Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 115
Sourceसूत उवाच। इत्युक्त्वा वासुदेवोऽसौ सत्यभामामतिप्रियाम् । सायंसंध्यादिकं कर्तुं जगाम जननीगृहम् १। एवं प्रभावः प्रोक्तोयं कार्तिकः पापनाशनः । विष्णुप्रियकरो नित्यं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदः सदा २। हरिजागरणं प्रातः स्नानं तुलसिसेवनम् । उद्यापनं दीपदानं व्रतान्येतानि कार्तिके ३। पंचकैर्व्रतकैरेभिः संपूर्णं कार्तिकव्रतम् । फलं प्राप्नोति तत्प्रोक्तं भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम् ४। ऋषय ऊचुः। विष्णोः प्रियोऽतिफलदः प्रोक्तोऽयं रोमहर्षणे । कार्तिकस्य विधिः सम्यक्पावनः पापनाशनः ५। अवश्यमेव कर्त्तव्यः प्राप्य दुःखनिवारणः । मोक्षार्थिभिर्नरः सम्यग्भोगकामैरथापिवा ६। एवं स्थिते यथाकश्चिद्व्रतस्थः संकटे स्थितः । दुर्गारण्यस्थितो वापि व्याधिभिः परिपीडितः । कथं तेन प्रकर्तव्यं कार्तिकव्रतकं शुभम् ७। सूत उवाच। यस्मादत्यंतफलदं कर्तव्यं तु यथा नरैः । तत्सर्वं कथयिष्येऽहं शृणुध्वं मुनिपुंगवाः ८। विष्णोः शिवस्य वा कुर्यादालये हरिजागरम् । शिवविष्णुग्रहाभावे सर्वदेवालयेष्वपि ९। दुर्गारण्यस्थितो यश्च यदि वा यद्गतो भवेत् । कुर्यात्तदाश्वत्थमूले तुलसीनां वनेष्वपि १०। विष्णुनामप्रधानानां गायनाद्विष्णुसन्निधौ । गोसहस्रप्रदानस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः ११। वाद्यकृत्पुरुषश्चापि वाजपेयफलं लभेत् । सर्वतीर्थावगाहोत्थं नर्तकः फलमाप्नुयात् १२। सर्वमेतल्लभेत्पुण्यं तेषां तु द्रव्यदः पुमान् । प्रशंसादर्शनाभ्यां हि तत्षडंशमवाप्नुयात् १३। आपद्गतो यदाप्यंभो न लभेत्स्नपनाय सः । व्याधितो वा पुनः कुर्याद्विष्णोर्नामापमार्जनम् १४। उद्यापनविधिं कर्तुं न शक्तो यो व्रते स्थितः । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेच्छक्त्या व्रतसंपूर्णहेतवे १५। यस्मादत्यंतफलदो न त्याज्यः सर्वदा नरैः । अव्यक्तरूपिणो विष्णोः स्वरूपं ब्राह्मणा भुवि १६। तत्संतुष्ट्या सुसंतुष्टः सर्वदा स्यां न संशयः । अशक्तो दीपदाने तु परदीपं प्रबोधयेत् १७। तेषां वा रक्षणं कुर्याद्वातादिभ्यः प्रयत्नतः । अभावे तुलसीनां तु पूजयेद्वैष्णवं द्विजम् १८। यस्मात्संनिहितो विष्णुः स्वभक्तेष्वेव सर्वदा । सर्वाभावे व्रती कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणानां गवामपि १९। सेवां वाश्वत्थवटयोर्व्रतसंपूर्णहेतवे २०। ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं त्वयाश्वत्थवटौ गोब्राह्मणसमौ कृतौ । सर्वेभ्योऽपि तरुभ्यस्तौ कस्मात्पूज्यतरौ कृतौ २१। सूत उवाच। अश्वत्थरूपी भगवान्विष्णुरेव न संशयः । रुद्ररूपी वटस्तद्वत्पालाशो ब्रह्मरूपधृक् २२। दर्शनं पूजनं सेवा तेषां पापहरा स्मृता । दुःखापद्व्याधिदुष्टानां विनाशकरणी ध्रुवम् २३। ऋषय ऊचुः। कथं वृक्षत्वमापन्ना ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः । एतत्कथय सर्वज्ञ संशयोऽत्र महान्हि नः २४। सूत उवाच। पार्वतीशिवयोर्देवैः सुरतं कुर्वतोः किल । अग्निर्ब्राह्मणरूपेण प्रेषितो विघ्नकृत्पुरा २५। ततः सा पार्वती क्रुद्धा शशाप त्रिदिवौकसः । रतोत्सवसुखभ्रंशात्कंपमाना रुषा तदा २६। पार्वत्युवाच। कृमिकीटादयोप्येते जानंति सुरतं सुखम् । तद्विघ्नकरणाद्देवा ह्युद्भिज्जत्वमवाप्स्यथ २७। सूत उवाच। एवं सा पार्वती देवानशपत्क्रुद्धमानसा । तस्माद्वृक्षत्वमापन्नाः सर्वे देवगणाः किल २८। तस्मादिमौ विष्णुमहेश्वरावुभौ बभूवतुर्बोधिवटौ मुनीश्वराः । बोधिस्त्वगादार्किदिने स्पृशत्वमस्पृश्यतामर्कजविष्टियोगात् २९। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे कार्त्तिकमाहात्म्ये अश्वत्थवटप्रशंसनंनाम पंचदशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ११५।
