padma ekadshi ka vrat bhadrapad mas shuklapaksh ekadshi ko kiya jata hai. ek samay dharmaraj yudhishthir ne akaran karunavrunalay puran purushottam bhagvan shrikrishn ke charnon men pranam kar pucha, he bhagavan. main bhadrapad mas shukla paksh ki ekadshi padma ka mahatmya shravan karna chahta hun. iska kya vidhan hai? kis devta ka pujan kiya jata hai? fal kya hai? kripa karke batlaiye. parmaradhya brajeshvar bhagvan shrikrishn ne kaha- he nripashreshth dharmaraj. shram tap vinashak, sachchidanand prabhu ke charan kamlon men priti barhane vali tatha sanpurn mano'bhilashaon ko purn karne vali padma ekadshi ke vrat men dashmi tithi ko shuddh chitt hokar suryanarayan bhagvan ke ast hone se pahle hi din men ek bar satvik bhojan karane. man aur indriyon ko vash men rakhte hue prabhu nam ka smaran karta hua din vyatit karen tatha ratri men vishram karen. pratahkal brahm muhurt men jagakar nityanaimittik karyon ko purnakar ekadshi vrat ka sankalp karen tatha ganesh navagrahadi devtaon v bhagvan shrikrishn v shriradharani ka vidhivat shodshopchar pujan karen.
bhagvan ke alaukik divya lila charitron ka karnendriya puton se shravan v mantron ka jap karen. ratri men jagaran v bhagavat sankirtan karen. dvadshi men punah vidhipurvak pujnadi krityon ke uprant panch mahayagyaon ko purn karte hue brahmanon ko yathashakti susvadisht pakvannon v mishthannon se tript kar vastra, dravya, dakshinadi samarpit kar adar sahit vida karen. taduprant svayan bandhu-bandhvon ke sath bhagvan ka prasad grahan karen. rajan ! is vishay men main tumhen param kalyankari, anandapradata tatha ashcharyajanak katha sunata hun; jise brahmaji ne mahatma narad se kaha tha. nardji ne pucha - chaturmukh ! apko namaskar hai. main bhagvan vishnu ki aradhna ke liye apke mukh se yah sunna chahta hun ki bhadrapdmas ke shukla paksh men kaun-si ekadshi hoti hai? brahmaji ne kaha - munishreshth ! tumne bahut uttam bat puchi hai. kyon n ho, vaishnav jo thahre. bhadon ke shukla paksh ki ekadshi -‘padma’ ke nam se vikhyat hai. us din bhagvan hrishikesh ki puja hoti hai. yah uttam vrat avashya karne yogya hai. suryavansh men mandhata namak ek chakravarti, satyapratigya aur pratapi rajarshi ho gaye hain. ve praja ka apne oras putron ki bhanti dharmapurvak palan kiya karte the.
unke rajya men akal nahin parta tha, mansik chintaen nahin satati thin aur vyadhiyon ka prakop bhi nahin hota tha. unki praja nirbhay tatha dhan-dhanya se samriddh thi. maharaj ke kosh men keval nyayoparjit dhan ka hi sangrah tha. unke rajya men samast varnon aur ashramon ke log apne-apne dharm men lage rahte the. mandhata ke rajya ki bhumi kamdhenu ke saman fal dene vali thi. unke rajya karte samay praja ko bahut sukh prapt hota tha. ek samay kisi karm ka falbhog prapt hone par raja ke rajya men tin varshon tak varsha nahin hui. isse unki praja bhukh se pirit ho nasht hone lagi; tab sanpurn praja ne maharaj ke pas akar is prakar kaha- praja boli - nripashreshth ! apko praja ki bat sunni chahiye. puranon men manishi purushon ne jalko ‘nara’ kaha hai; vah nara hi bhagvan ka ayan - nivas sthan hai; isliye ve narayan kahlate hain. narayanasvarup bhagvan vishnu sarvatra vyapak rup men virajman hain. ve hi meghasvarup hokar varsha karte hain, varsha se ann paida hota hai aur ann se praja jivan dharan karti hai.
