Chapter 51 - Nirjalā Ekādaśī

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Yudhiṣṭhira said:—

1. O Janārdana, I have heard the full importance of Aparā. O you who show respect (to others), tell me about that (Ekādaśī) which would fall (i.e. falls) in the bright half of Jyeṣṭha.

Śrīkṛṣṇa said:

2. Satyavatī’s pious son, Vyāsa, who knows the essence of all sacred texts and who has mastered the Vedas and the Upaniṣads will tell (you about) it.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

3. I have heard the duties as told by Manu, so also as told by Vasiṣṭha. O Dvaipāyana, you please tell properly the duties of Viṣṇu’s devotees.

Śrī Vedavyāsa said:

4-9. O lord of men, you have listened to the duties as told by Manu, so also as told by Vasiṣṭha. They cannot be practised in Kaliyuga. O you very intelligent one, (the Ekādaśī vow) is the essence of (i.e. of what is told in) the Purāṇas, is an easy means, requires little money, little effort, (but) gives great fruit. One should not eat on the Ekādaśī-days of both the fortnights (of a month). On the Dvādaśī day, being pure, having worshipped Viṣṇu, having honoured (a brāhmaṇa), one should then eat with a brāhmaṇa. O king, one should not eat during the impurity caused by a birth or a death in the family. O best of men, those who desire to go to heaven should practise this vow as long as they live. There is no doubt about this. Even those who are sinners, who are of a wicked conduct, who are most sinful, who are bereft of piety, go to my proximity (i.e. reach me) if they do not eat on Ekādaśī.

10. Having heard these words of him, the mighty-armed Bhīma trembled like an aśvattha-leaf, and saluting his preceptor, said to him:

Bhīmasena said:

11-14. O grandsire, O you very intelligent one, listen to my important words. Yudhiṣṭhira and Kuntī, so also Draupadī and Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, who practise (this) good vow, never eat on the day of Ekādaśī. They always tell me, “O Bhīma, do not eat (on the Ekādaśī day).” I told them: “For me hunger is difficult to bear. I shall duly give gifts. I shall worship Viṣṇu.”

Hearing the words of Bhīmasena, Vyāsa said (these) words:

Vyāsa said:

15. If you desire (to go to) heaven, and if (you think) hell is painful, then you should not eat on the Ekādaśī of both the fortnights.

Bhīmasena said:

16-18. O grandsire, O you very intelligent one, I shall tell in front of (i.e. to) you. I am not able (to go on) by eating(even) once a day. Then O lord, how can I (put up with) a fast? That fire, called Vṛka, which is always present in my belly, is extinguished only when I eat many times. O great sage, I am not able to observe a (single) fast. I shall properly observe that due to which heaven is reached. Therefore, having decided about one, tell me that by (observing) which I shall obtain heaven.

Vyāsa said:

19-26. When the Ekādaśī would fall on (the day when the Sun) is in the second or the third sign of the Zodiac in the month of Jyeṣṭha, a wise man should carefully observe (the Ekādaśī fast) without (even drinking) water. He should avoid even sipping a mouthful of water and should not eat (at all). Otherwise the vow would be broken. Listen, when a man (lives even) by avoiding water from the sunrise of a day to the sunrise (of the next day), he obtains the fruit of twelve Dvādaśīs. Then in the auspicious morning of the Dvādaśī day he should bathe, and having duly given water, gold etc. to brāhmaṇas, he, being contended and controlled, should eat along with brāhmaṇas. O Bhīmasena, listen to the religious merit (which is obtained) by doing like this. There is no doubt that he hereby obtains the fruit of the Ekādaśīs that fall during the year. Keśava, the holder of a conch, a disc and a mace told me like this: “Leaving all others a man should seek my refuge only.” A man, not eating on an Ekādaśī day is freed from sins. In the Kali-age, there is no purity of objects. Rites (or ceremonies) are based on the Smṛtis.

27-33a. How can there be a rite based on the Vedas, when the wicked Kali-age has arrived? O son of Vāyu (i.e. Bhīma), what is the use of telling you much again and again? A man should not eat on the Ekādaśī of both the fortnights. Listen, O Bhīma, to the auspicious fruit that (a man) obtains by remaining without water on the Ekādaśī day of the bright half of the month of Jyeṣṭha. O Bhīma, if fasts are observed on all the auspicious Ekādaśī days that are said to fall during the year and in the bright or dark fortnights (of each month), they give wealth and grains, give sons, good health and auspicious (things). O king, there is no doubt about it. I am telling you the truth. The big-bodied, fierce, dark-formed, fearful messengers of Yama, who hold staffs and nooses, do not approach that man. (But) Viṣṇu’s messengers who have put on yellow garments, who are gentle, who have held discs in their hands, whose speed is like that of the mind, take him on his death to Viṣṇu’s city.

