuda.1.127.18)

श्रुत्वा पुराणं देवस्य माहात्म्यप्रतिपादकम् । प्रातर्विप्राय दत्त्वा च याचकाय शुभाय तत्

śrutvā purāṇaṁ devasya māhātmyapratipādakam prātarviprāya dattvā ca yācakāya śubhāya tat

and having listened to the Purana that expounds the god's glory, in the morning one should give that image to a worthy, virtuous Brahmin who asks for it.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.127.19)

कनकक्रोडसहितं सन्निवेद्य परिच्छदम् । पश्चात्तु पारणं कुर्यान्नातितृप्तः सकृद्व्रतः

kanakakroḍasahitaṁ sannivedya paricchadam paścāttu pāraṇaṁ kuryānnātitṛptaḥ sakṛdvrataḥ

Having offered the golden Boar together with its accessories, one should afterward break the fast without eating to excess, taking only a single meal.

Verse 20 (garuda.1.127.20)

एवं कृत्वा नरो विद्यान्न भूय स्तनपो भवेत् । उपोष्यैकादशीं पुण्यां मुच्यते वै ऋणत्रयात् । मनोऽभिलषितावाप्तिः कृत्वा सर्वव्रतादिकम्

evaṁ kṛtvā naro vidyānna bhūya stanapo bhavet upoṣyaikādaśīṁ puṇyāṁ mucyate vai ṛṇatrayāt mano'bhilaṣitāvāptiḥ kṛtvā sarvavratādikam

A man who does this should know that he will not again be an infant at the breast — that is, will not be reborn; by fasting on this meritorious Ekadashi he is freed from the three debts, and having performed it along with all the other vows, he obtains all that his heart desires.