Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 47
Sourceयुधिष्ठिर उवाच- वासुदेव नमस्तुभ्यं कथयस्व ममाग्रतः । चैत्रस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु किं नामैकादशी भवेत् १। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- शृणुष्वैकमना राजन्कथां पुण्यां पुरातनीम् । वसिष्ठो यामकथयत्प्राग्दिलीपाय पृच्छते २। दिलीप उवाच- भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि कथयस्व प्रसादतः । चैत्रमासि सिते पक्षे किंनामैकादशी भवेत् ३। वसिष्ठ उवाच- साधु पृष्टं त्वया राजन्कथयामि तवाग्रतः । चैत्रस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु कामदा नाम नामतः ४। एकादशी पुण्यतमा पापेंधनदवानलः । शृणु राजन्कथामेतां पापघ्नीं पुण्यदायिनीम् ५। पुरा नागपुरे रम्ये हेमरत्नविभूषिते । पुंडरीकमुखा नागा निवसंति महोत्कटाः ६। तस्मिन्पुरे पुंडरीको राजा राज्यं चकार सः । गन्धर्वैः किन्नरैश्चैव अप्सरोभिश्च सेव्यते ७। वराप्सरास्तु ललिता गंधर्वो ललितस्तथा । उभौ रागेण संरक्तौ दंपती कामपीडितौ ८। रेमाते स्वगृहे रम्ये धनधान्ययुते तदा । ललितायाश्च हृदये पतिर्वसति सर्वदा ९। हृदये तस्य ललिता नित्यं वसति भामिनी । एकदा पुंडरीकोऽथ क्रीडते सदसि स्थितः १०। गीतं गानं प्रकुरुते ललितो दयितां विना । पदबंधस्खलज्जिह्वो बभूव ललितां स्मरन् ११। मनोभावं विदित्वास्य कर्कटो नागसत्तमः । पदबंधच्युतिं तस्य पुंडरीके न्यवेदयत् १२। श्रुत्वा कर्कोटकवचः पुंडरीको भुजंगराट् । क्रोधसंरक्तनयनो बभूवातिभयंकरः १३। शशाप ललितं तत्र गायंतं मदनातुरम् । राक्षसो भव दुर्बुद्धे क्रव्यादः पुरुषादकः १४। यतः पत्नीवशोपेतो गायमानो ममाग्रतः । वचनात्तस्य राजेंद्र रक्षोरूपो बभूव सः १५। रौद्राननो विरूपाक्षो दृष्टमात्रो भयंकरः । बाहूयोजनविस्तीर्णौ मुखं कंदरसन्निभम् १६। चंद्रसूर्यनिभे नेत्रे ग्रीवापर्वतसंनिभा । नासारंध्रे तु विवरे अधरौ योजनायतौ १७। शरीरं तस्य राजेंद्र उत्थितं योजनाष्टकम् । ईदृशो राक्षसो भूत्वा भुंजानः कर्मणः फलम् १८। ललिता तु तथालोक्य स्वपतिं विकृताकृतिम् । चिंतयामास मनसा दुःखेन महतार्दिता १९। किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि पतिः शापेन पीडितः । इति संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य मनसा शर्म नालभत् २०। चचार पतिना सार्द्धं ललिता गहने वने । बभ्राम विपिने दुर्गे कामरूपी स राक्षसः २१। निर्घृणः पापनिरतो विरूपः पुरुषादकः । न सुखं लभते रात्रौ न दिवा पापपीडितः २२। ललिता दुःखितातीव पतिं दृष्ट्वा तथाविधम् । बभ्राम तेन सार्द्धं सा रुदती गहने वने २३। दृष्ट्वाश्रमपदं रम्यं मुनिं संशांतविग्रहम् । शीघ्रं जगाम ललिता नमस्कृत्याग्रतः स्थिता २४। तां दृष्ट्वा स मुनिः प्राह दुःखितां हि दयापरः । का त्वं कस्मादिहायाता सत्यं वद ममाग्रतः २५। ललितोवाच- वीरधन्वेति गंधर्वः सुता तस्य महात्मनः । ललितां नाम मां विद्धि पत्यर्थमिह चागताम् २६। भर्ता मे पापदोषेण राक्षसोऽभून्महामुने । रौद्ररूपो दुराचारस्तं दृष्ट्वा नास्ति मे सुखम् २७। सांप्रतं शाधि मां ब्रह्मन्यत्कृत्यं तद्वद प्रभो । कुरुष्व तद् व्रतं भद्रे विधिपूर्वं मयोदितम् २८। ऋषिरुवाच- चैत्रमासस्य रंभोरु शुक्लपक्षोऽस्ति सांप्रतम् । कामदैकादशीनाम पापघ्नी