Text 29
ārirādhayiṣuḥ kṛṣṇaṁ
mahiṣyā tulya-śīlayā
yuktaḥ sāṁvatsaraṁ vīro
dadhāra dvādaśī-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.
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.