युक्त: सांवत्सरं वीरो दधार द्वादशीव्रतम् ॥ २९ ॥
mahiṣyā tulya-śīlayā
yuktaḥ sāṁvatsaraṁ vīro
dadhāra dvādaśī-vratam
bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī
araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ
yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham
SYNONYMS
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.
TRANSLATION
To worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, along with his queen, who was equally qualified, observed the vow of Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī for one year.
PURPORT
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:
bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī
araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ
yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham