Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 53
Sourceयुधिष्ठिर उवाच- आषाढस्य सिते पक्षे का च एकादशी भवेत् । किं नाम को विधिस्तस्या एतद्विस्तरतो वद १। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- कथयामि महापुण्यां स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदायिनीम् । शयनीं नामनामेति सर्वपापहरां पराम् २। यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण वाजपेयफलं लभेत् । सत्यं सत्यं मया प्रोक्तं नातः परतरं नृणाम् ३। पापिनां पापनाशाय सृष्टा धात्रा महोत्तमा । अतः परा न राजेंद्र वर्त्तते मोक्षदायिनी ४। एतस्मात्कारणाद्राजन्श्रूयतां गतिरुत्तमा । भवेन्नराणां श्रोतॄणां कथायाः श्रवणादपि ५। ते सदा वैष्णवा राजन्मम भक्तिपरायणाः । आषाढे वामनश्चैव पूज्यते परमेश्वरः ६। वामनः पूजितो येन कमलैः कमलेक्षणः । आषाढस्य सिते पक्षे कामिकाया दिने तथा ७। तेनार्चितं जगत्सर्वं त्रयो देवाः सनातनाः । कृता चैकादशी येन हरिवासरमुत्तमम् ८। युधिष्ठिर उवाच- संशयोऽस्ति महान्मेऽत्र श्रूयतां पुरुषोत्तम । कथं सुप्तोऽसि देवेश कथं च बलिमाश्रितः ९। कथं च भूमौ संवेशः किं कुर्वंति जनाः परे । एतद्वद महाप्राज्ञ संशयोऽस्ति महान्मम १०। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच - श्रूयतां राजशार्दूल कथां पापहरां पराम् । यस्याः श्रवणमात्रेण सर्वपापक्षयो भवेत् ११। बलिनामा पूर्वमासीद्दैत्यस्त्रेतायुगे नृप । पूजयंश्चैव मां नित्यं मद्भक्तो मत्परायणः १२। यज्ञैस्तु विधिवद्दैत्यो यजते मां सनातनम् । भक्त्या च परया राजन्यज्ञकृद्व्रतकृत्तथा १३। परं विचार्य बहुधा मघोना चैव सूक्तिभिः । गुरुणा दैवतैः सार्द्धं बहुधा पूजितोऽप्यहम् १४। ततो वामनरूपेण अवतारे च पंचमे । अत्युग्ररूपेण तदा सर्वब्रह्मांडरूपिणा १५। वाक्छलेन जिता दैत्याः सत्यमाश्रित्य संस्थितः । शुक्रस्तं वारयामास यन्नारायण इत्ययम् १६। याचिता वसुधा राजन्सार्द्धत्रयपदी मया । संकल्पोदकमात्रे तु करे तेनैव चार्पिते १७। रूपमीदृग्विधं राजंस्तदा शृणु मया कृतम् । भूर्लोके चरणौ न्यस्य भुवर्लोके तु जानुनी १८। स्वर्लोके च कटिं न्यस्य महर्लोके तथोदरम् । जनलोके च हृदयं तपोलोके तु कंठकम् १९। सत्यलोके मुखं स्थाप्य मस्तकं च तदूर्द्ध्वकम् । चंद्रसूर्यग्रहाश्चैव नक्षत्राणि तथैव च २०। देवाः सेंद्राश्च नागाश्च यक्षगंधर्वकिन्नराः । स्तुवंतो वेदसंभूतैः सूक्तैश्च विविधैस्तथा २१। करे गृहीत्वा च बलिं त्रिपदैः पूरिता मही । अर्द्धं च तस्य पृष्ठे च पदं न्यस्तं मया तदा २२। गतो रसातलं राजन्दानवो मम पूजकः । क्षिप्तोऽधो दानवश्चैव किमकुर्वं ततः परम् २३। विनयेनानतोसौ वै सुप्रसन्नो जनार्दनः । आषाढशुक्लपक्षे तु कामिका हरिवासरः २४। तस्यामेका च मूर्तिर्मे बलिमाश्रित्य तिष्ठति । द्वितीया शेषपृष्ठे वै क्षीरसागरमध्यतः २५। स्वपित्येव महाराज यावदागामि कार्तिकी । तावद्भवेत्सुधर्मात्मा सर्वधर्मोत्तमोत्तमः २६। व्रतं च कुरुते मर्त्यः स याति परमां गतिम् । एतस्मात्कारणाद्राजन्कर्त्तव्या च प्रयत्नतः २७। नातः परतरा काचित्पवित्रा पापनाशिनी । यस्यां स्वपिति देवेशः