जाराकांक्षी सदा नाम्ना तृणवन्मन्यते पतिम् । असौ पतिर्न मे योग्यो मे स्वामी परपूरुषः
Always desiring another man, by name, she regarded her husband as mere grass: 'This husband is not fit for me; my lord is another man.'
इति मत्वा सदा तस्मै चोच्छिष्टं तु ददाति वै । नीचसंगान्महामूढा मद्यमांसं चखाद ह
Thinking thus always, she would give him her leftovers; deluded by base company, she ate liquor and meat.
स्वामिनो भर्त्सनां नित्यं कुर्यात्कामं तु निष्ठुरा । पादरज्जुर्भवेच्चासौ कस्माद्वै न मृतोऽपि च
Harsh as she wished, she constantly scolded her husband; she became the dust of his feet—why did she not die?
मृते तस्मिन्नहं भोगं करिष्यामि यदृच्छया । विचार्येति हृदा मूढा जारेणैकेन सा तदा
She, deluded, thought in her heart: 'When he dies, I will enjoy as I please with my lover.'
अन्यदेशं गमिष्यावः संकेतमकरोद्द्विज । सुप्तस्य स्वामिनो रात्रौ चासिना तद्गलं द्विज
She made an arrangement with her lover to go to another place, and at night, while her husband slept, she cut his throat with a knife.
छित्त्वा जारकृते सापि संकेतस्य स्थलं गता । आगतं जारपुरुषं द्वीपिना भक्षितं द्विज
After killing him for her lover, she went to the appointed place; but, O brāhmaṇa, a tiger devoured her lover when he arrived.
दृष्ट्वा सा रोदनं कृत्वा मूर्च्छिता निपपात ह । चिरादाश्वस्य सा मूढा करुणं विललाप ह
Seeing this, she wept and fell down unconscious; after a long time, regaining her senses, the deluded woman lamented piteously.
कलिप्रियोवाच। स्वकीयं स्वामिनं हत्वा चागता परपूरुषम् । तं जारं स्वामिनं दैवात्शार्दूलो भक्षयन्मम । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि विधात्रा वंचितास्म्यहम्
Kalipriyā said: 'Having killed my own husband, I came to another man; but by fate, a tiger ate my lover, my husband. What shall I do, where shall I go? I have been deceived by destiny.'
सूत उवाच। ततः कलिप्रिया ब्रह्मनागता स्वगृहं प्रति । लपने स्वामिनो दत्वा मुखं च विललाप सा
Sūta said: Then, O brāhmaṇa, Kalipriyā returned to her own house; giving her husband's head to her mouth, she lamented.
कलिप्रियोवाच। हा नाथ किं कृतं कर्म्म मया हंतातिदारुणम् । कं लोकं वा गमिष्यामि वद स्वामिन्मनाग्गिरम्
Kalipriyā said: 'Alas, master, what terrible deed have I done, having killed you? To what world shall I go? Speak, O husband, even in thought or word.'
भर्त्सनां तु यथाकामं कुर्य्याच्चाहं सुनिंदिता । किंचिन्न वदसि स्वामिन्नेनो यन्मे न विद्यते
I would rebuke as I wished, and though I was harshly criticized, I said nothing, O master, for I have no fault.
सूत उवाच। ननाम चरणे तस्य गतान्यनगरं प्रति । तत्र प्रविष्टा सा योषिद्दृष्ट्वा पुण्यजनान्बहून्
Sūta said: She bowed at his feet and departed toward another city; there, upon entering, that woman saw many virtuous people.
ऊर्जे स्नानपरान्प्रातर्नर्मदायां च वैष्णवान् । तत्र नद्यां स्त्रियश्चापि राधादामोदरं द्विज
She saw, O brāhmaṇa, many Vaiṣṇavas bathing in the Narmadā at dawn during the month of Ūrja, and women as well, worshipping Rādhā and Dāmodara.
सपर्यां च कृतां चैव शंखनादैर्महोत्सवैः । गंधपुष्पैर्धूपदीपैर्वस्त्रैर्नानाविधैः फलैः
She saw worship being performed with great festivals, with the sound of conches, with scents, flowers, incense, lamps, garments, and various kinds of fruits.
मुखवासैर्भक्तियुक्ता दृष्ट्वा सा विनयान्विता । पप्रच्छ ब्रूत यूयं मे किमेतत्क्रियते स्त्रियः
Seeing them, filled with devotion and sweet fragrance in their mouths, she, humble, asked: 'Please tell me, what is it that you women are doing here?'
