vyas ji ke vachnanusar yah yatharth satya hai ki ardhamas (malmas) sahit ek varsh ki 26 ekadshiyon men se matra ek nirjala ekadshi ka vrat karne se hi sanpurn ekadshiyon ka fal prapt ho jata hai. nirjala vrat karne vala, apvitra avastha ke achaman ke siva, bindu matra jal bhi grahan n kare. ”vrishasthe mithunasthe'rke shukla hyekadshi bhavet. jyeshthe masi prayatnen soposhya jalavarjita.. snane chachmen chaiv varjayennodkan budhah. sanvatsarasya ya madhye ekadashyo bhavantyut.. tasan falmvapnoti atra me nasti sanshyah.“ (hemadrau-mahabharte vyasavachanam) yadi kisi prakar se jal upyog men le liya jae, to usse vrat bhang ho jata hai.
sanpurn indriyon ko drirhtapurvak bhogon se virakt kar, sarvantaryami shri hari ke charnon ka chintan karte hue, niyampurvak nirjal upvas kar ke, dvadshi ko snan karen aur samathrya ke anusar suvarn aur jalyukt kalash de kar bhojan karen, to sanpurn tirthon men ja kar snan-danadi karne ke saman fal milta hai. ek samay bahubhoji bhimsen ne pitamah vyas ji se pucha: he pitamh! bhrata yudhishthir, mata kunti, draupdi, arjun, nakul aur sahdev adi ekadshi ke din vrat karte hain aur ekadshi ke din ann khane ko mana karte hain. main unse kahta hun ki bhai, main bhaktipurvak bhagvan ki puja kar sakta hun, parantu main ekadshi ke din bhukha nahin rah sakta. is par vyas ji bole: he bhimsen! yadi tum narak ko bura aur svarg ko achcha samjhte ho, to pratyek mah ki donon ekadshiyon ko ann n khaya karo. is par bhimsen bola ah he pitamh! main apse pahle hi kah chuka hun ki main ek din, ek samay bhi bhojan kiye bina nahin rah sakta. fir mere lie pure din ka upvas karna kathin hai. yadi m prayatn karun, to ek vrat avashya kar sakta hun. atah ap mujhe koi ek vrat batlaie, jisse mujhe svarg ki prapti ho.
shri vyas ji bole: he vayu putra! bare-bare rishiyon aur maharshiyon ne bahut se shastra adi banaye hain. manushya ko donon pakshon ki ekadshiyon ka vrat karna chahie. isse unhen svarg ki prapti hoti hai. shri vyas ji ke vachnon ko sun kar bhimsen nark men jane ke vichar se atyant bhaybhit hue aur lata ke saman kanpne lage. vah bole: he pitamh! ab main kya karun? kyonki mujhse vrat nahin ho sakta, atah ap mujhe koi ek hi vrat batlaie, jisse meri mukti ho jae. is par shri vyas ji bole: he bhimsen! vrish aur mithun sankranti ke madhya jyeshth mah men shukla paksh ki ekadshi hoti hai. uska nirjala vrat karna chahie. is ekadshi ke vrat men snan aur achaman men jal varjit nahin hai, lekin achaman men 3 mashe se adhik jal nahin lena chahie. is achaman se sharir ki shuddhi ho jati hai. achaman men 7 mashe se adhik jal madyapan ke saman hai. is din bhojan karne se vrat nasht ho jata hai.
yadi suryoday se suryast tak manushya jalpan n kare, to use barah ekadshiyon ke fal ki prapti hoti hai. dvadshi ke din suryoday se pahle hi uthna chahie aur snan kar ke, brahman ko yathayogya dan dena chahie. iske pashchat bhukhe brahman ko bhojan karana chahie. tatpashchat svayan bhojan karna chahie. iska fal sanpurn ekadshiyon ke fal ke barabar hai. he bhimsen! svayan bhagvan ne mujhse kaha tha ki is ekadshi ka punya samast tirthon aur danon ke punya ke barabar hai. ek din nirjal rahne se manushya papon se mukt ho jata hai. jo manushya nirjal ekadshi ka vrat karta hai, usko mrityu ke samay bhayanak yamdut nahin dikhte hain. us samay bhagvan vishnu ke dut svarg se ate hain aur unko pushpak viman par bitha kar svarg le jate hain. atah sansar men sabse shreshth nirjala ekadshi ka vrat hai. atah yatnapurvak is ekadshi ka nirjal vrat karna chahie.
us din ”om namo bhagvte vasudevay“ mantra uchcharan karna chahie. vyas dev ji ke aise vachan sun kar bhim ne nirjal vrat kiya. islie is ekadshi ko bhimseni ya pandav ekadshi bhi kahte hain. nirjal vrat karne se pahle bhagvan ki puja karni chahie aur unse vinay karni chahie ki dusre din bhojan karunga. main is vrat ko shraddhapurvak karunga. isse mere sab pap nasht ho jate hain. is din, ek bare vastra se dhank kar, svarn sahit dan karna chahie. jo manushya is vrat ko do prahar men, snan-tap adi kar ke, karte hain, unko karor svarn ke dan ka fal milta hai. jo manushya is din yagya homadi karta hai, uska fal varnan bhi nahin ho sakta. is nirjala ekadshi ke vrat se manushya vishnu lok ko jata hai. jo manushya is din ann khate hain, unhen chandal samjhna chahie. ve ant men narak men jate hain. brahm hatyare, madyapan karne vale, chori karne vale, guru se dvesh karne vale, asatya bolne vale is vrat ko karne se svarg ko jate hain. he kunti putra! jo purush ya stri is vrat ko shraddhapurvak karte hain, unhen sarvapratham vishnu bhagvan ki puja karni chahie. tatpashchat gau dan karna chahie.
us din brahmanon ko dakshina, mishthann adi dena chahie. nirjala ke din ann, vastra, chatra, upanah adi ka dan karna chahie. jo manushya is katha ko prempurvak sunte aur parhte hain, unko svarg ki prapti hoti hai.