sūta uvāca| ityuktvā vāsudevo'sau satyabhāmāmatipriyām | sāyaṃsaṃdhyādikaṃ kartuṃ jagāma jananīgṛham 1| evaṃ prabhāvaḥ proktoyaṃ kārtikaḥ pāpanāśanaḥ | viṣṇupriyakaro nityaṃ bhuktimuktipradaḥ sadā 2| harijāgaraṇaṃ prātaḥ snānaṃ tulasisevanam | udyāpanaṃ dīpadānaṃ vratānyetāni kārtike 3| paṃcakairvratakairebhiḥ saṃpūrṇaṃ kārtikavratam | phalaṃ prāpnoti tatproktaṃ bhuktimuktiphalapradam 4| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ| viṣṇoḥ priyo'tiphaladaḥ prokto'yaṃ romaharṣaṇe | kārtikasya vidhiḥ samyakpāvanaḥ pāpanāśanaḥ 5| avaśyameva karttavyaḥ prāpya duḥkhanivāraṇaḥ | mokṣārthibhirnaraḥ samyagbhogakāmairathāpivā 6| evaṃ sthite yathākaścidvratasthaḥ saṃkaṭe sthitaḥ | durgāraṇyasthito vāpi vyādhibhiḥ paripīḍitaḥ | kathaṃ tena prakartavyaṃ kārtikavratakaṃ śubham 7| sūta uvāca| yasmādatyaṃtaphaladaṃ kartavyaṃ tu yathā naraiḥ | tatsarvaṃ kathayiṣye'haṃ śṛṇudhvaṃ munipuṃgavāḥ 8| viṣṇoḥ śivasya vā kuryādālaye harijāgaram | śivaviṣṇugrahābhāve sarvadevālayeṣvapi 9| durgāraṇyasthito yaśca yadi vā yadgato bhavet | kuryāttadāśvatthamūle tulasīnāṃ vaneṣvapi 10| viṣṇunāmapradhānānāṃ gāyanādviṣṇusannidhau | gosahasrapradānasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ 11| vādyakṛtpuruṣaścāpi vājapeyaphalaṃ labhet | sarvatīrthāvagāhotthaṃ nartakaḥ phalamāpnuyāt 12| sarvametallabhetpuṇyaṃ teṣāṃ tu dravyadaḥ pumān | praśaṃsādarśanābhyāṃ hi tatṣaḍaṃśamavāpnuyāt 13| āpadgato yadāpyaṃbho na labhetsnapanāya saḥ | vyādhito vā punaḥ kuryādviṣṇornāmāpamārjanam 14| udyāpanavidhiṃ kartuṃ na śakto yo vrate sthitaḥ | brāhmaṇānbhojayecchaktyā vratasaṃpūrṇahetave 15| yasmādatyaṃtaphalado na tyājyaḥ sarvadā naraiḥ | avyaktarūpiṇo viṣṇoḥ svarūpaṃ brāhmaṇā bhuvi 16| tatsaṃtuṣṭyā susaṃtuṣṭaḥ sarvadā syāṃ na saṃśayaḥ | aśakto dīpadāne tu paradīpaṃ prabodhayet 17| teṣāṃ vā rakṣaṇaṃ kuryādvātādibhyaḥ prayatnataḥ | abhāve tulasīnāṃ tu pūjayedvaiṣṇavaṃ dvijam 18| yasmātsaṃnihito viṣṇuḥ svabhakteṣveva sarvadā | sarvābhāve vratī kuryādbrāhmaṇānāṃ gavāmapi 19| sevāṃ vāśvatthavaṭayorvratasaṃpūrṇahetave 20| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ tvayāśvatthavaṭau gobrāhmaṇasamau kṛtau | sarvebhyo'pi tarubhyastau kasmātpūjyatarau kṛtau 21| sūta uvāca| aśvattharūpī bhagavānviṣṇureva na saṃśayaḥ | rudrarūpī vaṭastadvatpālāśo brahmarūpadhṛk 22| darśanaṃ pūjanaṃ sevā teṣāṃ pāpaharā smṛtā | duḥkhāpadvyādhiduṣṭānāṃ vināśakaraṇī dhruvam 23| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ| kathaṃ vṛkṣatvamāpannā brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ | etatkathaya sarvajña saṃśayo'tra mahānhi naḥ 24| sūta uvāca| pārvatīśivayordevaiḥ surataṃ kurvatoḥ kila | agnirbrāhmaṇarūpeṇa preṣito vighnakṛtpurā 25| tataḥ sā pārvatī kruddhā śaśāpa tridivaukasaḥ | ratotsavasukhabhraṃśātkaṃpamānā ruṣā tadā 26| pārvatyuvāca| kṛmikīṭādayopyete jānaṃti surataṃ sukham | tadvighnakaraṇāddevā hyudbhijjatvamavāpsyatha 27| sūta uvāca| evaṃ sā pārvatī devānaśapatkruddhamānasā | tasmādvṛkṣatvamāpannāḥ sarve devagaṇāḥ kila 28| tasmādimau viṣṇumaheśvarāvubhau babhūvaturbodhivaṭau munīśvarāḥ | bodhistvagādārkidine spṛśatvamaspṛśyatāmarkajaviṣṭiyogāt 29| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe kārttikamāhātmye aśvatthavaṭapraśaṃsanaṃnāma paṃcadaśādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 115|
English translation
Sūta said
1-4. Speaking like this to Satyabhāmā , very dear to him, Vāsudeva went to his mother’s house to offer evening prayer, etc. This Kārtika is said to be powerful like this, destroying sins, always making one dear to Viṣṇu and always giving pleasures and salvation. Keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu, bathing in the morning, using Tulasī (leaves etc.), concluding the vow, and offering light—these are the vows (to be observed) in Kārtika. The Kārtika-vow is complete with these five vows. The fruit that one gets is said to be pleasures and salvation.
The sages said :
