Shloka 7

Ekādaśī-Vrata Nirṇaya: Avoiding Daśamī-Viddha and Establishing Trimīśrā

Devanagari script

रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्वन्पुराणश्रवणं नृपः / गदाधरं पूजयंश्च उपोष्यैका दशीद्वयम् / रुक्माङ्गदो ययौ मोक्षमन्ये चैकादशीव्रतम्

Transliteration

rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kurvanpurāṇaśravaṇaṃ nṛpaḥ / gadādharaṃ pūjayaṃśca upoṣyaikā daśīdvayam / rukmāṅgado yayau mokṣamanye caikādaśīvratam

Translation

Indem er nachts wachte, die Purāṇas hörte, Gadādhara (Viṣṇu) verehrte und an beiden Ekādaśī fastete, erlangte König Rukmāṅgada die Befreiung; ebenso auch andere durch das Ekādaśī-Gelübde.

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• जागरणम्: wakefulness, vigil
• जागरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जागरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• कुर्वन्: doing, performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृसमानाधिकरण (agent-participle)

• पुराणश्रवणम्: hearing of the Purāṇa
• पुराणश्रवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुराणस्य श्रवणम्); कर्म

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• गदाधरम्: Gadādhara (Viṣṇu, bearer of the mace)
• गदाधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गदां धरतीति); कर्म

• पूजयन्: worshipping
• पूजयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृसमानाधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपवस् (धातु) + ल्यप्/क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• एका: one (single)
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (दशीद्वयम् इत्यस्य)

• दशीद्वयम्: a pair of Daśī (tenth lunar days)
• दशीद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशी (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (दशीनां द्वयम्); कर्म

• रुक्माङ्गदः: Rukmāṅgada (proper name)
• रुक्माङ्गदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (रुक्मः अङ्गदः यस्य/रुक्ममय-अङ्गदः); कर्ता

• ययौ: went, attained
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकादशीव्रतम्: the Ekādaśī vow/fast
• एकादशीव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (एकादश्याः व्रतम्); कर्म (अनुष्ठेयम्)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (narrating to Garuḍa/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ekadashi-vrata with night-vigil, Purana-hearing, and worship of Gadadhara grants moksha.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as a direct means to purification (citta-shuddhi) and grace leading to liberation; karma transmuted into sadhana when offered to Vishnu.

Application: Observe Ekadashi with fasting as per capacity, keep a portion of the night in japa/kirtana or Purana listening, and perform Vishnu-puja with sincerity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Uttara/Preta-khanda): Ekadashi-mahatmya and Vishnu-vrata passages (general thematic parallel); Garuda Purana: Vishnu-nama and vrata-phala sections (general thematic parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Gadādhara (Viṣṇu)
• Rukmāṅgada

FAQs

What is the importance of Ekādaśī in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse presents Ekādaśī as a direct dharmic practice leading toward mokṣa when combined with fasting (upoṣa), night vigil (jāgaraṇa), Purāṇa listening, and worship of Viṣṇu (Gadādhara).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Rather than describing post-death geography, it emphasizes a preventive spiritual path: disciplined observance and Viṣṇu-bhakti that purify karma and culminate in liberation (mokṣa), exemplified by Rukmāṅgada.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

On Ekādaśī, keep a mindful fast as able, spend the evening in devotional wakefulness, listen/read Purāṇic teachings, and offer worship to Viṣṇu—treating the day as a structured practice of restraint and remembrance.