Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 117
Sourceसूत उवाच। इति सर्वं समाकर्ण्य सत्राजितसुता तदा । हरेर्वाक्यं महाभागा सत्या वचनमब्रवीत् १। सत्योवाच। कार्तिकस्य च माहात्म्यं न श्रुतं विस्तरात्प्रभो । सर्वेषामेव मासानां कार्तिकः प्रवरः कथम् २। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच। साधु पृष्टं त्वया सत्ये कार्तिकव्रतमादरात् । शौनकाय पुरा प्रोक्तं सूतेन सुमहात्मना ३। सूत उवाच। श्रूयतां तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि एतत्प्रश्नोत्तरं शुभम् । ईश्वरेण पुरा प्रोक्तं पृच्छते षण्मुखाय वै ४। कार्तिकेय उवाच। बहूनि पद्मनाभस्य रहस्यानि श्रुतानि च । यथा हि प्रोच्यमानानि वैष्णवेन त्वया प्रभो ५। संसारसागरे प्राप्ता दुःखोरुलहरीवृते । तेषामुत्तारणार्थाय कथयस्व प्रयत्नतः ६। कार्तिकस्य विधिश्चैव स्नानस्य वदतां वर । येन दुःखांबुधिं तात संतरिष्यंति मानवाः ७। फलं वैष्णवधर्मस्य कथयस्व सुविस्तरम् । येन धर्मप्रभावेन पदं गच्छति वैष्णवम् ८। दीपदानस्य माहात्म्यं मुनिपुष्पस्य सुव्रत । गोपीचंदनमाहात्म्यं तुलस्यास्तु तथा विभो ९। मालतीपुष्पमाहात्म्यं वारिजानां तथा वद । धात्रीफलानां माहात्म्यं तथा दमनकस्य च १०। केतकीपुष्पमाहात्म्यं नैवेद्यस्य परंतप । तीर्थोदकस्य माहात्म्यं माघस्नानफलं विभो ११। फलं ब्रूहि सुरश्रेष्ठ ब्रह्मपत्रेषु भोजनात् । नीराजनफलं स्थाणो परदीपप्रवेधनात् १२। पुष्करक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यं शूकरस्य तथा विभो । शालग्रामस्य माहात्म्यं स्वस्तिकस्य विधानकम् १३। दानानां च फलं ब्रूहि परान्नस्य च वर्जनात् । मासोपवासस्य फलं खट्वाया मोक्षणाद्विभो १४। दीपावल्याश्च माहात्म्यं प्रबोधिन्याश्च सुव्रत । पंचभीष्मस्यमाहात्म्यं कथयस्व सुविस्तरात् १५। ईश्वर उवाच। साधु पृष्टं त्वया वत्स लोकोद्धरणहेतवे । कथयामि न संदेहस्त्वत्समो नास्ति वैष्णवः १६। सत्पुत्रेण त्वया वत्स तारितोऽहं न संशयः । निश्चला केशवे भक्तिस्त्वयि तिष्ठति सर्वदा १७। नरेभ्यो वैष्णवं धर्मं यो ददाति द्विजोत्तमः । ससागरमही दाने तत्पुण्यं लभते हि सः १८। कार्तिकस्य च मासस्य कोट्यंशेनापि नार्हति । एकतः सर्वतीर्थानि सर्वदानानि चैकतः १९। एकतो गोप्रदानानि सर्वे यज्ञाः सदक्षिणाः । एकतः पुष्करे वासं कुरुक्षेत्रे हिमालये २०। एकतो मथुरातीर्थे वाराणस्यां च शूकरे । एकतः कार्तिको वत्स सर्वदा केशवप्रियः २१। सूत उवाच। इत्युक्त्वा मुनिशार्दूल पुनर्वाक्यं जगौ हरः । कार्तिकस्नानमाहात्म्यं कथयिष्ये सुविस्तरात् २२। ईश्वर उवाच। ब्राह्मं कृतयुगं प्रोक्तं त्रेता तु क्षत्रियं स्वयम् । द्वापरं वैश्यमित्याहुः शूद्रं कलियुगं स्मृतम् २३। कलौ वत्स मनुष्याणां शैथिल्यं स्नानकर्मणि । तथापि कथयिष्यामि स्नानं कार्तिकमाघयोः २४। यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ न वाङ्मनश्च सुसंयतम् । विद्या तपश्च कीर्तिश्च स तीर्थफलभाङ्नरः २५। अश्रद्दधानः पापात्मा नास्तिकश्छिन्नमानसः । हेतुवादी च पंचैते न तीर्थफलभागिनः २६। प्रातरुत्थाय यो विप्रस्तीर्थस्नायी सदा भवेत् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति २७। स्नानं चतुर्विधं प्रोक्तं स्नानविद्भिः षडानन । वायव्यं वारुणं दिव्यं ब्राह्मं चेति तथा स्मृतम् २८। वायव्यं गोरजः स्नानं वारुणं सागरादिषु । ब्राह्म्य ब्राह्मणमंत्रोक्तं दिव्यं मेघांबु भास्करम् २९। स्नानानां चैव सर्वेषां विशिष्टं तत्र वारुणम् । ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियो वैश्यो मंत्रवत्स्नानमाचरेत् ३०। तूष्णीमेव हि शूद्रस्य स्त्रीणां चैव षडानन । बाला च तरुणी वृद्धा नरनारीनपुंसकाः ३१। पापैः सर्वैः प्रमुच्यंते स्नानात्कार्तिकमाघयोः । स्नाता वै कार्तिके लोकाः प्राप्नुवंतीप्सितं फलम् ३२। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे कार्तिकमाहात्म्ये श्रीशिवषडाननसंवादे सप्तदशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ११७।
sūta uvāca| iti sarvaṃ samākarṇya satrājitasutā tadā | harervākyaṃ mahābhāgā satyā vacanamabravīt 1| satyovāca| kārtikasya ca māhātmyaṃ na śrutaṃ vistarātprabho | sarveṣāmeva māsānāṃ kārtikaḥ pravaraḥ katham 2| śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca| sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā satye kārtikavratamādarāt | śaunakāya purā proktaṃ sūtena sumahātmanā 3| sūta uvāca| śrūyatāṃ tatpravakṣyāmi etatpraśnottaraṃ śubham | īśvareṇa purā proktaṃ pṛcchate ṣaṇmukhāya vai 4| kārtikeya uvāca| bahūni padmanābhasya rahasyāni śrutāni ca | yathā hi procyamānāni vaiṣṇavena tvayā prabho 5| saṃsārasāgare prāptā duḥkhorulaharīvṛte | teṣāmuttāraṇārthāya kathayasva prayatnataḥ 6| kārtikasya vidhiścaiva snānasya vadatāṃ vara | yena duḥkhāṃbudhiṃ tāta saṃtariṣyaṃti mānavāḥ 7| phalaṃ vaiṣṇavadharmasya kathayasva suvistaram | yena dharmaprabhāvena padaṃ gacchati vaiṣṇavam 8| dīpadānasya māhātmyaṃ munipuṣpasya suvrata | gopīcaṃdanamāhātmyaṃ tulasyāstu tathā vibho 9| mālatīpuṣpamāhātmyaṃ vārijānāṃ tathā vada | dhātrīphalānāṃ māhātmyaṃ tathā damanakasya ca 10| ketakīpuṣpamāhātmyaṃ naivedyasya paraṃtapa | tīrthodakasya māhātmyaṃ māghasnānaphalaṃ vibho 11| phalaṃ brūhi suraśreṣṭha brahmapatreṣu bhojanāt | nīrājanaphalaṃ sthāṇo paradīpapravedhanāt 12| puṣkarakṣetramāhātmyaṃ śūkarasya tathā vibho | śālagrāmasya māhātmyaṃ svastikasya vidhānakam 13| dānānāṃ ca phalaṃ brūhi parānnasya ca varjanāt | māsopavāsasya phalaṃ khaṭvāyā mokṣaṇādvibho 14| dīpāvalyāśca māhātmyaṃ prabodhinyāśca suvrata | paṃcabhīṣmasyamāhātmyaṃ kathayasva suvistarāt 15| īśvara uvāca| sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā vatsa lokoddharaṇahetave | kathayāmi