कार्तिके योऽर्चयेद्भक्त्या वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् । मुनिपुष्पकृतां मालां यो ददाति जनार्दने
Whoever worships with devotion in the month of Kartika attains the fruit of a horse sacrifice; whoever offers to Janardana a garland made by a sage.
देवेंद्रोऽपि मुनिश्रेष्ठ कुरुते तस्य सत्कथाम् । गवामयुतदानेन यत्फलं प्राप्यते गुह
Even the king of the gods, O best of sages, recounts his glorious deeds; the fruit gained by giving ten thousand cows, O Guha.
मुनिपुष्पेण चैकेन कार्तिके लभते फलम् । कौस्तुभेन यथा प्रीतो यथा च वनमालया
With a single flower from a sage, one attains the fruit in Kartika, just as he is pleased by the Kaustubha gem and by the forest garland.
तुलसीदलेन संप्रीतः कार्तिके च तथा हरिः । सिऊ!त उवाच। प्रश्रयावनतं दृष्ट्वा कुमारं भक्तितत्परम्
Hari is pleased in Kartika with a single tulasi leaf as with the others. Siūta said: Seeing the boy, humble and devoted, absorbed in devotion.
पुनः प्रोवाच भगवान्महादेवो वृषध्वजः । ईश्वर उवाच। शृणु दीपस्य माहात्म्यं कार्तिके शिखिवाहन
Again the blessed Mahadeva, the bull-bannered Lord, spoke. Ishvara said: Hear the greatness of the lamp in Kartika, O Peacock-rider.
पितरश्चैव वांच्छंति सदा पितृगणैर्वृताः । भविष्यति कुलेऽस्माकं पितृभक्तः सुपुत्रकः
The ancestors, always surrounded by groups of forefathers, desire: 'May there be in our lineage a son devoted to the ancestors.'
कार्तिके दीपदानेन यस्तोषयति केशवम् । घृतेन दीपको यस्य तिलतैलेन वा पुनः
Whoever pleases Kesava by offering a lamp in Kartika, whether the lamp is fueled by ghee or by sesame oil.
ज्वलते यस्य सेनानीरश्वमेधेन तस्य किम् । तेनेष्टं क्रतुभिः सर्वैः कृतं तीर्थावगाहनम्
Whose lamp burns, O Commander, what need is there for a horse sacrifice? By him all sacrifices are performed, and bathing at holy places.
दीपदानं कृतं येन कार्तिके केशवाग्रतः । कृष्णपक्षे विशेषेण पुत्र पंचदिनानि च
Whoever gives a lamp before Kesava in Kartika, especially in the dark fortnight, O son, for five days.
पुण्यानि तेषु यो दत्ते दीपं सोऽक्षयमाप्नुयात् । एकादश्यां परैर्दत्तं दीपं प्रज्वाल्य मूषिका
Whoever gives a lamp on those days attains imperishable merit; even if a lamp is lit by others on Ekadashi, by a mouse.
मानुष्यं दुर्ल्लभं प्राप्य परां गतिमवाप सा । लुब्धकोऽपि चतुर्दश्यां पूजयित्वा महेश्वरम्
Having attained the rare human birth, she reached the highest state; even a hunter, worshipping Maheshvara on the fourteenth day.
निर्भक्षः परमं प्राप्य विष्णुलोकं जगाम सः । श्वपाकस्याश्रयाद्वैश्या दीपं कृत्वा परैः कृतम्
Having abstained, he attained the highest, and went to the world of Vishnu; a woman, taking refuge with a dog-eater, made a lamp which was done by others.
शुद्धा लीलावती भूत्वा जगाम स्वर्गमक्षयम् । गोपः कश्चिदमावस्यां पूजां दृष्ट्वा तु शार्ङ्गिणः
Becoming pure and named Lilavati, she went to the eternal heaven; a certain cowherd, seeing the worship of the wielder of the Sharnga bow on Amavasya.
मुहुर्मुहुर्जयेत्युक्त्वा राजराजेश्वरोऽभवत् । तस्माद्दीपाः प्रदातव्या रात्रावस्तमते रवौ
Repeatedly saying 'Victory!' he became the king of kings; therefore, lamps should be given at night until the sun rises.
गृहेषु सर्वगोष्ठेषु सर्वेष्वायतनेषु च । देवालयेषु देवानां श्मशानेषु सरस्सु च
In homes, in all cow-pens, in all temples, in shrines of the gods, in cremation grounds, and in lakes.
