Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 21
Sourceशौनक उवाच। कथयस्व मुने सूत सर्वमासोत्तमस्य च । कार्तिकस्य विधिं सम्यङ्नियमान्वक्तुमर्हसि १। सूत उवाच। आश्विनस्य द्विजश्रेष्ठ पौर्णमास्यां समाहितः । कार्तिकस्य व्रतं कुर्याद्यावदुद्बोधिनी भवेत् २। दिवा विप्र नरः कुर्यान्मलमूत्रमुदङ्मुखः । भवेन्मौनी च सर्वज्ञ रात्रौ चेद्दक्षिणामुखः ३। पथ्यंभसि च गोष्ठेषु श्मशाने वल्मिके द्विज । कुर्यादुत्सर्जनं नैव व्रती मूत्रपुरीषयोः ४। अत्युत्तमेषु स्थानेषु मलमूत्रं न कारयेत् । शुद्धां मृदं गृहीत्वाथ वामं प्रक्षालयेत्करम् ५। अद्भिर्मृदापि शुद्ध्यर्थं पूर्वं विंशतिसंख्यया । एका लिंगे गुदे पंच तथा वामकरे दश ६। उभयोर्दश दातव्या पादयोश्च त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः । मुखशुद्धिं ततः कुर्य्यात्संकल्पं स्नपनस्य च ७। हृदि दामोदरं ध्यात्वा इमं मंत्रं ततो वदेत् । कार्तिकेहं करिष्यामि प्रातःस्नानं जनार्द्दन ८। दामोदरस्य प्रीत्यर्थं राधया पापनाशनं । नमः पंकजनाभाय श्रीकृष्णजलशायिने ९। नमस्ते राधया सार्द्धं गृहाणार्घं प्रसीद मे । स्नानं कुर्य्यात्ततो विप्र तिलकं तु यथाविधि १०। ऊर्ध्वपुंड्रविहीनस्तु किंचित्कर्मकरोति यः । निष्फलं कर्म तत्सर्वं सत्यमेतन्मयोच्यते ११। यच्छरीरं मनुष्याणामूर्ध्वपुंड्रं विना कृतम् । तद्दर्शनं न कर्तव्यं दृष्ट्वा सूर्यं निरीक्षयेत् १२। ऊर्ध्वपुंड्रं मृदा शुभ्रं ललाटे यस्य दृश्यते । चांडालोऽपि विशुद्धात्मा पूज्य एव न संशयः । अच्छिद्रमूर्ध्वपुंड्रं तु ये कुर्वंति नराधमाः १३। तेषां ललाटे सततं शुनःपादो न संशयः । प्रातःकालोदितं कर्म्म समाप्य हरिवल्लभाम् १४। पूजयेद्भक्तितो विप्र तुलसीं पापनाशिनीम् । पौराणीं तु कथां श्रुत्वा श्रीहरेः स्थिरमानसः १५। ततो विप्रं व्रती भक्त्या पूजयेत्तं यथाविधि । परासनं परान्नं च परशय्यां परांगनाम् १६। सर्वदा वर्जयेद्विप्र कार्त्तिके च विशेषतः । सौवीरकं तथा माषानामिषं च तथा मधु १७। राजमाषादिकं नित्यं वर्जयेत्कार्तिके व्रती । जंबीरमामिषं चूर्णमन्नं पर्य्युषितं द्विज १८। धान्ये मसूरिका प्रोक्ता गवां दुग्धमनामिषम् । लवणं भूमिजं विप्र प्राण्यङ्गमामिषं खलु १९। द्विजक्रीता रसाः सर्वे जलं चाल्पसरः स्थितम् । ब्रह्मचर्यं तुर्यकाले पत्रावल्यां च भोजनम् २०। कुर्याद्वै द्विजशार्दूल तैलाभ्यंगं च वर्जयेत् । छत्राकं नालिकं हिंगुं पलांडुं पूतिकादलम् २१। लशुनं मूलकं शिग्रुं तथैव तुंबिकाफलम् । कपित्थं चैव वृंताकं कूष्मांडं कांस्यभोजनम् २२। द्विपाचितं सूतिकान्नं मत्स्यं शय्यां रजस्वलाम् । द्विस्त्रिश्चान्नं स्त्रियः संगं वर्जयेत्कार्तिकव्रती २३। धात्रीफलं गृही विप्र रवौ तत्सर्वदा त्यजेत् । कूष्मांडे धनहानिः स्यात्बृहत्यां न स्मरेद्धरिम् २४। पटोले तु न वृद्धिः स्याद्बलहानिश्च मूलके । कलंकी जायते बिल्वे तिर्यग्योनिश्च निंबुके २५। ताले शरीरनाशः स्यान्नारिकेले च मूर्खता । तुंबी गोमांसतुल्या स्याद्गोवधं स्यात्कलिंदके २६। शिंबी पापकरा प्रोक्ता पूतिका ब्रह्मघातिका । वार्ताक्यां सुतनाशः स्याच्चिररोगी च माषके २७। मांसे च बहुपापं स्याद्वर्जयेत्प्रतिपदादिषु । यत्किंचिद्वर्जयेद्योऽन्नं श्रीहरे प्रीतये द्विज २८। तत्पुनर्भूसुरे दत्वा व्रतांते तस्य भोजनम् । कार्तिकव्रतिनं विप्र यथोक्तकारिणं नरम् २९। यमदूताः पलायंते सिंहं दृष्ट्वा यथा गजाः । श्रेष्ठं विष्णुव्रतं विप्र तत्तुल्या न शतं मखाः ३०। कृत्वा क्रतुं व्रजेत्स्वर्गं वैकुंठं कार्तिकव्रती । यत्किंचिद्दुष्कृतं विप्र मनोवाक्कायकर्मजम् ३१। दृष्ट्वा तु विलयं याति कार्तिकव्रतिनं क्षणात् । कार्त्तिकव्रतिनः पुण्यं ब्रह्मा चैव चतुर्मुखः ३२। न समर्थो भवेद्वक्तुं यथोक्तव्रतकारिणः । यत्कृत्वा कलुषं सर्वं व्रजेद्विप्र दशो दिशः ३३। क्व गच्छामि क्व तिष्ठामि कार्त्तिकव्रतिनो भयात् । पौर्णमास्यां यथाशक्ति चान्नवस्त्रादिकं द्विज ३४। दद्याद्वै श्रीहरेः प्रीत्यै ब्राह्मणानपि भोजयेत् । रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्यान्नृत्यगीतादिभिर्व्रती । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या तस्य पापं प्रणश्यति ३५। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे सूतशौनकसंवादे ब्रह्मखंडे एकविंशोऽध्यायः २१।
śaunaka uvāca| kathayasva mune sūta sarvamāsottamasya ca | kārtikasya vidhiṃ samyaṅniyamānvaktumarhasi 1| sūta uvāca| āśvinasya dvijaśreṣṭha paurṇamāsyāṃ samāhitaḥ | kārtikasya vrataṃ kuryādyāvadudbodhinī bhavet 2| divā vipra naraḥ kuryānmalamūtramudaṅmukhaḥ | bhavenmaunī ca sarvajña rātrau ceddakṣiṇāmukhaḥ 3| pathyaṃbhasi ca goṣṭheṣu śmaśāne valmike dvija | kuryādutsarjanaṃ naiva vratī mūtrapurīṣayoḥ 4| atyuttameṣu sthāneṣu malamūtraṃ na kārayet | śuddhāṃ mṛdaṃ gṛhītvātha vāmaṃ prakṣālayetkaram 5| adbhirmṛdāpi śuddhyarthaṃ pūrvaṃ viṃśatisaṃkhyayā | ekā liṃge gude paṃca tathā vāmakare daśa 6| ubhayordaśa dātavyā pādayośca tribhistribhiḥ | mukhaśuddhiṃ tataḥ kuryyātsaṃkalpaṃ snapanasya ca 7| hṛdi dāmodaraṃ dhyātvā imaṃ maṃtraṃ tato vadet | kārtikehaṃ kariṣyāmi prātaḥsnānaṃ janārddana 8| dāmodarasya prītyarthaṃ rādhayā pāpanāśanaṃ | namaḥ paṃkajanābhāya śrīkṛṣṇajalaśāyine 9| namaste rādhayā sārddhaṃ gṛhāṇārghaṃ prasīda me | snānaṃ kuryyāttato vipra tilakaṃ tu yathāvidhi 10| ūrdhvapuṃḍravihīnastu kiṃcitkarmakaroti yaḥ | niṣphalaṃ karma tatsarvaṃ satyametanmayocyate 11| yaccharīraṃ manuṣyāṇāmūrdhvapuṃḍraṃ vinā kṛtam | taddarśanaṃ na kartavyaṃ dṛṣṭvā sūryaṃ nirīkṣayet 12| ūrdhvapuṃḍraṃ mṛdā śubhraṃ lalāṭe yasya dṛśyate | cāṃḍālo'pi viśuddhātmā pūjya eva na saṃśayaḥ | acchidramūrdhvapuṃḍraṃ tu ye kurvaṃti narādhamāḥ 13| teṣāṃ lalāṭe satataṃ śunaḥpādo na saṃśayaḥ | prātaḥkāloditaṃ karmma samāpya harivallabhām 14| pūjayedbhaktito vipra tulasīṃ pāpanāśinīm | paurāṇīṃ tu kathāṃ śrutvā śrīhareḥ sthiramānasaḥ 15| tato vipraṃ vratī bhaktyā pūjayettaṃ yathāvidhi | parāsanaṃ parānnaṃ ca paraśayyāṃ parāṃganām 16| sarvadā varjayedvipra kārttike ca viśeṣataḥ | sauvīrakaṃ tathā māṣānāmiṣaṃ ca tathā madhu 17| rājamāṣādikaṃ nityaṃ varjayetkārtike vratī | jaṃbīramāmiṣaṃ cūrṇamannaṃ paryyuṣitaṃ dvija 18| dhānye masūrikā proktā gavāṃ dugdhamanāmiṣam | lavaṇaṃ bhūmijaṃ vipra prāṇyaṅgamāmiṣaṃ khalu 19| dvijakrītā rasāḥ sarve jalaṃ cālpasaraḥ sthitam | brahmacaryaṃ turyakāle patrāvalyāṃ ca bhojanam 20| kuryādvai dvijaśārdūla tailābhyaṃgaṃ ca varjayet | chatrākaṃ nālikaṃ hiṃguṃ palāṃḍuṃ pūtikādalam 21| laśunaṃ mūlakaṃ śigruṃ tathaiva tuṃbikāphalam | kapitthaṃ caiva vṛṃtākaṃ kūṣmāṃḍaṃ kāṃsyabhojanam 22| dvipācitaṃ sūtikānnaṃ matsyaṃ śayyāṃ rajasvalām | dvistriścānnaṃ striyaḥ saṃgaṃ varjayetkārtikavratī 23| dhātrīphalaṃ gṛhī vipra ravau tatsarvadā tyajet | kūṣmāṃḍe dhanahāniḥ syātbṛhatyāṃ na smareddharim 24| paṭole tu na vṛddhiḥ syādbalahāniśca mūlake | kalaṃkī jāyate bilve tiryagyoniśca niṃbuke 25| tāle śarīranāśaḥ syānnārikele ca mūrkhatā | tuṃbī gomāṃsatulyā syādgovadhaṃ syātkaliṃdake 26| śiṃbī pāpakarā proktā pūtikā brahmaghātikā | vārtākyāṃ sutanāśaḥ syāccirarogī ca māṣake 27| māṃse ca bahupāpaṃ syādvarjayetpratipadādiṣu | yatkiṃcidvarjayedyo'nnaṃ śrīhare prītaye dvija 28| tatpunarbhūsure datvā vratāṃte tasya bhojanam | kārtikavratinaṃ vipra yathoktakāriṇaṃ naram 29| yamadūtāḥ palāyaṃte siṃhaṃ dṛṣṭvā yathā gajāḥ | śreṣṭhaṃ viṣṇuvrataṃ vipra tattulyā na śataṃ makhāḥ 30| kṛtvā kratuṃ vrajetsvargaṃ vaikuṃṭhaṃ kārtikavratī | yatkiṃcidduṣkṛtaṃ vipra manovākkāyakarmajam 31| dṛṣṭvā tu vilayaṃ yāti kārtikavratinaṃ kṣaṇāt | kārttikavratinaḥ puṇyaṃ brahmā caiva caturmukhaḥ 32| na samartho bhavedvaktuṃ yathoktavratakāriṇaḥ | yatkṛtvā kaluṣaṃ sarvaṃ vrajedvipra daśo diśaḥ 33| kva gacchāmi kva tiṣṭhāmi kārttikavratino bhayāt | paurṇamāsyāṃ yathāśakti cānnavastrādikaṃ dvija 34| dadyādvai śrīhareḥ prītyai brāhmaṇānapi bhojayet | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kuryānnṛtyagītādibhirvratī | ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā tasya pāpaṃ praṇaśyati 35| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe sūtaśaunakasaṃvāde brahmakhaṃḍe ekaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 21|
English translation
Śaunaka said :
1. O Sūta , O sage, please tell me properly the rites and restrictions (to be observed) in the best month Kārtika .
Sūta said :
2-7. O best brāhmaṇa , a man, being pure, should (begin to) observe the vow of the Kārtika month on (i.e. from) the full moon of Āśvina (and should continue it) till the Udbodhinī (i.e. the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Kārtika). O brāhmana, a man should excrete or pass urine by facing the north during the day time. He should observe silence (while excreting or passing urine); and O you omniscient one, he should excrete or pass urine by facing the south during the night. O brāhmaṇa, he who has undertaken the vow (of Kārtika) should not excrete or pass urine on a path, in water, in a cow-pen, in a crematory or an anthill. He should not excrete or pass urine at excellent places. Taking pure clay he should first wash his left hand with clay and water for cleansing it twenty times. He should apply it (i.e. the clay) once to his generative organ and five times to his anus, ten times to his left hand, and then ten times to both (his hands), and three times to (each of) his feet. Then he should cleanse his face and then resolve to bathe.
8-10a. Meditating on Dāmodara (i.e. Kṛṣṇa ) in his mind, he should then recite this hymn: “O Janārdana , in (the month of) Kārtika I shall every morning have a bath that destroys sins, to please Kṛṣṇa with Rādhā . O Śrīkṛṣṇa , my salutation to Paṅkajanābha (i.e. Viṣṇu ) lying in water; my salutation to you along with Rādhā. Accept the objects (I am offering and) be pleased with me.”