na saṃdehastvatsamo nāsti vaiṣṇavaḥ 16| satputreṇa tvayā vatsa tārito'haṃ na saṃśayaḥ | niścalā keśave bhaktistvayi tiṣṭhati sarvadā 17| narebhyo vaiṣṇavaṃ dharmaṃ yo dadāti dvijottamaḥ | sasāgaramahī dāne tatpuṇyaṃ labhate hi saḥ 18| kārtikasya ca māsasya koṭyaṃśenāpi nārhati | ekataḥ sarvatīrthāni sarvadānāni caikataḥ 19| ekato gopradānāni sarve yajñāḥ sadakṣiṇāḥ | ekataḥ puṣkare vāsaṃ kurukṣetre himālaye 20| ekato mathurātīrthe vārāṇasyāṃ ca śūkare | ekataḥ kārtiko vatsa sarvadā keśavapriyaḥ 21| sūta uvāca| ityuktvā muniśārdūla punarvākyaṃ jagau haraḥ | kārtikasnānamāhātmyaṃ kathayiṣye suvistarāt 22| īśvara uvāca| brāhmaṃ kṛtayugaṃ proktaṃ tretā tu kṣatriyaṃ svayam | dvāparaṃ vaiśyamityāhuḥ śūdraṃ kaliyugaṃ smṛtam 23| kalau vatsa manuṣyāṇāṃ śaithilyaṃ snānakarmaṇi | tathāpi kathayiṣyāmi snānaṃ kārtikamāghayoḥ 24| yasya hastau ca pādau na vāṅmanaśca susaṃyatam | vidyā tapaśca kīrtiśca sa tīrthaphalabhāṅnaraḥ 25| aśraddadhānaḥ pāpātmā nāstikaśchinnamānasaḥ | hetuvādī ca paṃcaite na tīrthaphalabhāginaḥ 26| prātarutthāya yo viprastīrthasnāyī sadā bhavet | sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ paraṃ brahmādhigacchati 27| snānaṃ caturvidhaṃ proktaṃ snānavidbhiḥ ṣaḍānana | vāyavyaṃ vāruṇaṃ divyaṃ brāhmaṃ ceti tathā smṛtam 28| vāyavyaṃ gorajaḥ snānaṃ vāruṇaṃ sāgarādiṣu | brāhmya brāhmaṇamaṃtroktaṃ divyaṃ meghāṃbu bhāskaram 29| snānānāṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ viśiṣṭaṃ tatra vāruṇam | brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyo maṃtravatsnānamācaret 30| tūṣṇīmeva hi śūdrasya strīṇāṃ caiva ṣaḍānana | bālā ca taruṇī vṛddhā naranārīnapuṃsakāḥ 31| pāpaiḥ sarvaiḥ pramucyaṃte snānātkārtikamāghayoḥ | snātā vai kārtike lokāḥ prāpnuvaṃtīpsitaṃ phalam 32| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe kārtikamāhātmye śrīśivaṣaḍānanasaṃvāde saptadaśādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 117|
English translation
Sūta said :
1. Hearing all these words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa , that noble Satyā , daughter of Satrājit , then said:
Satyā said :
2. O lord, I have not heard the greatness of Kārtika in detail. How is Kārtika (said to be) the best of all months?
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said :
3. You have well asked with respect about the vow of Kārtika. It was formerly told to Śaunaka by very noble Sūta .
Sūta said :
4. Listen, I shall give the auspicious answer to this question. Formerly the lord told it to Kārtikeya who had asked about it.