शंखचक्रगदाधरः २८। तस्यां च पूजयेद्देवं शंखचक्रगदाधरम् । रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा भक्त्या चैव विशेषतः २९। नास्याः पुण्यस्य संख्यानं कर्तुं शक्तश्चतुर्मुखः । एवं यः कुरुते राजन्नेकादश्या व्रतोत्तमम् ३०। सर्वपापहरं चैव भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् । स च लोके मम सदा श्वपचोऽपि प्रियंकरः ३१। दीपदानेन पालाशपत्रे भुक्त्या व्रतेन च । चातुर्मास्यं नयंतीह ते नरा मम वल्लभाः ३२। चातुर्मास्ये हरौ सुप्ते भूमिशायी भवेन्नरः । श्रावणे वर्जयेच्छाकं दधि भाद्रपदे तथा ३३। दुग्धमाश्वयुजि त्याज्यं कार्तिके द्विदलं त्यजेत् । अथवा ब्रह्मचर्यस्थः स याति परमां गतिम् ३४। एकादश्या व्रतेनैव पुमान्पापैर्विमुच्यते । कर्तव्या सर्वदा राजन्विस्मर्तव्या न कर्हिचित् ३५। शयनी बोधिनी मध्ये या कृष्णैकादशीभवेत् । सैवोपोष्या गृहस्थस्य नान्या कृष्णा कदाचन ३६। शृणुयाच्चैव यो राजन्कथां पापहरां पराम् । अश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः ३७। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमामहेश्वरसंवादे देवशयन्येकादशीनाम त्रिपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः ५३।
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca- āṣāḍhasya site pakṣe kā ca ekādaśī bhavet | kiṃ nāma ko vidhistasyā etadvistarato vada 1| śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca- kathayāmi mahāpuṇyāṃ svargamokṣapradāyinīm | śayanīṃ nāmanāmeti sarvapāpaharāṃ parām 2| yasyāḥ śravaṇamātreṇa vājapeyaphalaṃ labhet | satyaṃ satyaṃ mayā proktaṃ nātaḥ parataraṃ nṛṇām 3| pāpināṃ pāpanāśāya sṛṣṭā dhātrā mahottamā | ataḥ parā na rājeṃdra varttate mokṣadāyinī 4| etasmātkāraṇādrājanśrūyatāṃ gatiruttamā | bhavennarāṇāṃ śrotṝṇāṃ kathāyāḥ śravaṇādapi 5| te sadā vaiṣṇavā rājanmama bhaktiparāyaṇāḥ | āṣāḍhe vāmanaścaiva pūjyate parameśvaraḥ 6| vāmanaḥ pūjito yena kamalaiḥ kamalekṣaṇaḥ | āṣāḍhasya site pakṣe kāmikāyā dine tathā 7| tenārcitaṃ jagatsarvaṃ trayo devāḥ sanātanāḥ | kṛtā caikādaśī yena harivāsaramuttamam 8| yudhiṣṭhira uvāca- saṃśayo'sti mahānme'tra śrūyatāṃ puruṣottama | kathaṃ supto'si deveśa kathaṃ ca balimāśritaḥ 9| kathaṃ ca bhūmau saṃveśaḥ kiṃ kurvaṃti janāḥ pare | etadvada mahāprājña saṃśayo'sti mahānmama 10| śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca - śrūyatāṃ rājaśārdūla kathāṃ pāpaharāṃ parām | yasyāḥ śravaṇamātreṇa sarvapāpakṣayo bhavet 11| balināmā pūrvamāsīddaityastretāyuge nṛpa | pūjayaṃścaiva māṃ nityaṃ madbhakto matparāyaṇaḥ 12| yajñaistu vidhivaddaityo yajate māṃ sanātanam | bhaktyā ca parayā rājanyajñakṛdvratakṛttathā 13| paraṃ vicārya bahudhā maghonā caiva sūktibhiḥ | guruṇā daivataiḥ sārddhaṃ bahudhā pūjito'pyaham 14| tato vāmanarūpeṇa avatāre ca paṃcame | atyugrarūpeṇa tadā sarvabrahmāṃḍarūpiṇā 