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.
मूषकोऽग्निभयात्तत्र वेगेनापि पलायितः । आखोश्च सकलं पापं विनष्टं कृपया हरेः
Out of fear of the fire, the mouse quickly fled from there; by the compassion of Hari, all the sins of the mouse were destroyed.
सर्पेण दंशितश्चाखुः प्राणत्यागं चकार ह । ततो यमाज्ञया दूताः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
Bitten by a snake, the mouse gave up its life; then, by the command of Yama, messengers bearing nooses and clubs arrived.
आगतास्तं समानेतुं बबंधुश्चर्मरज्जुभिः । यावन्नेतुं मनश्चक्रुः शंखचक्रगदाधराः
They came to take it away and bound it with leather straps; but as they prepared to lead it off, those bearing conch, discus, and mace appeared.
आगता गरुडारूढा विष्णुदूताश्चतुर्भुजाः । विमानं गगने चैव राजहंसयुतं शुभम्
Vishnu’s messengers, four-armed and riding Garuḍa, arrived; in the sky was a splendid celestial chariot adorned with royal swans.
निर्मितं कनकैः शुद्धैः कामगं कृपया हरेः । पाशं छित्वा ततो दूताः प्रोचुस्ते यमकिंकरान्
That chariot, made of pure gold and able to go wherever desired by Hari’s grace, was prepared; then the messengers cut the noose and addressed Yama’s servants.
विष्णुभक्तोऽप्यसौ मूढा व्यर्थं तु बंधनं कृतम् । गच्छध्वं शमनप्रेष्या यदि वांछास्ति जीवितुम्
This one is a devotee of Vishnu, though deluded; your binding was in vain. Go away, servants of Yama, if you wish to live.
श्रुत्वा प्रकंपितास्ते वै पृच्छंति विनयान्विताः । केन पुण्यप्रभावेण युष्माभिर्नीयते पुरम्
Hearing this, they trembled and humbly asked: By what power of merit is he being taken by you to your city?
असौ विष्णोर्महापापी यूयं तद्वक्तुमर्हथ । विष्णुदूता ऊचुः- पुरतो वासुदेवस्य प्रदीपबोधनं कृतम्
He is a great sinner devoted to Vishnu; you ought to explain this. The messengers of Vishnu said: He awakened the lamp before Vāsudeva.
तेनैव कर्मणा दूता नयामो विष्णुमंदिरम् । अनिच्छयापि यः कुर्याद्विष्णोर्दीपस्य बोधनम्
By that very act, O messengers, we are taking him to Vishnu’s abode; even if done unintentionally, one who awakens the lamp of Vishnu—
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं त्यक्त्वा याति हरेर्गृहम् । भक्त्या प्रदीपं यो दद्यात्कार्तिके तु हरेर्दिनैः
—leaves behind sins accumulated over millions of births and goes to Hari’s home; and one who offers a lamp with devotion to Hari during Kārtika—