5-7. O Raumaharṣaṇa, this religious act of Kārtika is said to be dear to Viṣṇu, giving great fruit, properly purifying and destroying sins. When it comes, it should be necessarily observed duly by men desiring salvation, or desiring enjoyments. If this is so, how should a man observing a vow, who is in a difficulty, who is in an impervious forest, or is suffering from diseases, observe the auspicious Kārtika vow?
Sūta said :
8-20. O best sages, listen. I shall tell all about it as to how it should be observed, since it is extremely fruitful. In a temple of Viṣṇu or Śiva , or in any other temple in the absence of a temple of Viṣṇu or Śiva, a man should keep awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu. If a man is in an impervious forest to which he might have gone by day, he should observe it under the root of an Aśvattha tree or even in Tulasī-groves. A man, by singing (songs) mainly containing Viṣṇu’s names, near Viṣṇu, obtains the fruit of presenting a thousand cows. A man playing upon a musical instrument will obtain the fruit of a Vājapeya (sacrifice), and a dancer that of bathing at all holy places. A man who gives wealth will obtain all this religious merit of them. He would get one-sixth portion by praising and seeing (the deity). O (sages), if one who is in a calamity, does not get a watery (place) for bathing, or one is diseased, he should purify himself with (the recital of) the names of Viṣṇu. He who after observing the vow is unable to conclude it (duly), should, according to his capacity, feed brāhmaṇas for the (proper) completion of the vow. Since it gives great fruit, it should never be abandoned by men. Brāhmaṇas are the form of Viṣṇu whose form is not manifest on the earth. By their being pleased he is well pleased on the earth. If he is not able to present a lamp, he should light others’ lamps. Or he should carefully protect them from wind etc. In the absence of Tulasī he should worship a brāhmaṇa , Viṣṇu’s devotee, since Viṣṇu is always present in his devotees. In the absence of all (this) the observer of the vow should serve brāhmaṇas, cows and worship Aśvattha and Vaṭa trees for the completion of the vow.
The sages said :
21. How do you equate Aśvattha and Vaṭa trees with a cow and a brāhmaṇa? How do you take them to be more venerable than all (other) trees?
Sūta said :
22-23. There is no doubt that lord Viṣṇu is of the form of Aśvattha, Vaṭa is Rudra ’s form, and Palāśa has taken up Brahmā ’s form. Seeing, worshipping and serving them is said to remove sins. These certainly destroy grief, diseases and the wicked.
The sages said :
24. O you omniscient one, tell (us) how Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva became trees. We have a great doubt about it.
Sūta said :
25-26. Formerly, it is said, gods sent Agni in a brāhmaṇa’s form to create an obstacle when Śiva and Pārvatī were cohabiting. Then that Pārvatī, trembling and angry due to being deprived of the sexual pleasure, angrily cursed the gods.
Pārvatī said :
27-29. Even these worms and insects know the sexual pleasure. O gods, you will obtain the condition of plants due to having obstructed it.
Thus that Pārvatī of an angry mind, cursed the gods. Therefore, all hosts of gods have become trees. Therefore, O chief sages, both these Viṣṇu and Śiva have become Aśvattha and Vaṭa (trees). Aśvattha has become fit to be touched on a Saturday and not fit to be touched (on other days) due to contact of Śani with Viṣṇu.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44684, revision 333956 (2022-03-21T11:16:04Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365694.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.