15| vākchalena jitā daityāḥ satyamāśritya saṃsthitaḥ | śukrastaṃ vārayāmāsa yannārāyaṇa ityayam 16| yācitā vasudhā rājansārddhatrayapadī mayā | saṃkalpodakamātre tu kare tenaiva cārpite 17| rūpamīdṛgvidhaṃ rājaṃstadā śṛṇu mayā kṛtam | bhūrloke caraṇau nyasya bhuvarloke tu jānunī 18| svarloke ca kaṭiṃ nyasya maharloke tathodaram | janaloke ca hṛdayaṃ tapoloke tu kaṃṭhakam 19| satyaloke mukhaṃ sthāpya mastakaṃ ca tadūrddhvakam | caṃdrasūryagrahāścaiva nakṣatrāṇi tathaiva ca 20| devāḥ seṃdrāśca nāgāśca yakṣagaṃdharvakinnarāḥ | stuvaṃto vedasaṃbhūtaiḥ sūktaiśca vividhaistathā 21| kare gṛhītvā ca baliṃ tripadaiḥ pūritā mahī | arddhaṃ ca tasya pṛṣṭhe ca padaṃ nyastaṃ mayā tadā 22| gato rasātalaṃ rājandānavo mama pūjakaḥ | kṣipto'dho dānavaścaiva kimakurvaṃ tataḥ param 23| vinayenānatosau vai suprasanno janārdanaḥ | āṣāḍhaśuklapakṣe tu kāmikā harivāsaraḥ 24| tasyāmekā ca mūrtirme balimāśritya tiṣṭhati | dvitīyā śeṣapṛṣṭhe vai kṣīrasāgaramadhyataḥ 25| svapityeva mahārāja yāvadāgāmi kārtikī | tāvadbhavetsudharmātmā sarvadharmottamottamaḥ 26| vrataṃ ca kurute martyaḥ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim | etasmātkāraṇādrājankarttavyā ca prayatnataḥ 27| nātaḥ paratarā kācitpavitrā pāpanāśinī | yasyāṃ svapiti deveśaḥ śaṃkhacakragadādharaḥ 28| tasyāṃ ca pūjayeddevaṃ śaṃkhacakragadādharam | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā bhaktyā caiva viśeṣataḥ 29| nāsyāḥ puṇyasya saṃkhyānaṃ kartuṃ śaktaścaturmukhaḥ | evaṃ yaḥ kurute rājannekādaśyā vratottamam 30| sarvapāpaharaṃ caiva bhuktimuktipradāyakam | sa ca loke mama sadā śvapaco'pi priyaṃkaraḥ 31| dīpadānena pālāśapatre bhuktyā vratena ca | cāturmāsyaṃ nayaṃtīha te narā mama vallabhāḥ 32| cāturmāsye harau supte bhūmiśāyī bhavennaraḥ | śrāvaṇe varjayecchākaṃ dadhi bhādrapade tathā 33| dugdhamāśvayuji tyājyaṃ kārtike dvidalaṃ tyajet | athavā brahmacaryasthaḥ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim 34| ekādaśyā vratenaiva pumānpāpairvimucyate | kartavyā sarvadā rājanvismartavyā na karhicit 35| śayanī bodhinī madhye yā kṛṣṇaikādaśībhavet | saivopoṣyā gṛhasthasya nānyā kṛṣṇā kadācana 36| śṛṇuyāccaiva yo rājankathāṃ pāpaharāṃ parām | aśvamedhasya yajñasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ 37| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe umāmaheśvarasaṃvāde devaśayanyekādaśīnāma tripaṃcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ 53|
English translation
Yudhiṣṭhira said :
1. Which would be (i.e. is) the Ekādaśī in the bright half of Āṣāḍha ? What is the name and the manner of it? (i.e. in which manner is it observed?) Tell me about it in detail.