Kārtikeya said :
5-15. O lord, I, a devotee of Viṣṇu , have heard many secrets of Viṣṇu told by you. Men have come to the ocean of mundane existence, covered with large waves of unhappiness. Carefully tell (some story) for their emancipation. So also, O you best among speakers, tell about the rite of Kārtika and the bath (in it), by which men will cross over the ocean of unhappiness, O father. Tell me about the greatness of illumination, of offering mango-sprouts, O you of a good vow, and the greatness of gopīcandana and Tulasī , O lord. Tell me also about the greatness of jasmine flowers; so also of lotuses; so also tell about the greatness of dhātrī -fruits and damanaka . O lord, tell about the greatness of ketakī -flowers; so also of the offering of eatables, the greatness of a holy place, and the fruit of the bath in Māgha . O best god, tell about the fruit of eating from palāśa -leaves, the fruit of waving the light by setting right the wick of another’s lamp, O Śiva . (Tell me about) the greatness of the holy place (called) Puṣkara , so also of Śūkara , O lord; so also the greatnecs of Śālagrāma , and the arrangement of the Svastika (symbol). Tell me also about the fruit of gifts, avoiding others’ food, the fruit of the fast for a month, and of giving away a couch. O you of a good vow, (tell me) about the greatness of Dīpāvalī , and of the Prabodhinī ( Ekādaśī ); so also tell me in detail the importance of the five days from the eleventh to the fifteenth of the bright half of the month of Kārtika.
The lord said :
16-21. O child, you have asked well for emancipating the people. I shall undoubtedly tell it. There is no other Viṣṇu devotee like you. O child, there is no doubt that I am emancipated by a good son (like) you. You always have a firm devotion to Viṣṇu. The best brāhmaṇa who gives (i.e. tells) the Vaiṣṇava practice to people gets the religious merit obtained by giving the earth with the ocean. That is not equal even to a croreth part of (the merit got from the vow of) Kārtika. On one side are all gifts, gifts of cows, all sacrifices with presents, the residence at Puṣkara, Kurukṣetra , Himālaya , the residence at the holy place of Mathurā , at Vārāṇasī , at Śūkara, and on the other side is Kārtika always dear to Viṣṇu, O child.
Sūta said :
22. Speaking like this, O best sage, Śiva again spoke these words: “I shall tell you in great detail the importance of bathing (daily) in (the month of) Kārtika”.
The lord said :
23-32. The Kṛta age is said to be of brāhmaṇas , the Tretā age is said to be that of kṣatriyas , Dvāpara is said to be of vaiśyas and Kali is said to be of Śūdras . O child, people show slackness in taking a bath in the Kali age. Yet I shall tell you about the bath in Kārtika and Māgha. A man whose hands, feet, speech, mind are controlled, and who has knowledge, penance and fame (to his credit) enjoys the fruit of(the visits to) a holy place. These five—one having no faith, a sinful person, an atheist, one with a split mind, and a disputant—do not enjoy the fruit of (the visit to) a holy place. That brāhmaṇa who, getting up in the morning, would always bathe in a holy place, is free from all sins, and obtains (i.e. goes to) the highest Brahman . O Kārtikeya, those who know about a bath, have said that a bath is of four kinds: Vāyavya , Vāruṇa , Divya and Brāhmya . A bath in the evening is Vāyavya; a bath in a sea etc. is Vāruṇa; a bath with hymns recited by brāhmaṇas is Brāhmya; and a divine bath is the one bright with the water (directly falling) from the clouds. Of all the baths Vāruṇa is the best. A brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya , a vaiśya should take a bath with the (recital of) hymns. O Kārtikeya, a śūdra , so also women, should bathe silently. A girl, a young women, an old woman, a man, a woman, a eunuch are free from all sins due to a bath (everyday) in Kārtika and Māgha. Having bathed in Kārtika, they obtain the desired fruit.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44686, revision 333954 (2022-03-21T11:13:12Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365696.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.