The Telling of the Ekadashi Fast

Verse 1 (padma.6.233.1)

शंकर उवाच- ततः प्रोवाच भगवान्सुरांश्चैव महामुनीन् । देव्या सह प्रहृष्टात्मा सर्वलोकहिताय वै ।

śaṁkara uvāca tataḥ provāca bhagavānsurāṁścaiva mahāmunīn devyā saha prahṛṣṭātmā sarvalokahitāya vai

Shankara said: Then the Lord, joyful in heart, together with the Goddess, spoke to the gods and the great sages, for the welfare of all the worlds.

Verse 2 (padma.6.233.2)

श्रीभगवानुवाच- शृणुध्वं मुनयः सर्वे देवताश्च महाबलाः । एकादशी महापुण्या सर्वोपद्रवनाशिनी ।

śrībhagavānuvāca śṛṇudhvaṁ munayaḥ sarve devatāśca mahābalāḥ ekādaśī mahāpuṇyā sarvopadravanāśinī

Shri Bhagavan said: Listen, all you sages and mighty gods — Ekadashi is greatly meritorious, the destroyer of every calamity.

Verse 3 (padma.6.233.3)

लक्ष्मीसंदर्शनार्थाय भवद्भिः समुपोषिता । तस्मात्तु सर्वदा पुण्या द्वादशी मम वल्लभा ।

lakṣmīsaṁdarśanārthāya bhavadbhiḥ samupoṣitā tasmāttu sarvadā puṇyā dvādaśī mama vallabhā

It was observed by you as a fast for the sake of beholding Lakshmi; therefore Dvadashi too is ever meritorious and dear to Me.

Verse 4 (padma.6.233.4)

अद्यप्रभृति ये लोका उषिताः पूर्ववासरे । द्वादश्यामुदिते भानौ श्रद्धया परया युताः ।

adyaprabhṛti ye lokā uṣitāḥ pūrvavāsare dvādaśyāmudite bhānau śraddhayā parayā yutāḥ

From this day forth, those people who fast on the previous day, Ekadashi, and, filled with the highest faith, when the sun rises on Dvadashi —

Verse 5 (padma.6.233.5)

ये पूजयंति मां भक्त्या तुलस्या च श्रिया सह । सर्वे ते बन्ध निर्मुक्ताः प्राप्नुवंति पदं मम ।

ye pūjayaṁti māṁ bhaktyā tulasyā ca śriyā saha sarve te bandha nirmuktāḥ prāpnuvaṁti padaṁ mama

worship Me with devotion, with tulasi leaves, together with Shri — all of them are freed from bondage and attain My supreme abode.

Verse 6 (padma.6.233.6)

नार्च्चयंति च ये वै मां द्वादश्यां पुरुषोत्तमम् । ते नराः पापकर्माणो मम मायाविमोहिताः ।

nārccayaṁti ca ye vai māṁ dvādaśyāṁ puruṣottamam te narāḥ pāpakarmāṇo mama māyāvimohitāḥ

But those who do not worship Me, Purushottama, on Dvadashi — those men are of sinful deeds, deluded by My maya.

Verse 7 (padma.6.233.7)

ये नार्चयंति पापिष्ठा नरा नरकगामिनः । तान्पापान्विषयैर्वद्धान्ममपूजापराङ्मुखान् ।

ye nārcayaṁti pāpiṣṭhā narā narakagāminaḥ tānpāpānviṣayairvaddhānmamapūjāparāṅmukhān

Those wicked men who do not worship Me are bound for hell — those sinners, bound by sense-objects, averse to My worship —

Verse 8 (padma.6.233.8)

क्षिपत्यजस्रं संसारे माया मम दुरत्यया । रुद्र उवाच- एवमुक्त्वा तु भगवान्परमात्मा सनातनः ।

kṣipatyajasraṁ saṁsāre māyā mama duratyayā rudra uvāca evamuktvā tu bhagavānparamātmā sanātanaḥ

My maya, hard to overcome, casts them ceaselessly into the round of worldly existence. Rudra said: Having spoken thus, that eternal Lord, the Supreme Soul —

Verse 9 (padma.6.233.9)

संस्तूयमानो मुनिभिः प्रययौ कमलालयम् । क्षीराब्धौ शेषपर्य्यङ्के विमाने सूर्य्यसन्निभे ।

saṁstūyamāno munibhiḥ prayayau kamalālayam kṣīrābdhau śeṣaparyyaṅke vimāne sūryyasannibhe

being praised by the sages, went forth to Kamalalaya, the abode of Lakshmi — upon the couch of Shesha in the ocean of milk, in a chariot resembling the sun.

Verse 10 (padma.6.233.10)

देव्या सह विशालाक्ष्या रमया परमेश्वरः । दर्शनार्थं सुराणां च तत्र सन्निहितोऽभवत् ।

devyā saha viśālākṣyā ramayā parameśvaraḥ darśanārthaṁ surāṇāṁ ca tatra sannihito'bhavat

The Supreme Lord, together with the wide-eyed Goddess Rama, became present there so that the gods might behold him.