he nripashreshth ! is samay ann ke bina praja ka nash ho raha hai; atah aisa koi upay kijiye, jisse hamare yog kshem ka nirvah ho. raja ne kaha - aplogon ka kathan satya hai, kyonki ann ko brahm kaha gaya hai. ann se prani utpann hote hain aur ann se jagat jivan dharan karta hai. lok men bahudha aisa suna jata hai tatha puran men bhi bahut vistar ke sath aisa varnan hai ki rajaon ke atyachar se praja ko pira hoti hai; kintu jab main buddhi se vichar karta hun to mujhe apna kiya hua koi apradh nahin dikhayi deta. fir bhi main praja ka hit karne ke liye purn prayatn karunga. aisa nishchay karke raja mandhata ine-gine vyaktiyon ko sath lekar vidhata ko pranam karke saghan van ki or chal diye. vahan jakar mukhya-mukhya muniyon aur tapasviyon ke ashramon par ghumte fire. ek din unhen brahmaputra adgira rishi ka darshan hua. un par drishti parte hi raja harsh men bharakar apne vahan se utar pare aur indriyon ko vash men rakhte hue donon hath jorakar unhonne muni ke charnon men pranam kiya.
munine bhi ‘svasti’ kahakar raja ka abhinandan kiya aur unke rajya ke saton angon ki kushal puchi. munine raja ko asan aur aghrya diya. unhen grahan karke jab ve muni ke samip baithe to unhonne inke agaman ka karan pucha. tab raja ne kaha - bhagavan ! main dharmanukul pranali se prithvi ka palan kar raha tha. fir bhi mere rajya men varsha ka abhav ho gaya. iska kya karan hai, is bat ko main nahin janta. rishi bole - rajan, yah sab yugon men uttam satyayug hai. ismen sab log parmatma ke chintan men lage rahte hain tatha is samay dharm apne charon charnon se yukt hota hai. is yug men keval brahman hi tapasvi hote hain, dusre log nahin. kintu maharaj ! tumhare rajya men yah shudra tapasya karta hai; isi karan medh pani nahin barsate. tum iske pratikar ka yatn karo; jisse yah anavrishti ka dosh shant ho jay. raja ne kaha - munivar ! ek to yah tapasya men laga hai, dusre nirpradh hai; atah main iska anisht nahin karunga.
ap ukt dosh ko shant karne vale kisi dharm ka updesh kijiye. rishi bole - rajan, yadi aisi bat hai to ekadshi ka vrrat karo. bhadrapdmas ke shukla paksh men ‘padma, nam se vikhyat ekadshi hoti hai, uske vrat ke prabhav se nishchay hi uttam vrishti hogi. naresh ! tum apni praja aur parijnon ke sath iska vrat karo. rishi ka yah vachan sunakar raja apne ghar laut aye. unhonne charon varnon ki samast prajaon ke sath bhadon ke shukla paksh ki ‘padma’ ekadshi ka vrat kiya. is prakar vrat karne par megh pani barsane lage. prithvi jal se aplavit ho gayi aur hari-bhari kheti se sushobhit hone lagi. us vrat ke prabhav se sab log sukhi ho gaye. bhagvan shrikrishn kahte hain - rajan! is karan is uttam vrat ka anushthan avashya karna chahiye.
‘padma’ ekadshi ke din jal se bhare hue ghare ko vastra se dhakakar dahi aur chaval ke sath brahman ko dan dena chahiye, sath hi chata aur juta bhi dena chahiye. dan karte samay nimnankit mantra ka uchcharan kare- namo namaste govind budhashravnsangyak.. aghaughsankshayan kritva sarvasaukhyaprado bhav. bhuktimuktipradashchaiv lokanan sukhdaykah .. budhvar aur shravan nakshatra ke yog se yukt dvadshi ke din buddhashravan nam dharan karne vale bhagvan govind ! apko namaskar hai, namaskar hai; meri paprashi ka nash karke ap mujhe sab prakar ke sukh pradan karen. ap punyatmajnon ko bhog aur moksh pradan karne vale tatha sukhdayak hain. rajan, iske parhne aur sunne se manushya sab papon se mukt ho jata hai.