Chapter 37 - Keeping Awake on Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Mahādeva said:

1. O Nārada, listen to the importance of keeping awake, having listened to which (even) a great sinner undoubtedly obtains salvation.

Nārada said:

2-6. Viṣṇu, the lord of all, is always a purifier. O Śiva, I have heard from your mouth the importance of a fast (in honour) of him. Still I desire to hear about the importance of keeping awake. Of what kind is the importance of keeping awake? Of what kind is the nocturnal devotion? O lord of the universe, O master, tell (me) about the worship (offered) during the various watches. You are always adored in the worlds. You are god Janārdana (i.e. Viṣṇu). You are the god, the lord of the universe, since you are devoted to Viṣṇu. You, the lord of Umā, are the greatest among all devotees. In this world you are known by means of your devotion. Therefore, O lord of the universe, tell (me) in which manner people will be emancipated, so also (tell me about) the importance of keeping awake.

Mahādeva said:

7-18. On the Ekādaśi day a man, after having devoutly worshipped Viṣṇu at night, should keep awake along with Viṣṇu’s devotees in front of (the image of) Viṣṇu. The man who always sings, plays upon musical instruments, dances, listens to the Purāṇas, offers incense, waves lights (before the image), offers eatables, flowers, sandal and unguents, fruits, respectful offering, presents with devotion, and controls his senses, and O best brāhmaṇa, speaks truthful and proper words followed by action, and who always keeps awake gladly, is free from all sins and becomes dear to Viṣṇu. When keeping awake at night has become (necessary), those devotees of Viṣṇu who sleep, have lost (the fruit of) the fast and (that of) the vow called Viṣṇu(vrata).Those men, O wise one, who keep awake on the (night of the Viṣṇuvrata) called Viṣṇu-jāgara through devotion for Viṣṇu and do not at all sleep, and repeat mentally (i.e. to themselves) Viṣṇu’s name, should be known to be most blessed. Especially on this night (the repetition of Viṣṇu’s name gives the fruit of) the gift of a cow every moment; (the fruit) is fourfold (if the name is repeated) for a ghatikā; it is crorefold (if the name is repeated) for a watch (i.e. three hours); it is countless (if the name is repeated) for four watches. By keeping awake (just) for a twinkling of the eye (i.e. a moment), and that too especially in front of Viṣṇu, the fruit (obtained) is crorefold; it is countless. The fruit of (i.e. obtained by) the best man who dances in front of Viṣṇu, is never lost from his birth to his death. He should, with his mind free from dejection, wave lights before Viṣṇu, with wonder, energy, without sinful talk etc., accompanied by going round (the deity keeping it to his right) and preceded by a salutation.

19-27a. That man, who devoutly keeps awake on Ekādaśī, which is twentysixfold fruitful, is not reborn on the earth. He who thus without egotism born of wealth devoutly keeps awake on Viṣṇu’s day, is merged into the supreme soul. That wealthy man who through egotism born of wealth keeps awake, (is) a rogue and a wicked man (and) has indeed lost his soul. He, when the (occasion for) keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu has come, ridicules it, is born as an insect in feces (and remains as such) for sixty thousand years. That brāhmaṇa knowing the Vedas who, especially through dancing, indulges in ridicule is called a cāṇḍāla. He who for a moment or half a moment(?) keeps awake, obtains the best position (as far as) righteousness, material welfare and sensual pleasures (are concerned). He who is always devoted to the Vedic and scriptural injunctions and who every day performs sacrifices, goes down (to hell if) he ridicules when keeping awake at night has come (to be practised). He who worshipping me, is given to ridiculing Viṣṇu goes to hell with twentyone (members of) his family. Viṣṇu is Śiva and Śiva is Viṣṇu. They have the same form, (but) remain (separately) in two forms.

27b-30. Therefore, a man should not in any way ridicule (the vow). Bitten by the serpent of Kali the destroyers of honey sleep by day(?); deluded by illusion they do not at all keep awake. Those to whom Ekādaśī has come (and is passed by them) without keeping themselves awake in the Kali age have perished, since life is uncertain. There is no doubt about this. He raised the couple of eyes after having given the position of Viṣṇu (obscure!). Sinners do not see the awakening done (in honour) of Viṣṇu. In the absence of a public reader of a Purāṇa, he should get done singing and dancing. If there is a public reader, (then) O divine sage, he should first read the Purāṇa.