स्त्रिय ऊचुः - सर्वमासोत्तमे चोर्जे राधादामोदरौ शुभौ । पूजां कृत्वा वयं मातः सर्वपापहरां शुभाम्
The women said: 'In the auspicious month of Ūrja, we worship Rādhā and Dāmodara, O mother, performing a holy worship that removes all sins.'
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं नष्टं प्राप्तं निकेतनम् । सपर्य्यामामिषं त्यक्त्वा कृत्वा सा च हरेर्द्दिने
Sins accumulated over millions of births are destroyed and the home is purified, when one performs this worship on the day of Hari, having renounced animal offerings.
निधनत्वं पौर्णमास्यां गता सा निर्मला द्विज । किंकराश्चागतास्तूर्णं यमस्य निलयं प्रति
On the full moon, O brāhmaṇa, she died, pure; then Yama's servants quickly arrived at her abode.
नेतुं तां क्रोधसंयुक्ता बबंधुश्चर्मरज्जुभिः । तदागता विष्णुदूता विमानं स्वर्णनिर्मितम्
To take her, they, filled with anger, bound her with leather straps; then the messengers of Viṣṇu arrived, with an airplane made of gold.
शंखचक्रगदापद्मधारिणो वनमालिनः । निजघ्नुश्चक्रधाराभिर्यमदूताः पलायिताः
Wearing garlands and bearing conch, discus, mace, and lotus, they struck the servants of Yama with streams from their discus, and the Yama-dūtas fled.
राजहंसयुते विप्र विमाने स्वर्णनिर्मिते । आरूढा सा गता तैस्तु वेष्टिता विष्णुमंदिरम्
O brāhmaṇa, she ascended the golden airplane, yoked with royal swans, and, surrounded by them, went to Viṣṇu's abode.
तत्र तस्थौ चिरं भोगं कृत्वा सा वै यथेप्सितम् । या कुर्यात्कार्त्तिके विप्र राधादामोदरार्चनम्
There she remained for a long time, enjoying pleasures as she wished; O brāhmaṇa, whoever worships Rādhā and Dāmodara in Kārtika attains the same.
याति पूजा त्यक्तपापाद्गोलोकाख्यं मनोहरम् । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या या च नारी समाहिता । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं तस्य तस्या विनश्यति
Having abandoned sin, she attains the enchanting Goloka through this worship; whoever listens to this with devotion, or any woman who does so with concentration, their sins of millions of births are destroyed.
शौनक उवाच। कथयस्व मुने सूत सर्वमासोत्तमस्य च । कार्तिकस्य विधिं सम्यङ्नियमान्वक्तुमर्हसि
Śaunaka said: 'O sage Sūta, please tell the complete procedure for the most excellent month, Kārtika, and you should properly explain the rules.'
सूत उवाच। आश्विनस्य द्विजश्रेष्ठ पौर्णमास्यां समाहितः । कार्तिकस्य व्रतं कुर्याद्यावदुद्बोधिनी भवेत्
Sūta said: 'O best of brāhmaṇas, beginning from the full moon of Āśvina, one should observe the vow of Kārtika with concentration, until the day of Udbodhinī.'
दिवा विप्र नरः कुर्यान्मलमूत्रमुदङ्मुखः । भवेन्मौनी च सर्वज्ञ रात्रौ चेद्दक्षिणामुखः
During the day, O brāhmaṇa, a man should face north when passing urine or stool, and remain silent and self-controlled; at night, he should face south.
पथ्यंभसि च गोष्ठेषु श्मशाने वल्मिके द्विज । कुर्यादुत्सर्जनं नैव व्रती मूत्रपुरीषयोः
In water fit for use, in cow pens, in cremation grounds, or in anthills, O brāhmaṇa, one observing the vow should never pass urine or stool.
अत्युत्तमेषु स्थानेषु मलमूत्रं न कारयेत् । शुद्धां मृदं गृहीत्वाथ वामं प्रक्षालयेत्करम्
In the most excellent places, one should not pass urine or stool; taking clean earth, one should wash the left hand.
अद्भिर्मृदापि शुद्ध्यर्थं पूर्वं विंशतिसंख्यया । एका लिंगे गुदे पंच तथा वामकरे दश
For the sake of purification, one should first use water and clay twenty times: once on the linga, five times on the anus, and ten times on the left hand.
उभयोर्दश दातव्या पादयोश्च त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः । मुखशुद्धिं ततः कुर्य्यात्संकल्पं स्नपनस्य च
Ten times should be given to both hands, and three times each to the feet; then one should cleanse the mouth and make the resolve for bathing.