Verse 11 (padma.6.233.11)

ततः सुरगणाः सर्व्वे कूर्म्मरूपं सनातनम् । भक्त्या संपूजयित्वाथ तुष्टुवुर्हृष्टमानसाः ।

tataḥ suragaṇāḥ sarvve kūrmmarūpaṁ sanātanam bhaktyā saṁpūjayitvātha tuṣṭuvurhṛṣṭamānasāḥ

Then all the hosts of gods, having worshipped with devotion that eternal one in his tortoise form, praised him, their hearts filled with joy.

Verse 12 (padma.6.233.12)

ततः प्रसन्नो भवगान्कूर्म्मरूपी जनार्द्दनः । भगवानुवाच- वरं वृणीध्वं देवेशा यद्वो मनसि वर्त्तते । रुद्र उवाच- ततो देवगणाः सर्वे कूर्म्मरूपं जनार्दनम् ।

tataḥ prasanno bhavagānkūrmmarūpī janārddanaḥ bhagavānuvāca varaṁ vṛṇīdhvaṁ deveśā yadvo manasi varttate rudra uvāca tato devagaṇāḥ sarve kūrmmarūpaṁ janārdanam

Then Janardana, in his tortoise form, being pleased, said: "O lords of the gods, ask whatever boon is in your minds." Rudra said: Then all the hosts of gods, before Janardana in his tortoise-form —

Verse 13 (padma.6.233.13)

उचुः प्रांजलयः सर्व्वे हर्ष निर्भरमानसाः । देवा ऊचुः- शेषस्य दिग्गजानां च सहायार्थं महाबल ।

ucuḥ prāṁjalayaḥ sarvve harṣa nirbharamānasāḥ devā ūcuḥ śeṣasya diggajānāṁ ca sahāyārthaṁ mahābala

spoke, all with joined palms, hearts brimming with joy. The gods said: "O mighty one, for the aid of Shesha and the elephants of the quarters —

Verse 14 (padma.6.233.14)

धर्तुमर्हसि देवेश सप्तद्वीपवतीं महीम् । रुद्र उवाच- एवमस्त्विति हृष्टात्मा भगवांल्लोकभावनः ।

dhartumarhasi deveśa saptadvīpavatīṁ mahīm rudra uvāca evamastviti hṛṣṭātmā bhagavāṁllokabhāvanaḥ

O Lord of gods, you ought to bear this earth with its seven continents." Rudra said: "So be it," said the Lord, sustainer of the worlds, and joyfully —

Verse 15 (padma.6.233.15)

धारयामास धरणीं सप्तद्वीपसमावृताम् । ततो देवाः सगंधर्वा दैत्यदानवमानुषाः ।

dhārayāmāsa dharaṇīṁ saptadvīpasamāvṛtām tato devāḥ sagaṁdharvā daityadānavamānuṣāḥ

he bore the earth, encompassed by its seven continents. Then the gods together with the Gandharvas, the Daityas, the Danavas, and men —

Verse 16 (padma.6.233.16)

महर्षिभिरनुज्ञाताः स्वर्लोकान्प्रतिपेदिरे । तदाप्रभृति ते सर्व्वे देवा ब्रह्मपुरोगमाः ।

maharṣibhiranujñātāḥ svarlokānpratipedire tadāprabhṛti te sarvve devā brahmapurogamāḥ

took leave of the great sages and returned to their own heavenly worlds. From that time onward, all those gods, with Brahma at their head —

Verse 17 (padma.6.233.17)

सिद्धा ये मानुषाश्चैव योगिनो मुनिसत्तमाः । विष्णोराज्ञां पुरस्कृत्य भक्त्या परमया युताः ।

siddhā ye mānuṣāścaiva yogino munisattamāḥ viṣṇorājñāṁ puraskṛtya bhaktyā paramayā yutāḥ

the Siddhas, men, yogis, and the foremost of sages — honoring the command of Vishnu, filled with the highest devotion —

Verse 18 (padma.6.233.18)

एकादश्यामुपोष्याथ भक्त्या चैव जनार्दनम् । द्वादश्यामर्च्चनं चक्रुर्विधिना वरवर्णिनि ।

ekādaśyāmupoṣyātha bhaktyā caiva janārdanam dvādaśyāmarccanaṁ cakrurvidhinā varavarṇini

having fasted on Ekadashi and worshipped Janardana with devotion, they perform his worship on Dvadashi according to rite, O fair one.

Verse 19 (padma.6.233.19)

एतत्तु सर्वमाख्यातं देव्या जन्म वरानने । कौर्म्यं च वैभवं विष्णोः किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ।

etattu sarvamākhyātaṁ devyā janma varānane kaurmyaṁ ca vaibhavaṁ viṣṇoḥ kimanyacchrotumicchasi

O beautiful-faced one, all this has now been told to you — the birth of the Goddess, and the glory of Vishnu's tortoise-form. What else do you wish to hear?