घृतादिना शुभार्थाय यावत्पंचदिनानि च । पापिनः पितरो ये च लुप्तपिंडोदकक्रियाः । तेपि यांति परां मुक्तिं दीपदानस्य पुण्यतः
With ghee and other substances for auspiciousness, for five days; sinful ancestors whose rites of food and water are lost, they too attain supreme liberation by the merit of lamp-giving.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे कार्त्तिकमाहात्म्ये दीप गंध धात्री माहात्म्यवर्णनो नाम एकविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahapurana, in the section of fifty-five thousand verses, in the Uttarakanda, in the Kartika Mahatmya, the chapter called 'The Description of the Greatness of Lamp, Fragrance, and Dhātrī,' the one hundred and twenty-first chapter.
कार्तिकेय उवाच। दीपावलिफलं नाथ विशेषाद्ब्रूहि सांप्रतम् । किमर्थं क्रियते सा तु तस्याः का देवता भवेत्
Kartikeya said: O Lord, tell me now especially the fruit of Dipavali; for what purpose is it performed, and who is its presiding deity?
किं च तत्र भवेद्देयं किं न देयं वद प्रभो । प्रहर्षः कोऽत्र निर्दिष्टः क्रीडा कात्र प्रकीर्तिता
Also, tell me, O Lord, what should be given there and what should not be given; what joy is prescribed here, and what play is mentioned in this context?
सूत उवाच। इति स्कंदवचः श्रुत्वा भगवान्कामशोषणः । साधूक्त्वा कार्तिकं विप्राः प्रहसन्निदमब्रवीत्
Sūta said: Having heard these words of Skanda, the venerable Kāmaśoṣaṇa, smiling and saying 'Well spoken, O brāhmaṇas,' spoke as follows.
श्रीशिव उवाच। कार्तिकस्यासिते पक्षे त्रयोदश्यां तु पावके । यमदीपं बहिर्दद्यादपमृत्युर्विनश्यति
Śrī Śiva said: On the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Kārtika, one should place a lamp for Yama outside; by this, untimely death is destroyed.
मृत्युना पाशहस्तेन कालेन भार्यया सह । त्रयोदशीदीपदानात्सूर्यजः प्रीयतामिति
By offering a lamp on the thirteenth day, may the son of the Sun be pleased with the one who, along with his wife, is bound by the noose-bearing Death and Time.
कार्तिके कृष्णपक्षे च चतुर्दश्यां विधूदये । अवश्यमेव कर्त्तव्यं स्नानं च पापभीरुभिः
In Kārtika, on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, at moonrise, bathing must certainly be performed by those who fear sin.
पूर्वविद्धा चतुर्दश्या कार्तिकस्य सितेतरे । पक्षे प्रत्यूषसमये स्नानं कुर्यादतंद्रितः
If the fourteenth falls earlier, whether in the bright or dark half of Kārtika, one should bathe at dawn without negligence.
तैले लक्ष्मीर्जले गंगा दीपावल्यां चतुर्दशीम् । प्राप्तः स्नानं हि यः कुर्याद्यमलोकं न पश्यति
On the fourteenth, during the festival of lamps, Lakṣmī is in oil, Gaṅgā is in water; whoever bathes then does not see the realm of Yama.
अपामार्गस्तथा तुंबी प्रपुन्नाटं च वाह्वलम् । भ्रामयेत्स्नानमध्ये तु नरकस्य क्षयाय वै
Apāmārga, as well as gourd, prapunnāṭa, and vāhvala—one should whirl these during the bath for the destruction of hell.
सीतालोष्टसमायुक्त सकंटक दलान्वित । हर पापमपामार्ग भ्राम्यमाणः पुनः पुनः
With a clod of earth and thorns, together with apāmārga leaves, O apāmārga, being whirled again and again, remove sin.
अपामार्गं प्रपुन्नाटं भ्रामयेच्छिरसोपरि । ततश्च तर्पणं कार्यं यमराजस्य नामभिः
One should whirl apāmārga and prapunnāṭa above the head; then, one should perform libation with the names of Yamarāja.
यमाय धर्मराजाय मृत्यवे चांतकाय च । वैवस्ताय कालाय सर्वभूतक्षयाय च
To Yama, to Dharmarāja, to Mṛtyu, to Antaka, to Vaivasvata, to Kāla, and to the destroyer of all beings—
औदुंबराय दध्नाय नीलाय परमेष्ठिने । वृकोदराय चित्राय चित्रगुप्ताय वै नमः
To Audumbarā, to Dadhna, to Nīla, to Parameṣṭhin, to Vṛkodara, to Citrā, and to Citragupta—obeisance.