निषिद्धेषु च पत्रेषु भोजनं नैव कारयेत् एतत्पत्रेषु भोक्तव्यं पुष्करे न कदाचन
One should not eat from forbidden leaves; and in Puṣkara, one should never eat from these leaves.
कार्तिके मासि संप्राप्ते यः कुर्याद्वनभोजनम्
When the month of Kārtika arrives, whoever eats in the forest—
प्रातःस्नानं तु कर्तव्यं तथैव हरिपूजनम् 2.4.6.
One must bathe in the morning and likewise worship Hari.
गोपीचंदनदानं तु गोदानं श्रोत्रियाय च
One should give Gopīcandana clay, and also donate a cow to a learned Brāhmaṇa.
कदलीफलदानं तु दानं धात्रीफलस्य च
The giving of banana fruit and the giving of amla fruit are acts of charity.
शाकादिदानं कुर्वीत चान्नदानं विशेषतः
One should give vegetables and similar foods, and especially offer cooked rice as charity.
पौराणिकाय यो दद्यादामान्नं घृतपायसम्
Whoever gives cooked rice with ghee and milk to a reciter of the Purāṇas—
कमलैः पूजयेद्यस्तु कार्तिके कमलाप्रियम्
Whoever worships the beloved of Lakṣmī with lotuses in the month of Kārtika—
कार्तिके तुलसीपत्रं यो भक्त्या विष्णवेऽर्पयेत्
Whoever, with devotion, offers tulasī leaves to Viṣṇu in the month of Kārtika—
कार्तिके केतकीपुष्पैरर्चयेद्गरुडध्वजम्
Whoever worships the bearer of Garuḍa’s banner with ketakī flowers in Kārtika—
शंखदानं तु यः कुर्यात्तथा चक्रांकितस्य च
Whoever gives a conch, or one marked with a discus—
गीतापाठं तु यः कुर्यात्कार्तिके विष्णुवल्लभे
Whoever recites the Gītā in the beloved month of Viṣṇu, Kārtika—
श्रीमद्रागवतस्याऽपि श्रवणं यः समाचरेत् 2.4.6.
Whoever also listens to the Śrīmad Bhāgavata—
एकादश्यां निराहारमुपवासं करोति यः
Whoever observes a fast without food on the day of Ekādaśī—
शालिग्रामस्य नैवेद्यं कोटियज्ञफलं लभेत्
The offering of food to the Śāligrāma stone yields the fruit of ten million sacrifices.
पूजाकाले तु देवस्य घण्टानादं करोति यः
Whoever rings a bell at the time of worship of the deity—
परान्नं वर्जयेद्यस्तु कार्तिके विष्णुतुष्टये
Whoever avoids eating others’ food in Kārtika to please Viṣṇu—
अध्वगं तु परिश्रांतं काले च गृहमागतम्
A traveler who is weary and comes home at the right time—
निंदां कुर्वंति ये मूढा वैष्णवानां महात्मनाम्
Those fools who slander the great-souled Vaiṣṇavas—
दृष्ट्वा भागवतान्विप्रान्सन्मुखो न च याति हि
Seeing devotees of the Lord, if a brāhmaṇa does not approach them—
निंदां भगवतः शृण्वंस्तत्परस्य जनस्य च
Hearing slander of the Lord or of His devoted people—
प्रदक्षिणां तु यः कुर्यात्कार्तिके केशवस्य हि
Whoever circumambulates Keśava in the month of Kārtika—
दंडप्रणामं यः कुर्यात्कार्तिके केशवाऽग्रतः 2.4.6.
Whoever offers prostration by lying flat before Keśava during Kārtika—
कुटुम्बभोजनं चैव कार्तिके भक्तिसंयुतः
And whoever, filled with devotion, feeds his family during Kārtika—
परस्त्रीसंगमं यस्तु कार्तिके कुरुते नरः
But the man who engages in union with another’s wife during Kārtika—
तुलसीमृत्तिकापुंड्रं ललाटे यस्य दृश्यते
He whose forehead bears the mark of tulasī, clay, or the sacred sign—
शाकं वा लवणं वाऽपि यत्किंचिद्वा भविष्यति
Whether it be vegetables, salt, or anything else—
इत्याद्या बहवो धर्माः कार्तिके विष्णुवल्लभाः
Thus, there are many such duties in Kārtika, dear to Viṣṇu—
हरिसंतुष्टये कार्यस्त्यागो वा स्वेष्टवस्तुनः
For the satisfaction of Hari, even the renunciation of one’s cherished possessions is to be performed—
सर्वव्रतानि चैकत्र सत्यव्रतमथैकतः
All vows together, or the single vow of truthfulness—