ललिते परा २९। कुरुष्व तद्व्रतं भद्रे विधिपूर्वं मयोदितम् । अस्य व्रतस्य यत्पुण्यं तत्स्वभर्त्रे प्रदीयताम् ३०। दत्ते पुण्येक्षणात्तस्य शापदोषः प्रयास्यति । इति श्रुत्वा मुनेर्वाक्यं ललिता हर्षिताभवत् ३१। उपोष्यैकादशीं राजन्द्वादशीदिवसे तथा । विप्रस्यैव समीपे तद्वासुदेवस्य चाग्रतः ३२। वाक्यमुवाच ललिता स्वपत्युस्तारणाय वै । मया तु तद्व्रतं चीर्णं कामदाया उपोषणम् ३३। तस्य पुण्यप्रभावेन गच्छत्वस्य पिशाचता । ललितावचनादेव वर्त्तमानोऽपि तत्क्षणे ३४। गतपापः स ललितो दिव्यदेहो बभूव ह । राक्षसत्वं गतं तस्य प्राप्ता गंधर्वता पुनः ३५। हेमरत्नसमाकीर्णो रेमे ललितया सह । विमानवरमारूढौ पूर्वरूपाधिकौ च तौ ३६। दंपती अत्यशोभेतां कामदायाः प्रभावतः । इति ज्ञात्वा नृपश्रेष्ठ कर्तव्यैषा प्रयत्नतः ३७। लोकानां तु हितार्थाय तवाग्रे कथिता मया । ब्रह्महत्यादि पापघ्नी पिशाचत्वविनाशनी ३८। नातः परतरा काचित्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्राजन्वाजपेयफलं लभेत् ३९। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे चैत्रशुक्ला कामदानाम सप्तचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ४७।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca- vāsudeva namastubhyaṃ kathayasva mamāgrataḥ | caitrasya śuklapakṣe tu kiṃ nāmaikādaśī bhavet 1| śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca- śṛṇuṣvaikamanā rājankathāṃ puṇyāṃ purātanīm | vasiṣṭho yāmakathayatprāgdilīpāya pṛcchate 2| dilīpa uvāca- bhagavañchrotumicchāmi kathayasva prasādataḥ | caitramāsi site pakṣe kiṃnāmaikādaśī bhavet 3| vasiṣṭha uvāca- sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā rājankathayāmi tavāgrataḥ | caitrasya śuklapakṣe tu kāmadā nāma nāmataḥ 4| ekādaśī puṇyatamā pāpeṃdhanadavānalaḥ | śṛṇu rājankathāmetāṃ pāpaghnīṃ puṇyadāyinīm 5| purā nāgapure ramye hemaratnavibhūṣite | puṃḍarīkamukhā nāgā nivasaṃti mahotkaṭāḥ 6| tasminpure puṃḍarīko rājā rājyaṃ cakāra saḥ | gandharvaiḥ kinnaraiścaiva apsarobhiśca sevyate 7| varāpsarāstu lalitā gaṃdharvo lalitastathā | ubhau rāgeṇa saṃraktau daṃpatī kāmapīḍitau 8| remāte svagṛhe ramye dhanadhānyayute tadā | lalitāyāśca hṛdaye patirvasati sarvadā 9| hṛdaye tasya lalitā nityaṃ vasati bhāminī | ekadā puṃḍarīko'tha krīḍate sadasi sthitaḥ 10| gītaṃ gānaṃ prakurute lalito dayitāṃ vinā | padabaṃdhaskhalajjihvo babhūva lalitāṃ smaran 11| manobhāvaṃ viditvāsya karkaṭo nāgasattamaḥ | padabaṃdhacyutiṃ tasya puṃḍarīke nyavedayat 12| śrutvā karkoṭakavacaḥ puṃḍarīko bhujaṃgarāṭ | krodhasaṃraktanayano babhūvātibhayaṃkaraḥ 13| śaśāpa lalitaṃ tatra gāyaṃtaṃ madanāturam | rākṣaso bhava durbuddhe kravyādaḥ puruṣādakaḥ 14| yataḥ patnīvaśopeto gāyamāno mamāgrataḥ | vacanāttasya rājeṃdra rakṣorūpo babhūva saḥ 15| raudrānano virūpākṣo dṛṣṭamātro bhayaṃkaraḥ | bāhūyojanavistīrṇau mukhaṃ kaṃdarasannibham 16| caṃdrasūryanibhe netre grīvāparvatasaṃnibhā | nāsāraṃdhre tu vivare adharau yojanāyatau 