Shloka 156
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
एकादश्युपवासस्य कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । एकादशेंद्रियैः पापं यत्कृतं वैश्य मानवैः
ekādaśyupavāsasya kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm | ekādaśeṃdriyaiḥ pāpaṃ yatkṛtaṃ vaiśya mānavaiḥ
อานุภาพแห่งการถืออุโบสถในวันเอกาทศีสูงยิ่งนัก แม้เพียงหนึ่งในสิบหกส่วนก็เทียบมิได้; บาปที่มนุษย์ (เช่นพวกไวศยะ) กระทำผ่านอินทรีย์ทั้งสิบเอ็ด ย่อมถูกทำลายสิ้น
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svargakhaṇḍa 31; likely a narrator/teacher voice in dialogue)
Concept: Ekādaśī fasting is so potent that even a sixteenth share of comparable merit cannot match it; it counteracts sins produced through the eleven sense-faculties.
Application: Use Ekādaśī as a structured day of sense-discipline: reduce sensory overload (food, media, speech), increase mantra-japa, and practice mindful restraint to weaken habitual wrongdoing.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic tableau shows a fasting devotee seated in meditation while eleven subtle streams—representing the senses and mind—flow outward as smoky tendrils toward tempting objects, then reverse and dissolve into a radiant Viṣṇu-lotus at the heart. Above, a faint mandala of sixteen segments (ṣoḍaśa-kalā wheel) appears, with Ekādaśī’s single point shining brighter than the rest.","primary_figures":["a fasting devotee (yogi-bhakta)","Padmanābha/Vishnu as inner lotus presence","personified senses (symbolic forms)"],"setting":"Interior sanctum-like meditation space blending into a cosmic mindscape; lotus seat, minimal ritual items, a tulasī leaf near a water pot (optional).","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["midnight blue","aura gold","smoky violet","lotus white","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central meditating devotee with embossed golden aura, Padmanābha appearing in a heart-lotus with gold leaf halo; eleven stylized sense-streams rendered as ornamental ribbons turning into lotus petals; a sixteen-segment golden mandala above; rich reds/greens, gem-like highlights, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate allegory—devotee seated by a small shrine, faint translucent figures of senses drifting toward objects then returning as pale petals to a luminous Vishnu-lotus; cool palette, fine brushwork, poetic minimalism, soft gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and flat pigments—Vishnu in a heart-lotus, eleven ribbon-like sense motifs curling back; strong reds/yellows/greens with black contouring, temple-wall allegory aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular mandala composition with sixteen petals around the border, central Vishnu-lotus and devotee; intricate floral borders, deep blue ground, gold detailing, stylized motifs for senses as peacock-feather-like curls returning inward."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft tanpura drone","temple bells (distant)","silence","occasional conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ekādaśī+upavāsasya → ekādaśyupavāsasya; na+arhanti → nārhaṃti; ekādaśa+indriyaiḥ → ekādaśeṃdriyaiḥ (a+i → e); yat+kṛtam → yatkṛtam.
FAQs
It extols the exceptional purifying power of Ekādaśī fasting, stating that its merit surpasses other measures and can destroy sins generated through the activity of the sense-faculties.
In many Sanskrit philosophical contexts, “eleven indriyas” refers to the ten external faculties (five sense-organs and five organs of action) plus the mind (manas) as the eleventh.
The mention functions as an illustrative category (a social class example) rather than an exclusion; the ethical point is general: sins arising through sense-driven behavior are countered by disciplined observances like Ekādaśī.