धर्मराज उवाच- किं पुण्यं वर्त्ततेऽमात्य वद सारं ममांतिके । श्रुत्वैवं तद्विधास्यामि यत्र योग्यो भवेदसौ
Dharmaraja said: What merit does he have, minister? Tell me the essence before me. Hearing it, I will assign him where he is fit.
यमस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा सभयश्चित्रगुप्तकः । कृत्वा हस्तांजलिं प्राह चात्मनः स्वामिने द्विज
Hearing Yama's words, Citragupta, fearful, joined his hands and spoke to his master, O twice-born.
चित्रगुप्त उवाच- हरणार्थं हरेर्द्रव्यं गतोऽसौ पापिनां वरः । प्रोज्झितः कर्द्दमो राजन्पादयोर्द्वारतो हरेः
Citragupta said: For the sake of taking Hari's wealth, he went, O best of sinners; the mud at Hari's doorway was removed, O king, by his feet.
बभूव लिप्ता सा भूमिर्बिलच्छिद्र विवर्जिता । तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण निर्गतं पातकं महत् । वैकुंठं प्रतियोग्योऽसौ निर्गतस्तव दंडतः
That ground became clean, free from holes and cracks; by the power of that merit, his great sin departed, and he is fit for Vaikuntha, released from your punishment.
व्यास उवाच- श्रुत्वा स वचनं तस्य पीठं कनकनिर्मितम् । ददौ तस्मै चोपविष्टस्तत्र पूज्योयमेनसः
Vyasa said: Hearing those words, he gave him a seat made of gold, and seated him there, honored him, freed from sin.
ननाम शिरसा तं वै प्रोवाच विनयान्वितः । यम उवाच- पवित्रं मंदिरं मेऽद्य पादयोस्तद्धि रेणुभिः
He bowed his head to him and spoke with humility. Yama said: Today my temple is purified by the dust of your feet.
कृतार्थोऽस्मि कृतार्थोऽस्मि कृतार्थोऽस्मि न संशयः । इदानीं गच्छ भो साधो हरेर्मंदिरमुत्तमम्
I am fulfilled, I am fulfilled, I am fulfilled, without doubt. Now go, O good one, to Hari's supreme temple.
नानाभोगसमायुक्तं जन्ममृत्युनिवारणम् । व्यास उवाच- इत्युक्त्वा धर्मराजोऽसौ स्यंदने स्वर्णनिर्मिते
Endowed with various enjoyments and free from birth and death. Vyasa said: Having spoken thus, Dharmaraja departed in a chariot made of gold.
राजहंसयुते दिव्ये तमारोप्य गतैनसम् । समस्तसुखदं स्थानं प्रेषयामास चक्रिणः
Having placed him, accompanied by royal swans, upon the divine vehicle, the wielder of the discus sent him to that abode which grants all happiness.
एवं प्रविष्टो वैकुंठे तत्र तस्थौ सुखं चिरम् । लेपनं ये प्रकुर्वंति भक्त्या तु हरिमंदिरम्
Thus, having entered Vaikuntha, he remained there in happiness for a long time—those who, with devotion, perform the anointing in Hari's temple.
तेषां किं वा भविष्यति न जानेऽहं द्विजोत्तम । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या पठेद्यो वा समाहितः
What indeed will become of them, I do not know, O best of twice-born; whoever listens to this with devotion, or recites it with concentration—
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं नश्यत्येव न संशयः
The sin accumulated over millions of births is destroyed, without doubt.
शौनक उवाच- कार्त्तिकस्य च माहात्म्यं ब्रूहि सूत ममाग्रतः । तद्व्रतस्य फलं किं वा दोषं किं तदकुर्वतः
Shaunaka said: Tell me, Suta, the greatness of Kartika before me; what is the fruit of that vow, and what fault is there for one who does not perform it?
सूत उवाच- पुरैकदा मुनिश्रेष्ठ व्यासं सत्यवतीसुतम् । जैमिनिः पृष्टवानेतदारेभे कथितं मुनिः
Suta said: Once, O best of sages, Jaimini questioned Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, and the sage began to narrate this.
व्यास उवाच- तिलतैलं मैथुनं यः शुभदे कार्त्तिके त्यजेत् । बहुजन्मकृतैःपापैर्मुक्तो याति हरेर्गृहम्
Vyasa said: Whoever abandons sesame oil and sexual union, which bring auspiciousness, during Kartika, is freed from sins accumulated over many births and attains the abode of Hari.
