FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.29

आरिराधयिषु: कृष्णं महिष्या तुल्यशीलया । युक्त: सांवत्सरं वीरो दधार द्वादशीव्रतम् ॥ २९ ॥
ārirādhayiṣuḥ kṛṣṇaṁ
[aariraadhayishuh krishnam]
mahiṣyā tulya-śīlayā
[mahishyaa tulya-sheelayaa]
yuktaḥ sāṁvatsaraṁ vīro
[yuktah saamvatsaram veero]
dadhāra dvādaśī-vratam
[dadhaara dvaadashee-vratam]
ārirādhayiṣuḥ — aspiring to worship kṛṣṇam — the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa mahiṣyā — with his queen tulya-śīlayā — who was equally as qualified as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa yuktaḥ — together sāṁvatsaram — for one year vīraḥ — the King dadhāra — accepted dvādaśī-vratam — the vow for observing Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ārirādhayiṣuḥ kṛṣṇaṁ
ārirādhayiṣuḥ
aspiring to worship
kṛṣṇam
the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa
mahiṣyā tulya-śīlayā
mahiṣyā
with his queen
tulya-śīlayā
who was equally as qualified as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa
yuktaḥ sāṁvatsaraṁ vīro
yuktaḥ
together
sāṁvatsaram
for one year
vīraḥ
the King
dadhāra dvādaśī-vratam
dadhāra
accepted
dvādaśī-vratam
the vow for observing Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī.
To worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, along with his queen, who was equally qualified, observed the vow of Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī for one year.

To observe Ekādaśī-vrata and Dvādaśī-vrata means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those interested in advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must observe Ekādaśī-vrata regularly. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa’s queen was equally as qualified as the King. Therefore it was possible for Mahārāja Ambarīṣa to engage his life in household affairs. In this regard, the word tulya-śīlayā is very significant. Unless a wife is equally as qualified as her husband, household affairs are very difficult to continue. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita advises that a person in such a situation should immediately give up household life and become a vānaprastha or sannyāsī:

mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham

A person who has no mother at home and whose wife is not agreeable with him should immediately go away to the forest. Because human life is meant for spiritual advancement only, one’s wife must be helpful in this endeavor. Otherwise there is no need of household life.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Desiring to worship Kṛṣṇa, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, along with his queen, who was equally qualified, observed the vow of Dvādaśī for one year. By showing his devotion to the Ekadaśī vow, Ambarīṣa’s steady bhakti is revealed.
Ambarīṣa and his queen, equally qualified, observed Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī for a full year. A spiritually matched spouse turns household life into shared sādhana rather than competing agendas.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I treating sādhana as solo when my partner could be co-vowed alongside me?
  • What single practice could we adopt together for one year to become more 'tulya-śīla'?
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