किंत्वाकर्णय लोकेश सुकृतं चास्य वर्त्तते । मन्येऽहं यमुनाभ्रातः सर्वपापविलोपि तत्
But listen, Lord of the world, he also has a virtuous act; I think, O brother of Yamunā, it destroys all sins.
धर्मराज उवाच- किं पुण्यं वर्त्ततेऽमात्य वद सारं ममांतिके । श्रुत्वैवं तद्विधास्यामि यत्र योग्यो भवेदसौ
Dharmarāja said: What virtue does he possess, minister? Tell me the essence before me. Hearing this, I shall 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 own master, O twice-born one.
चित्रगुप्त उवाच- हरणार्थं हरेर्द्रव्यं गतोऽसौ पापिनां वरः । प्रोज्झितः कर्द्दमो राजन्पादयोर्द्वारतो हरेः
Citragupta said: For the sake of stealing the Lord’s property, he, best among sinners, went; but, O king, the mud was removed from the threshold of Hari’s feet.
बभूव लिप्ता सा भूमिर्बिलच्छिद्र विवर्जिता । तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण निर्गतं पातकं महत् । वैकुंठं प्रतियोग्योऽसौ निर्गतस्तव दंडतः
That ground became cleansed, free from any hole or opening; by that meritorious act, great sin departed. He is fit for Vaikuṇṭha, released from your punishment.
व्यास उवाच- श्रुत्वा स वचनं तस्य पीठं कनकनिर्मितम् । ददौ तस्मै चोपविष्टस्तत्र पूज्योयमेनसः
Vyāsa said: Hearing those words, Yama gave him a seat made of gold, and seated him there, honored him, though he was a sinner.
ननाम शिरसा तं वै प्रोवाच विनयान्वितः । यम उवाच- पवित्रं मंदिरं मेऽद्य पादयोस्तद्धि रेणुभिः
He bowed his head to Yama and spoke with humility. Yama said: Today my abode 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 man, to the supreme abode of Hari.
नानाभोगसमायुक्तं जन्ममृत्युनिवारणम् । व्यास उवाच- इत्युक्त्वा धर्मराजोऽसौ स्यंदने स्वर्णनिर्मिते
Endowed with various enjoyments, free from birth and death—Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, Dharmarāja placed him in a chariot made of gold.
राजहंसयुते दिव्ये तमारोप्य गतैनसम् । समस्तसुखदं स्थानं प्रेषयामास चक्रिणः
Drawn by celestial swans, he mounted the divine chariot, freed from sin; he was sent to the abode of the Discus-holder, the giver of all happiness.
एवं प्रविष्टो वैकुंठे तत्र तस्थौ सुखं चिरम् । लेपनं ये प्रकुर्वंति भक्त्या तु हरिमंदिरम्
Thus entering Vaikuṇṭha, he remained there happily for a long time. Those who anoint Hari’s temple with devotion—
तेषां किं वा भविष्यति न जानेऽहं द्विजोत्तम । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या पठेद्यो वा समाहितः
What will not happen for them? I do not know, O best of twice-born! Whoever listens to or recites this with devotion and concentration—
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं नश्यत्येव न संशयः
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
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, speak before me the greatness of Kārttika, and tell me the fruit of its observance, as well as the fault for not performing that vow.
सूत उवाच- पुरैकदा मुनिश्रेष्ठ व्यासं सत्यवतीसुतम् । जैमिनिः पृष्टवानेतदारेभे कथितं मुनिः
Sūta said: Once, O foremost sage, Jaimini questioned Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, and the sage narrated this.
व्यास उवाच- तिलतैलं मैथुनं यः शुभदे कार्त्तिके त्यजेत् । बहुजन्मकृतैःपापैर्मुक्तो याति हरेर्गृहम्
Vyāsa said: Whoever renounces sesame oil and sexual union, which bring auspiciousness, during Kārttika, is freed from sins committed 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 Kārttika, is certainly deluded in every birth and becomes a pig.
कार्त्तिके तुलसीपत्रैः पूजयेद्वै जनार्दनम् । पत्रेपत्रेऽश्वमेधस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः
Whoever worships Janārdana with tulasī leaves during Kārttika, attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice with each leaf.
कार्त्तिके मुनिपुष्पैर्यः पूजयेन्मधुसूदनम् । देवानां दुर्लभं मोक्षं प्राप्नोति कृपया हरेः
Whoever worships Madhusūdana with flowers of sages during Kārttika, by Hari's grace attains liberation, which is difficult even for the gods.
कार्त्तिके मुनिशाकं वै योऽश्नाति च नरोत्तमः । संवत्सरकृतं पापं शाकेनैकेन नश्यति
The best of men who eats sage greens during Kārttika, destroys with a single green the sin accumulated over a year.
फलं तस्य नरोऽश्नाति चोर्जे यो वै हरिप्रिये । प्रदत्त्वा तु हरेर्ब्रह्मन्वृजिनं कोटिजन्मजम्
The man who eats its fruit in Urjā, dear to Hari, having offered it to Hari, O Brahman, is freed from sin accumulated over millions of births.
सुरसं सर्पिषायुक्तं दद्याद्यो हरयेपि च । सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तः स गच्छेद्धरिमंदिरम्
Whoever gives delicious food mixed with ghee to Hari during Kārttika, 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 Kārttika, at the end attains the abode of Viṣṇu, free from all sin.
प्रातःस्नानं नरो यो वै कार्तिके श्रीहरिप्रिये । करोतिसर्वतीर्थेषुयत्स्नात्वातत्फलंलभेत्
Whoever performs morning bathing during Kārttika, dear to Śrī Hari, attains the fruit of bathing in all sacred waters.
कार्तिके यो नरो दद्यात्प्रदीपं नभसि द्विजः । विप्रहत्यादिभिः पापैर्मुक्तो गच्छेद्धरेर्गृहम्
Whoever gives a lamp in the sky during Kārttika, O twice-born, is freed from sins like 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 Kārttika 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 gives a lamp with ghee in his house to Kṛṣṇa during Kārttika, attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice every day.
प्रदीपस्य च माहात्म्यं विशेषमुच्यते मया । निशामय द्विजश्रेष्ठ सेतिहासं समाहितः
I will tell you especially the greatness of the lamp; listen, O best of Brahmins, to this story with attention.
पूर्वं त्रेतायुगे विप्रो वैकुंठो नामतः शुचिः । यस्य संगप्रभावेण मुक्तो भवति पातकी
In the previous Tretā age, there was a pure Brahmin named Vaikuṇṭha, whose influence freed sinners.
एकदा कार्तिके सोऽपि प्रदीपं पुरतो हरेः । दत्वा गृहं गतो विप्रो घृतपूर्णं द्विजर्षभः
Once, during Kārttika, that Brahmin gave a lamp filled with ghee before Hari, and then went home.