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—
अन्यधर्मेष्वधिकृतिः कुलजातिविभागतः
The eligibility for other duties is determined by family and caste distinctions—
गोग्रासः कार्तिके मासि विशेषाद्यैस्तु दीयते
Especially in the month of Kārtika, the giving of food to cows is prescribed—
विष्णुदेवालयं प्रातः संमार्जयति कार्तिके 2.4.6.
Whoever, in Kārtika, sweeps the temple of Viṣṇu in the morning—
दद्यात्कार्तिकमासे तु धर्मकाष्ठानि भूरिशः
One should give, in the month of Kārtika, abundant firewood for religious purposes—
सुधादि लेपयेद्यस्तु कार्तिके विष्णुमंदिरे
Whoever, in Kārtika, anoints the temple of Viṣṇu with substances like sandal paste—
देवालये वा तीर्थे वा कृतो दुष्टैर्नृपैः करः
If a tax is imposed by wicked kings in a temple or at a sacred place—
कार्तिके मासि यो विप्रो गभस्तीश्वरसन्निधौ
In the month of Kārtika, the brāhmaṇa who, in the presence of the lord of rays (the Sun),—
वाराणस्यां तु यैः स्थित्वा त्रिवर्षं कार्तिकव्रतम्
Those who, having stayed in Vārāṇasī, observe the Kārtika vow for three years—
इह लोके फलं तेषां प्रत्यक्षं जायते किल
For them, the fruit is said to manifest visibly in this very world—
पलांडुं शृंगं मांसं च शय्यां सौवीरकं तथा
Onion, garlic, meat, bed, and also wine—