33b-4l. Therefore, with all efforts a man should observe the Ekādaśī-fast without (drinking even) water. Then having given he is freed from all sins. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, on this day observe a fast and worship Viṣṇu with all efforts for the destruction of your sins. “Even by means of passion as much as the size of the point of an arrow, I have not sinned even in a dream. O lord of gods, I shall eat food on the next day of the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu.” Uttering this hymn he should engage himself in (observing) the fast of Ekādaśī after being endowed with faith and restraint for the destruction of all his sins. By the power of Ekādaśī all the sin of the size of the Meru and Mandara mountains, which a man has committed, is reduced to ash. O king, those who are not able to give should give a pitcher containing gold along with garments. He who, on this day, observes the vow of (not drinking even) water, is meritorious. The fruit of the gift of gold is said to be a crorefold in every watch. All that (like) a bath, a gift, muttering of prayers, a sacrifice that is given (or performed) by a man, becomes unending. This is told by Kṛṣṇa himself. What is the. use of any other religious rite than the Ekādaśī observed without (drinking) water?

42-52. Having properly observed it with due rites, a man would obtain Viṣṇu’s position. All that like gold, food, garments, which are given by a man on this day, would, O king, be inexhaustible. He who eats food on the Ekādasī day eats sin. In this world he becomes a cāṇḍāla and after death gets a miserable position. Those who, having fasted, will give gifts on the Dvādaśī day in the bright half of the month of Jyeṣṭha, obtain the highest position. Those like the killer of a brāhmaṇa, a drunkard, a thief, a hater of his preceptor or one who always tells lies, who fast without (even drinking) water, are freed from all sins. O son of Kuntī, listen to the special gift which is to be given on the Ekādaśī day, on which not (even) water (is to be drunk) by men and women endowed with faith. He who lies in water should be worshipped and a watery cow should be given (to a brāhmaṇa). An actual cow should be given or of ghee. O best among the righteous, brahmaṇas should be carefully pleased by means of big presents and with various kinds of sweet food. The brāhmaṇas are pleased, and when they are pleased, Viṣṇu gives salvation. Those who have not fasted on this day have wronged themselves. They—the sinners, and of a bad conduct—have been undoubtedly plundered. Those who, being calm, controlled, devoted to (giving) gifts, worshipped Viṣṇu, and keeping awake, fasted on this day, have taken along with themselves a hundred (members) past and future (of) their families to the abode of Viṣṇu.

53-58. On this day on (which even) water (should) not (be drunk) food, garments, so also cows, water, a good bed and a good seat, a water-pot used by an ascetic, so also an umbrella should be given (to a brāhmaṇa). He who gives a pair of shoes to the best brāhmaṇa—a worthy recipient—is honoured in heaven (after being taken there) by (i.e. in) a golden aeroplane. He who would listen to (the account of) this with devotion, and he who would narrate it, both go to heaven. No doubt should be raised about this. That fruit which a man obtains by offering a śrāddha at Kurukṣetra when the Sun is eclipsed by Rāhu, is obtained even by listening to (the account of) this. After cleaning his teeth, he should have the restriction: ‘On the day of the Ekādaśī, to please Viṣṇu, I shall, remaining without food, avoid water except for sipping.’ Viṣṇu, the lord of gods, should be worshipped on Dvādaśī.

59-64. Having duly worshipped (Viṣṇu) with sandal, incenses, flowers, so also pleasing garments, he should recite this hymn: “O god of gods, O Hṛṣīkeśa, O you who emancipate (beings) from the ocean of the mundane existence, take me to the highest position due to (my offering) the pitcher of water.” O Bhīma, on that auspicious Ekādaśī which falls in the bright half of Jyeṣtha, a man should fast without (even) drinking water, by giving water pitchers with sugar to the best brāhmaṇas. (Due to this) he rejoices with Viṣṇu. Then he should devoutly give pitchers to brāhmaṇas. Having then fed the brāhmaṇas, he should take food with devotion to them. He who thus observes the full Dvādaśī, removing sins, is free from all sins and goes to the good position (of Viṣṇu).

Since then Bhīma observed (a fast on) this Ekādaśī day. In the world the Dvādaśī came to be known as Pāṇḍava-Dvādaśī.