31-37a. O child, on doing the awakening (in honour) of Viṣṇu, the religious merit (that is obtained) is a crorefold more than that of a horse-sacrifice or a Vājapeya sacrifice. A man having kept awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu, emancipates the families on the side of father, on the side of mother and on the wife’s side. O brāhmaṇa, on keeping awake in honour of Viṣṇu he emancipates (the members of) his family. On a day of fast that is ‘pierced’ (i.e. that is mixed with another day) the keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu, worshipping him, giving gifts—all this is useless as (a good) turn done to the ungrateful. When keeping awake is bsgun on such a ‘pierced’ day—the day of the fast—Viṣṇu leaves that place and goes after giving a curse. Among those who keep awake on a day that is not ‘pierced’ (i.e. not mixed with another day), Viṣṇu being pleased remains in their midst and dances. For as many days as he keeps awake in front of Viṣṇu for so many yugas he is honoured in Viṣṇu’s world.

37b-41. For as many days as he remains without keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu, for those many thousands of years he does not return from (i.e. lives in) Raurava hell. He who on the Ekādaśī day sleeps without keeping awake or who remains like a dumb man and does not practise singing or does not read (the Purāṇa text), has dumbness for seven existences for want of keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu. O brāhmaṇa, one should know that he who, the foolish one, does not dance in front of Viṣṇu by keeping awake, has lameness for seven existences. But he who sings, dances and keeps awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu, gets Brahmā’s position, my position and truly that of Viṣṇu (also).

42-50. That devotee of Viṣṇu who (himself) being engaged in keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu, enlightens people, would live along with his manes and for a long time in Vaikuṇṭha. The man who gives (others) the idea about keeping awake(in honour) of Viṣṇu, would live for sixty thousand years in Śveta Dvīpa. O brāhmaṇa, all that sin which men commit during crores of existences, perishes during the night on keeping awake (in honour) of Śrikṛṣṇa. For those who keep awake in front of a Śālagrāma stone the fruit for every watch is said to be that which is had (by keeping awake on) a crore of lunar months. Those who do not keep awake when the day (of the vow) of Viṣṇu has come, their observance of the vow is in vain due to the censure of the devotees. Even by (the performance of) myriads of sacrifices pleasures of senses, wealth, sons, fame, eternal worlds are not obtained without keeping awake on the Dvādaśī (day). He who does not have a mind to keep awake on the Dvādaśī day, has no right to worship Viṣṇu. The number of footsteps of him who goes to Viṣṇu’s temple for keeping awake has the merit of an equal number of horse-sacrifices. For as many years a man keeping awake lives in heaven as the number of dust (particles) fallen there on the road from the feet (of those who) walk (along it).

51-58. Therefore, from one’s house one should go to Viṣṇu’s temple for keeping awake. In the Kali (age) to destroy sins this Dvādaśī is (the best) among Dvādaśīs. Keeping awake is said to be of nine types: Full of censure of others, with the mind void of tranquillity, bereft of sacred precepts, without music, so also without light (to be waved before the image of the deity), without the necessary articles (obtainable) according to one’s capacity, indifferent, full of censure, and especially full of quarrels. That keeping awake which is according to the scriptural injunctions, is full of dance and music with musical instruments, with the beating of time in music, with light and honey, is accompanied by proper utterances produced with devotion, is pleasing and causing delight, and amuses the enchanted people—(such) keeping awake having these twelve merits and dear to Viṣṇu should be done with efforts in the bright and the dark halves (of the month). What is the use of observing many vows and living at a sacred place to him who does not keep awake when the twelfth day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu has come? He who even while travelling and though full of perspiration, does not give up keeping awake on the twelfth day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, is dear to me, O brāhmaṇa.

59-62a. That devotee of me who deluded by sin does not keep awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu, has his worship in vain, (as) he would not (i.e. does not) worship him who is venerable to me. He who eats on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, is not a devotee of Śiva, is not a worshipper of the Sun, is not a devotee of Śakti, nor the votary of (Śiva’s) attendant. He should be known to be inferior to a beast. He, a wicked and sinful person, who eats on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, has, after having resorted to the strength of my devotion, acted disagreeably.