17| śarīraṃ tasya rājeṃdra utthitaṃ yojanāṣṭakam | īdṛśo rākṣaso bhūtvā bhuṃjānaḥ karmaṇaḥ phalam 18| lalitā tu tathālokya svapatiṃ vikṛtākṛtim | ciṃtayāmāsa manasā duḥkhena mahatārditā 19| kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi patiḥ śāpena pīḍitaḥ | iti saṃsmṛtya saṃsmṛtya manasā śarma nālabhat 20| cacāra patinā sārddhaṃ lalitā gahane vane | babhrāma vipine durge kāmarūpī sa rākṣasaḥ 21| nirghṛṇaḥ pāpanirato virūpaḥ puruṣādakaḥ | na sukhaṃ labhate rātrau na divā pāpapīḍitaḥ 22| lalitā duḥkhitātīva patiṃ dṛṣṭvā tathāvidham | babhrāma tena sārddhaṃ sā rudatī gahane vane 23| dṛṣṭvāśramapadaṃ ramyaṃ muniṃ saṃśāṃtavigraham | śīghraṃ jagāma lalitā namaskṛtyāgrataḥ sthitā 24| tāṃ dṛṣṭvā sa muniḥ prāha duḥkhitāṃ hi dayāparaḥ | kā tvaṃ kasmādihāyātā satyaṃ vada mamāgrataḥ 25| lalitovāca- vīradhanveti gaṃdharvaḥ sutā tasya mahātmanaḥ | lalitāṃ nāma māṃ viddhi patyarthamiha cāgatām 26| bhartā me pāpadoṣeṇa rākṣaso'bhūnmahāmune | raudrarūpo durācārastaṃ dṛṣṭvā nāsti me sukham 27| sāṃprataṃ śādhi māṃ brahmanyatkṛtyaṃ tadvada prabho | kuruṣva tad vrataṃ bhadre vidhipūrvaṃ mayoditam 28| ṛṣiruvāca- caitramāsasya raṃbhoru śuklapakṣo'sti sāṃpratam | kāmadaikādaśīnāma pāpaghnī lalite parā 29| kuruṣva tadvrataṃ bhadre vidhipūrvaṃ mayoditam | asya vratasya yatpuṇyaṃ tatsvabhartre pradīyatām 30| datte puṇyekṣaṇāttasya śāpadoṣaḥ prayāsyati | iti śrutvā munervākyaṃ lalitā harṣitābhavat 31| upoṣyaikādaśīṃ rājandvādaśīdivase tathā | viprasyaiva samīpe tadvāsudevasya cāgrataḥ 32| vākyamuvāca lalitā svapatyustāraṇāya vai | mayā tu tadvrataṃ cīrṇaṃ kāmadāyā upoṣaṇam 33| tasya puṇyaprabhāvena gacchatvasya piśācatā | lalitāvacanādeva varttamāno'pi tatkṣaṇe 34| gatapāpaḥ sa lalito divyadeho babhūva ha | rākṣasatvaṃ gataṃ tasya prāptā gaṃdharvatā punaḥ 35| hemaratnasamākīrṇo reme lalitayā saha | vimānavaramārūḍhau pūrvarūpādhikau ca tau 36| daṃpatī atyaśobhetāṃ kāmadāyāḥ prabhāvataḥ | iti jñātvā nṛpaśreṣṭha kartavyaiṣā prayatnataḥ 37| lokānāṃ tu hitārthāya tavāgre kathitā mayā | brahmahatyādi pāpaghnī piśācatvavināśanī 38| nātaḥ paratarā kācittrailokye sacarācare | paṭhanācchravaṇādrājanvājapeyaphalaṃ labhet 39| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe umāpatināradasaṃvāde caitraśuklā kāmadānāma saptacatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 47|
English translation
Yudhiṣṭhira said :
1. Salutation to you, O Vāsudeva ; tell me, Ekādaśī of which name would fall in the bright half of Caitra .
Śrīkṛṣṇa said :
2. O king, listen attentively to an auspicious old tale which formerly Vasiṣṭha narrated to Dilīpa who had asked (him).
Dilīpa said :
3. O revered one, I desire to hear. Favour me and tell me what the name of the Ekādaśī that would fall in the bright half of Caitra, is.
