Abhanga 2881
Jyāsī nāvaḍe Ekādaśī — (he) to whom Ekādaśī is not nāvaḍe (liked); tō jitā chi naraka-vāsī — that one, even while living, (is) naraka-vāsī (a resident of hell).
The verse
ज्यासी नावडे एकादशी । तो जिता चि नरकवासी ॥१॥
ज्यासी नावडे हें व्रत । त्यासी नरक तो ही भीत ॥ध्रु.॥
ज्यासी मान्य एकादशी । तो जिता चि मुक्तवासी ॥२॥
ज्यासी घडे एकादशी । जाणें लागे विष्णुपाशीं ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे पुण्यराशी । तो चि करी एकादशी ॥४॥
Literal translation
Jyāsī nāvaḍe Ekādaśī — (he) to whom Ekādaśī is not nāvaḍe (liked); tō jitā chi naraka-vāsī — that one, even while living, (is) naraka-vāsī (a resident of hell). Jyāsī nāvaḍe he vrata — (he) to whom this vrata is not liked; tyāsī naraka tō hī bhīta — to him — naraka itself is bhīta (afraid). Jyāsī mānya Ekādaśī — (he) to whom Ekādaśī is mānya (acceptable, accepted); tō jitā chi mukta-vāsī — that one, while living, (is) mukta-vāsī (a resident of liberation). Jyāsī ghaḍe Ekādaśī — (he) to whom Ekādaśī ghaḍe (regularly occurs, takes-place); jāṇe lāge Viṣṇu-pāśī — (his) jāṇe (going-after-death) attaches-(him)-to Viṣṇu-pāśī (Viṣṇu-side). Tukā says: puṇya-rāśī — (he is) a puṇya-rāśī (heap-of-merit); tō chi karī Ekādaśī — (only) that one performs Ekādaśī**.
What it means
THE canonical 4-verse Ekādaśī-vrata-mahima text. The Ekādaśī-vrata — the 11th-tithi-fasting-vrata observed twice-monthly (in both śukla and krṣṇa paksha) — is the foundational Vārkarī ritual-discipline. The bi-annual Āṣāḍhī Ekādaśī (June-July) and Kārtikī Ekādaśī (October-November) are the great Vārkarī pilgrimage-festivals at Paṇḍharpur.
Verse 1: Jyāsī nāvaḍe Ekādaśī — tō jitā chi naraka-vāsī — who doesn't like Ekādaśī — is, while-living, a naraka-resident. The hyperbolic-warning: non-observance is naraka-while-living.
Dhrūpada: Jyāsī nāvaḍe he vrata — tyāsī naraka tō hī bhīta — who doesn't like this vrata — naraka itself is afraid of him. The intensification: such a one is so bad that even-naraka fears him.
Verse 2: Jyāsī mānya Ekādaśī — tō jitā chi mukta-vāsī — who accepts Ekādaśī — is, while-living, a mukti-resident. The mirror-claim: observance is mukti-while-living.
Verse 3: Jyāsī ghaḍe Ekādaśī — jāṇe lāge Viṣṇu-pāśī — who regularly observes Ekādaśī — (his after-death) going attaches him to Viṣṇu-side. The eschatological-promise: regular observance ensures Viṣṇu-pāśī-going at death.
Close: Tukā mhaṇe puṇya-rāśī — tō chi karī Ekādaśī — Tukā: (he is) a heap-of-merit — that one alone performs Ekādaśī. The qualifying-claim: only the puṇya-rāśī performs Ekādaśī; the rest can't even bring-themselves-to-it.
The verse-structure is a four-fold sequential-mirror: non-observer = naraka-vāsī while-living + naraka-fears-him after-death; observer = mukti-vāsī while-living + Viṣṇu-pāśī after-death. The Tukārām-warrant: Ekādaśī is the dividing-vrata-of-bhakti.
For someone today
THE canonical Ekādaśī-vrata text. Who doesn't like Ekādaśī — is, living, naraka-resident. Who doesn't like this vrata — naraka itself fears him. Who accepts Ekādaśī — is, living, mukti-resident. Who regularly observes Ekādaśī — (his after-death) going attaches to Viṣṇu-side. (He is) a heap-of-merit — that one alone performs Ekādaśī. The verse is the foundational textual-warrant for Vārkarī Ekādaśī-observance. The hyperbolic-claims (naraka-while-living, mukti-while-living) are deliberately-strong to encourage-observance. The deeper-claim: only the puṇya-rāśī can-bring-himself to do Ekādaśī — the discipline itself is a grace-given-only-to-those-with-prior-merit.
Where this applies
- THE canonical Vārkarī Ekādaśī-vrata text
- Recited as the Ekādaśī-vrata-mahima announcement
- Recognizing Ekādaśī-vrata as the Vārkarī defining-discipline
- The non-observer-naraka-vāsī + observer-mukti-vāsī mirror
- Puṇya-rāśī alone performs Ekādaśī — observance-as-grace