Śrīkṛṣṇa said :
2-8. I shall tell you (about that Ekādaśī) named Śayanī which is very auspicious, which gives heaven and salvation, which is great and which removes all sins, merely hearing about which a man would obtain the fruit of a Vājapeya (sacrifice). I have told (you) the truth and the truth (only). Nothing is greater than this for men. O lord of kings, the best one is created by the Creator for the destruction of the sins of sinners. There is no greater (vow) than this which would give salvation. Listen, O king, for this reason that the best position would be obtained by men, the listeners, even by listening to it. Those are the Vaiṣṇavas (i.e. Viṣṇu ’s devotees) who are greatly devoted to me. In Āṣāḍha, the great god Vāmana (i.e. Viṣṇu) is worshipped. He who has worshipped with lotuses the lotus-eyed Vāmana in the bright half of Āṣāḍha on the day of Kāmikā, has honoured the entire world and has worshipped the three ancient gods (viz. Brahmā , Viṣṇu, and Śiva ); so also, he who has observed the Ekādaśī—the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu—has honoured the entire world and worshipped the three ancient gods.
Yudhiṣṭhira said :
9-10. O Viṣṇu, 1 have a great doubt here. (Please) listen. How do you sleep (in the ocean)? How have you resorted to Bali ? What do the other people do? Why do they sleep on the ground, O very intelligent one, tell (i.e. explain) this. I have a great doubt.
Śrīkṛṣṇa said :
11-16. O best king, listen to the great account which removes sins, (and) by merely hearing which all sins would perish. O king, formerly in the Tretā age there was a demon named Bali. Greatly devoted to me he worshipped me everyday. With various sacrifices the demon worshipped me, the ancient one. O king, with great devotion he performed sacrifices and observed vows. Then having deliberated in many ways with Indra , Brahaspati [ Bṛhaspati ?] and (other) deities, I though worshipped with hymns (by Bali) in various ways, conquered the demons with my Vāmana-form in my fifth incarnation, with (i.e. after taking up) a very fierce form of the nature of (i.e. pervading) the entire universe by prevarication. (Bali, however,) remained firm resorting to truth only. Śukra warded him off saying, ‘This is Viṣṇu’.
17-26. O king, I begged for land measured by my three steps and a half. When he offered the water just for conveying his intention, O king, listen, I took up a form like this: I put my feet in the ‘Bhūr’ world, and I put knees in the ‘ Bhuvas ’ world. I put my waist in the ‘ Svar ’ world, and belly in the ‘ Mahas ’ world. I put my heart in the ‘ Jana ’ world, and my neck in ‘ Tapas ’ world. I put my face in the ‘ Satya ’ world, and head above it. The planets like the Moon, the Sun, so also the constellations, so also gods with Indra, nāgas , yakṣas , gandharvas and kinnaras praised (me) with various hymns from the Vedas . Seizing Bali by his hand, I occupied the earth in three steps. Then I placed half the step on his head. O king, the demon, my worshipper, went to the lower world. I threw down the demon. What else did I do after it? He was bent with modesty, Viṣṇu was very much pleased. Kāmikā in the bright half of Āṣāḍha is Viṣṇu’s day. On that day one of my forms remains resorting to Bali. Another (form) lies on the back of Śeṣa in the ocean, O great king, till the coming (Ekādaśī) in Kārtika . Till then he would be very religious and devoted to best of all duties.
27-37. A man who observes the vow goes to the best position. For this reason, O king, it should be carefully observed. There is no other (Ekāḍaśī) than this which is pure and which destroys sins. On that day on which the lord of gods holding a conch, a disc, and a mace sleeps, a man should worship the god holding a conch, a disc, and a mace, and he should especially, with devotion, keep awake at night. (Even) Brahma is not able to measure the religious merit of (i.e. due to) it. O king, he who, in this way, observes this best vow of Ekādaśī, which removes all sins, gives pleasures and salvation, even though a cāṇḍāla , always lives in my heaven doing what is dear to me. Those men who pass the four months (from the eleventh of the bright half of Āṣāḍha to the eleventh of the bright half of Kārtika) by offering lights, and with the vow of eating on a palāśa -leaf, are dear to me. When Viṣṇu is lying (on Śeṣa), a man should sleep on the ground. He should avoid vegetables in Śrāvaṇa , and curd in Bhādrapada . He should avoid milk in Āśvina , and give up two-leafed (grains) in Kārtika. Or remaining in celibacy, he would reach the highest position. O king, due to the Ekādaśī-vow a man is freed from sins. It should always be observed. It should never be forgotten. That Ekādaśī falling in the dark half between Śayanī and Prabodhinī should be observed by a householder; never any other. O king, a man should listen to the great account which removes sins. He (thereby) obtains the fruit of a horse-sacrifice.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44625, revision 336434 (2022-04-22T01:47:46Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365630.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.