Vasiṣṭha said :
4-12. O king, you have asked well. I shall tell (about it) to you. The Ekādaśī falling in the bright half of Caitra is Kāmadā by name. (This) Ekādaśī is most auspicious, and is a fire to the fuel of sins. O king, listen to this story which destroys sins, (and) which gives religious merit. Formerly in the beautiful city of Nāgapura , adorned with gold and jewels, lived very powerful nāgas led by Puṇḍarīka . In that city king Puṇḍarīka ruled. He was served by gandharvas , kinnaras , and celestial nymphs also. The excellent celestial nymph was Lalitā ; and the (excellent) gandharva was Lalita ; the couple, glowing with attachment, and oppressed by passion of love, rejoiced in their beautiful house which was full of wealth and grains. In the heart of Lalitā (her) husband always resided; (and) in his heart, that beautiful Lalitā always resided. Once Puṇḍarīka, remaining in his assembly, was sporting. Lalita, without his wife, was singing and dancing (there). Remembering Lalitā, his tongue stumbled over (i.e. while uttering) an arrangement of words. Knowing the state of his mind, the best nāga Karkoṭaka reported his error in (uttering) the arrangement of words to Puṇḍarīka.
13-20. Hearing the words of Karkoṭaka, Puṇḍarīka, the king of the nāgas, with his eyes red due to anger, became extremely fierce. He then cursed Lalita who was singing and was overpowered by the passion of love: “O you of a wicked mind, be a demon that eats raw flesh, and that eats human beings, since, being influenced by (the love for) your wife, you are singing before me.” As a result of his words, he (i.e. Lalita) got a demon’s form, O best king. His face was fierce. His eyes were deformed. He caused fear even when just seen. His arms were as long as a yojana . His mouth resembled a cave. His eyes were like the moon and the sun. His neck was like a mountain. His nostrils were (just) hollows. His lips were a yojana in length. O lord of kings, his body rose (up to) eight yojanas . He, as result of his deed(s) became a demon of this type. And that Lalitā, seeing her husband thus deformed was oppressed by great grief, and thought to herself: “What do (i.e. should) I do? Where do (i.e. should) I go? My husband is troubled by the curse.” Recalling like this to her mind, she did not obtain pleasure in her mind.
21-25. Lalitā, along with her husband, moved into a dense forest. That demon who took any form he liked, was cruel, was engaged in (committing) sins, who was deformed, ate human beings, wandered in that impassable forest. He, oppressed by sins, did not have pleasure at night or by day. Seeing her husband like that Lalitā was very much pained. She, weeping, wandered with him in (that) dense forest. Having seen a lovely hermitage and a sage of a tranquil form, she quickly went to him, and saluting him, stood before him. Seeing her distressed, the sage, solely devoted to kindness, said to her: “Who are you? Why have you come here? Tell the truth to me.”
Lalitā said :
26-28. There is a gandharva Vīradhanvan (by name). I am the daughter of that noble one. Know me to be Lalitā by name. I have come here for the sake of my husband. O great sage, due to a sin, my husband has become a demon of a fierce form and wicked deeds. Seeing him, I am not happy. Now, O brāhmaṇa , instruct me. O lord, tell me what I should do. (Tell me about) the religious merit due to which he is free from his state of demon, O best brāhmaṇa.
The sage said :—
29-31. O you beautiful woman, it is now. the bright half of the month of Caitra. O Lalitā, (in it falls) the Kāmadā Ekādaśī which is great and which destroys sins. O auspicious one, duly observe its vow as told by me. Give the religious merit which (you will obtain) from this vow to your husband. When the religious merit is given (to him), his sin will go away in a moment.
Hearing these words of the sage, Lalitā was delighted.
32-39. Having fasted on the Ekādaśī, so also on the day of Dvādaśī, Lalitā, in the vicinity of a brāhmaṇa, and in front of Viṣṇu , uttered these words for the emancipation of her husband: “I have observed the vow, viz. the Kāmadā fast. Let his goblin-hood go (away) by the prowess of that religious merit.” Merely at the words of Lalitā, just at that moment, his sins went away, and he had a divine form. His state of a demon went (away) and he got gandharva-hood again. Full of gold and jewels, he rejoiced with Lalitā. The couple having more lovely forms than before got into an excellent aeroplane, and looked more charming due to the efficacy of Kāmadā. O best king, realising this, this (Kāmadā-vow) should be carefully observed. For the good of the people I told it to you. It destroys sins like that of the condition of a goblin. There is nothing superior to it in the three worlds with the mobile and the immobile. O king, by reciting about it, and listening to the (the account of) it one would get the fruit of a Vājapeya sacrifice.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44620, revision 336428 (2022-04-21T18:11:16Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365624.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.