मत्स्यं च मैथुनं यो वै कार्त्तिके न परित्यजेत् । प्रतिजन्मनि संमूढः शूकरश्च भवेद्ध्रुवम्
But whoever does not renounce fish and sexual union during Kartika, is certainly deluded in every birth and becomes a pig.
कार्त्तिके तुलसीपत्रैः पूजयेद्वै जनार्दनम् । पत्रेपत्रेऽश्वमेधस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः
Whoever worships Janardana with tulasi leaves during Kartika, attains the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice with each leaf.
कार्त्तिके मुनिपुष्पैर्यः पूजयेन्मधुसूदनम् । देवानां दुर्लभं मोक्षं प्राप्नोति कृपया हरेः
Whoever worships Madhusudana with sage flowers during Kartika, by Hari's grace attains liberation, which is difficult even for the gods.
कार्त्तिके मुनिशाकं वै योऽश्नाति च नरोत्तमः । संवत्सरकृतं पापं शाकेनैकेन नश्यति
Whoever, O best of men, eats sage greens during Kartika, the sin accumulated over a year is destroyed by a single green.
फलं तस्य नरोऽश्नाति चोर्जे यो वै हरिप्रिये । प्रदत्त्वा तु हरेर्ब्रह्मन्वृजिनं कोटिजन्मजम्
The fruit of that is enjoyed by the man who eats it in Urja, dear to Hari; having offered it to Hari, O Brahman, the sin of millions of births is removed.
सुरसं सर्पिषायुक्तं दद्याद्यो हरयेपि च । सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तः स गच्छेद्धरिमंदिरम्
Whoever gives to Hari a delicious preparation mixed with ghee during Kartika, is freed from all sins and goes to Hari's abode.
कार्तिके यो नरो दद्यादेकपद्मं हरावपि । अंते विष्णुपदं गच्छेत्सर्वपापविवर्जितः
Whoever gives even a single lotus to Hari during Kartika, at the end attains the feet of Vishnu, free from all sin.
प्रातःस्नानं नरो यो वै कार्तिके श्रीहरिप्रिये । करोतिसर्वतीर्थेषुयत्स्नात्वातत्फलंलभेत्
Whoever, during Kartika, dear to Shri Hari, bathes in the morning, attains the fruit of bathing in all sacred waters.
कार्तिके यो नरो दद्यात्प्रदीपं नभसि द्विजः । विप्रहत्यादिभिः पापैर्मुक्तो गच्छेद्धरेर्गृहम्
Whoever, O twice-born, gives a lamp in the sky during Kartika, is freed from sins such as killing a Brahmin and goes to Hari's abode.
मुहूर्तमपि यो दद्यात्कार्त्तिके प्रीतये हरेः । दीपं नभसि विप्रेन्द्र तस्मिंस्तुष्टः सदा हरिः
Even if one gives a lamp in the sky for a moment during Kartika for Hari's pleasure, O best of Brahmins, Hari is always pleased with him.
यो दद्याच्च गृहे दीपं कृष्णस्य सघृतं द्विजः । कार्तिके चाश्वमेधस्य फलं स्याद्वै दिनेदिने
Whoever, O twice-born, gives a lamp with ghee in Krishna's house during Kartika, attains the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice each day.
प्रदीपस्य च माहात्म्यं विशेषमुच्यते मया । निशामय द्विजश्रेष्ठ सेतिहासं समाहितः
Now I will tell you in detail the special greatness of the lamp; listen attentively, O best of twice-born, to this ancient story.
पूर्वं त्रेतायुगे विप्रो वैकुंठो नामतः शुचिः । यस्य संगप्रभावेण मुक्तो भवति पातकी
In former times, in the Tretā Yuga, there was a pure-hearted brāhmaṇa named Vaikuṇṭha; by his association, even a sinner could become liberated.
एकदा कार्तिके सोऽपि प्रदीपं पुरतो हरेः । दत्वा गृहं गतो विप्रो घृतपूर्णं द्विजर्षभः
Once, during the month of Kārtika, that foremost brāhmaṇa offered a lamp filled with ghee before Hari and then returned home.
सर्पिस्तत्स्वादितु चाखुरागतोऽपि प्रदीपतः । यावत्खादितुमारेभे बोधितोऽसौ प्रदीपकः
At that time, a mouse, drawn by the scent of the ghee, approached the lamp; as it began to eat, it was startled by the lamp itself.