62b-64. His body is wrapped inside and outside with crores of sins. Those who keep awake on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, are freed. He who having kept awake, has observed the vow of Dvādaśī that is not mixed (with another day), has given an elbow to (i.e. has avoided) the messengers of Yama. O best sage, they, expecting (to go to) heaven are undoubtedly freed. (On the contrary) those who observe the vow of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu on a day mixed (with another day) have longed for happiness in hell.

65-69. He (i.e. such a man) has killed his manes, and has murdered gods; has given (his kingdom to demons by observing the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu which is mixed (with another day). For a man who keeps awake with such dispositions on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, who clapping his hands and with a delighted mind dances, who sings songs with his mouth, manifests (many kinds of) joy, who remaining awake on the night stands before Viṣṇu, reads Kṛṣṇa’s accounts, amuses the groups of Viṣṇu’s devotees, who with his hair standing on end produces musical sounds from his mouth, presents many kinds of food, and causes (others) to talk freely, the fruit at every moment is said to be the same as got by visiting crores of holy places.

70-74. He who without a dejected mind presents incense and waves lights in front (of the image) of Viṣṇu on the night of keeping awake (i.e. on which he keeps awake) would be the lord of the seven islands (i.e. of the earth). Due to keeping awake on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, all those sins like (the ones due to) the murder of a brāhmaṇa, perish piece by piece. On one hand are all the sacrifices concluded with (the offering of) excellent presents, and on the other there is keeping awake (in honour) of the god of gods. Which is dear to Viṣṇu? Kāśī, Puṣkara, Prayāga, Naimiṣa, Gayā, the great holy place of Śālagrāma, the Arbuda forest, Pauṣkara (i.e. the holy Puṣkara), Mathurā, and all (other) sacred places, so also sacrifices and all the four Vedas go to (i.e. attend) the keeping awake (in honour of) Viṣṇu.

75-78. O best brāhmaṇa, all rivers (like) Gaṅgā, Sarasvatī, Tāpī, Yamunā, Śatadrukā, Candrabhāgā, Vitastā, so also ponds, deep lakes, all seas go there on the Ekādaśī (day for) keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu. These men desirable to gods, being delighted by the musical instrument like the lute, dance and sing (at the time of) keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu. In this way having kept awake, having worshipped great Viṣṇu, he should, along with Viṣṇu’s devotees, break his fast on the Dvādaśī (day).

Mahādeva said:

79-84. O brāhmaṇa, listen. I shall explain (to you) the excellent importance of Dvādaśī. Dvādaśī should always be known to give sons and to give salvation. Having bathed in the morning, having worshipped Viṣṇu, one should observe a fast. ‘O Viṣṇu, by means of this vow of me who am blind due to the darkness of ignorance, be pleased, favour me and give me the sight of knowledge’. Then, after this, he should break fast as is possible for him. After this he should duly get done (proper rites) as desired. O brāhmaṇa, when the Dvādaśī (lasts) shorter for breaking the fast, then he who desires salvation, should break the fast at night. Then there would be no blemish due to (breaking the fast at) night and there would be nothing that is prohibited. He should get the duty done (i.e. should do it) as by day in the first and the next watches of the night, since it is said that a man should not bathe at night and should not eat at midnight.

85-92. When on the day of breaking the fast Dvādaśī lasts for a short time, then he should do both the morning and the mid-day rites in the morning. I am not able to describe the religious merit especially of that man who has always observed Dvadaśī on the earth. Great men having accomplised all desired objects, would obtain (salvation). Those devotees like Ambarīṣa and others who are well-known in the world, have gone to Viṣṇu’s abode after having observed (the vow of) Dvādaśī. What I told is the truth, the truth again, viz. that there is no god like Viṣṇu, and no day like Dvādaśī. Whatever is given on this day, whatever is eaten, and the worship etc. (offered on this day)—all that is complete when Viṣṇu is worshipped. What is the use of talking much? Viṣṇu dear to his devotees, gives them all their desired objects till the final destruction of the world. All that is given on the Dvādaśī would become fruitful. Whatever is given on the Kurukṣetra is never fruitless. In the same way, O best sage, whatever is given on Dvādaśī would become like that.