10b-2la. Then he should bathe and put on the mark. If he, being without the Ūrdhvapuṇḍra [1] (i.e. upright lines made on the forehead), does any act, all that (i.e. the entire) act of him becomes fruitless. This is the truth that I am telling. That body of a human being which is without the Ūrdhvapuṇḍra should not be seen. If one sees it, one should look at the sun. Even a cāṇḍāla , on whose forehead white upright lines are made with clay, is of a pure soul. There is no doubt that he is venerable. There is no doubt that on the heads of those mean men who make the Ūrdhvapuṇḍra without a hollow, the foot of a dog is always (placed). O brāhmaṇa, having finished the rite spoken (i.e. laid down) for the morning, he should, according to his capacity, worship Tulasī that destroys sins. Then, O brāhmaṇa, having, with his mind concentrated, listened to Viṣṇu’s account from a Purāṇa , he who observes the vow, should devoutly and duly worship him. O brāhmaṇa, a man should always avoid (using) the seat of another person, avoid food of others, so also the bed of another person, and another man’s wife; (he should) especially (avoid these) in Kārtika. He who observes the vow (of the Kārtika month), should always avoid a jujube, beans, meat and honey, royal beans etc. in Kārtika. O brāhmaṇa, (he should also avoid) the citron fruit, meat, flower and stale food. Masurika (a kind of pulse) is declared among the grains; the milk of cows is said to be vegetarian; O brāhmaṇa, salt is produced from earth; the limb of an animal is meat. O best brāhmaṇa, he should use all fluids bought by a brāhmaṇa, water remaining in a small lake, practice celibacy in the fourth period, and eat food from a dish made of rows of leaves. He should avoid besmearing his body with oil.
21b-35. He who observes the Kārtika-vow, should avoid mushrooms, lotus-stalks, asafoetida, onions, leave of (a kind of herb called) pūtikā , garlic, radish, potherb, so also a gourd, wood-apple, egg-plant, a pumpkin gourd, eating from (a vessel of) bell metal, (food) cooked twice, the food prepared by a lying-in woman, fish, bed and a woman in her period, food prepared by two women and the company of women. O brāhmaṇa, a householder should always avoid the dhātrī -fruit on a Sunday. On (eating) a pumpkin gourd a man would lose his wealth; on (eating) a bṛhatī he would not remember Viṣṇu; on (eating) a cucumber there would be no prosperity; on (eating) a radish there would be a loss of strength. One becomes defamed on (eating) bilva ; he is born in the stock of an animal on eating nimba ; on eating a palm-fruit there is the loss of the body; there would be folly on (eating) a coconut; a gourd is like the flesh of a cow; on eating kalindaka (the sin) would be (equal to that of) killing a cow. Kidney-beans are said to cause sin. The pūtikā-herb is declared to be causing the murder of a brāhmaṇa. On (eating) the egg-plant one’s son would be lost; on (eating) beans one would be ill for a long time. On (eating) meat there would be a great sin (incurred); he should avoid (these) on the first day etc. (of the month). A man should give that food, which he would avoid, to a brāhmaṇa, and have it in his meal at the end of the vow. As elephants flee away on seeing a lion, the messengers of Yama run away on seeing a man who duly observes the Kārtika-vow. O brāhmaṇa, the vow of (in honour of) Viṣṇu is the best; even a hundred sacrifices are not equal to it. By performing a sacrifice he would go to heaven, (while) one who observes the Kārtika-vow would go to Viṣṇu’s world. O brāhmaṇa, whatever bad deed a man has done through mind, speech or act, perishes in a moment on seeing him who observes the Kārtika vow. Even the four-faced Brahmā would not be able to narrate the religious merit of him who observes the Kārtika-vow as (already) told, observing which, O brāhmaṇa, all the sin would go (away) through the fear of him who performs the Kārtika-vow (saying to itself): ‘Where shall I go? Where shall I stay?’ O brāhmaṇa, a man should give according to his capacity food, garments etc. (to brāhmaṇas ), and should also feed brāhmaṇas to please Viṣṇu. The observers of the vow should keep awake at night by dancing, singing etc. The sin of him who devoutly listens to this, perishes.
[1]: [1] : Ūrdhvapuṇḍra—Upright lines made on the forehead with some colouring substance. It is one of the five saṃskāras that a devotee of Vāsudeva was supposed to undergo. The other four are: Tapa (branding on the arm and other limbs), Name (Names of Vāsudeva), Mantra (a hymn), Yāga (worship of the images of Vāsudevao [Vāsudeva?]).
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43551, revision 335809 (2022-04-15T08:58:58Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365305.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.