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Kārttikamāsa-māhātmya · Chapter 29

Chapter 29

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Kārttikamāsa-māhātmya · Chapter 29

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।। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच ।। इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा पृथुर्विस्मितमानसः ।। संपूज्य नारदं सम्यग्विससर्ज तदा प्रिये ।।१।। पुराऽवंतीपुरे कश्चिद्विप्र आसीद्धनेश्वरः ।। ब्रह्मकर्मपरिभ्रष्टः पापकर्मा सुदुर्मतिः ।।२।। देशाद्देशातरं गच्छन्क्रयविक्रयकारणात् ।। माहिष्मतीपुरीमागात्कदाचित्स धनेश्वरः।।३।। महिषेण कृता पूर्वं तस्मान्माहिष्मतीति सा ।। यस्या वप्रगता भाति नर्मदा पापनाशिनी ।। ४ ।। कार्तिकव्रतिनस्तत्र नानादेशाऽऽगतान्नरान् ।। स दृष्ट्वा विक्रयं कुर्वन्मासमेकमुवास सः ।। ५ ।। स नित्यं नर्मदातीरे भ्रमन्विक्रयकारणात् ।। ददर्श ब्राह्मणान्स्नानजपदेवार्चने स्थितान् ।। ।। ६ ।। कांश्चित्पुराणं पठतः कांश्चिच्च श्रवणे रतान् ।। नृत्यगायनवादित्रविष्णुश्रवणतत्परान् ।।७।। उद्यापनविधौ सक्तान्कांश्चिज्जागरणे रतान् ।। विप्रगोपूजनरतान्दीपदानरतांस्तथा ।। ८ ।। ददर्श कौतुकाविष्टस्तत्रतत्र धनेश्वरः ।। नित्यं परिभ्रमंस्तत्र दर्शनस्पर्शभाषणात् ।। ९ ।। वैष्णवानां तथा विष्णोर्नामश्रावादि सोऽलभत् ।। एवं मासं स्थितस्तस्या नर्मदायास्तटे द्विजः ।। 2.4.29.१० ।। तावत्कृष्णाऽहिना दष्टो विह्वलः स पपात ह ।। अथ देहपरित्यक्तं तं वद्ध्वा यमकिंकराः ।। ११ ।। यमाज्ञया कुंभिपाके चिक्षिपुस्तं धनेश्वरम् ।। यावत्क्षिप्तश्च तत्रासौ तावच्छीतलतां ययौ ।। ।। १२ ।। कुंभीपाको यथा वह्निः प्रह्लादक्षेपणात्पुरा ।। यमस्तु कौतुकं दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छानीय तं ततः ।। १३ ।। तावदभ्यागतस्तत्र नारदः प्राह सत्वरम् ।। ।। नारद उवाच ।। ।। नैवाऽयं निरयान्भोक्तुमर्हो ह्यरुणनंदन ।। १४ ।। यस्मादंतेऽस्य संजातं कर्म यन्निरयापहम् ।। यः पुण्यकर्मिणां कुर्याद्दर्शनस्पर्शभाषणम् ।। १५ ।। ततः षडंशमाप्नोति पुण्यस्य नियतं नरः ।। सख्यं तु तैस्तु संसर्गं कृतवान्वै धनेश्वरः ।। १६ ।। कार्तिकव्रतिभिर्मासं तेषां पुण्यांशभागयम् ।। १७ ।। तस्मादकामपुण्यो हि यक्षयोनिस्थितो ह्ययम् ।। विलोक्य निरयान्सर्वान्पापभोगप्रदर्शकान् ।। १८ ।। ।। ।। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच।। ।। इत्युक्त्वा गतवति नारदे स सौरिस्तद्वाक्यश्रवणविबुद्धतत्सुकर्मा।। तं विप्रं पुनरनयत्स्वकिंकरेण तान्सर्वान्निरयगणान्प्रदर्शयिष्यन् ।। १९ ।। ततो धनेश्वरं नीत्वा निरयान्प्रेतपोऽब्रवीत् ।। दर्शयिष्यंस्तु तान्सर्वान्यमानुज्ञाकरस्तदा ।। 2.4.29.२० ।। ।। प्रेतप उवाच ।। ।। पश्येमान्निरयान्घोरान्धनेश्वर महाभयान् ।। एषु पापकरा नित्यं पच्यंते यमकिंकरैः ।।२१।। अकामात्पातकं शुष्कं कामादार्द्रमुदाहृतम् ।। आर्द्रशुष्कादिभिः पापैर्द्विप्रकारानवस्थितान् ।। २२ ।। चतुराशीतिसंख्याकैः पृथग्भेदैरवस्थितान् ।। यत्प्रकीर्णमपांक्तेयं मलिनीकरणं तथा ।। २३ ।। जातिभ्रंशकरं तद्वदुपपातकसंज्ञकम् ।। अतिपापं महापापं सप्तधा पातकं स्मृतम् ।। २४ ।। एभिः सप्तसु पच्यंते निरयेषु यथाक्रमम् ।। कार्तिकव्रतिभिर्यस्मात्संसर्गो ह्यभवत्तव ।। २५ ।। तत्पुण्योपचयादेते निर्हृता निरयाः खलु ।। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच ।। ।। दर्शयित्वेति निरयान्प्रेतपस्तमथाहरत् ।। २६ ।। धनेश्वरं यक्षलोकं यक्षश्चाऽभूत्स तत्र हि ।। धनदस्याऽनुगः सोऽयं धनयक्षेति विश्रुतः ।। २७ ।। ।। सूत उवाच ।। ।। इत्युक्त्वा वासुदेवोऽसौ सत्यभामामतिप्रियम् ।। सायंसंध्याविधिं कर्तुं जगाम जननीगृहम् ।। २८ ।। ।। ब्रह्मोवाच ।। ।। एवंप्रभावः खलु कार्तिकोऽयं मुक्तिप्रदो भुक्तिकरश्च यस्मात् ।। प्रयांत्यनेकाऽर्जितपातकानि व्रतस्य संदर्शयतोऽपि मुक्तिम् ।। २९ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे कार्तिकमासमाहात्म्ये धनेश्वरयक्षजन्मप्राप्तिवर्णनंनामैकोनत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ।। २९ ।।

|| śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca || iti tadvacanaṃ śrutvā pṛthurvismitamānasaḥ || saṃpūjya nāradaṃ samyagvisasarja tadā priye ||1|| purā'vaṃtīpure kaścidvipra āsīddhaneśvaraḥ || brahmakarmaparibhraṣṭaḥ pāpakarmā sudurmatiḥ ||2|| deśāddeśātaraṃ gacchankrayavikrayakāraṇāt || māhiṣmatīpurīmāgātkadācitsa dhaneśvaraḥ||3|| mahiṣeṇa kṛtā pūrvaṃ tasmānmāhiṣmatīti sā || yasyā vapragatā bhāti narmadā pāpanāśinī || 4 || kārtikavratinastatra nānādeśā''gatānnarān || sa dṛṣṭvā vikrayaṃ kurvanmāsamekamuvāsa saḥ || 5 || sa nityaṃ narmadātīre bhramanvikrayakāraṇāt || dadarśa brāhmaṇānsnānajapadevārcane sthitān || || 6 || kāṃścitpurāṇaṃ paṭhataḥ kāṃścicca śravaṇe ratān || nṛtyagāyanavāditraviṣṇuśravaṇatatparān ||7|| udyāpanavidhau saktānkāṃścijjāgaraṇe ratān || vipragopūjanaratāndīpadānaratāṃstathā || 8 || dadarśa kautukāviṣṭastatratatra dhaneśvaraḥ || nityaṃ paribhramaṃstatra darśanasparśabhāṣaṇāt || 9 || vaiṣṇavānāṃ tathā viṣṇornāmaśrāvādi so'labhat || evaṃ māsaṃ sthitastasyā narmadāyāstaṭe dvijaḥ || 2.4.29.10 || tāvatkṛṣṇā'hinā daṣṭo vihvalaḥ sa papāta ha || atha dehaparityaktaṃ taṃ vaddhvā yamakiṃkarāḥ || 11 || yamājñayā kuṃbhipāke cikṣipustaṃ dhaneśvaram || yāvatkṣiptaśca tatrāsau tāvacchītalatāṃ yayau || || 12 || kuṃbhīpāko yathā vahniḥ prahlādakṣepaṇātpurā || yamastu kautukaṃ dṛṣṭvā papracchānīya taṃ tataḥ || 13 || tāvadabhyāgatastatra nāradaḥ prāha satvaram || || nārada uvāca || || naivā'yaṃ nirayānbhoktumarho hyaruṇanaṃdana || 14 || yasmādaṃte'sya saṃjātaṃ karma yannirayāpaham || yaḥ puṇyakarmiṇāṃ kuryāddarśanasparśabhāṣaṇam || 15 || tataḥ ṣaḍaṃśamāpnoti puṇyasya niyataṃ naraḥ || sakhyaṃ tu taistu saṃsargaṃ kṛtavānvai dhaneśvaraḥ || 16 || kārtikavratibhirmāsaṃ teṣāṃ puṇyāṃśabhāgayam || 17 || tasmādakāmapuṇyo hi yakṣayonisthito hyayam || vilokya nirayānsarvānpāpabhogapradarśakān || 18 || || || śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca|| || ityuktvā gatavati nārade sa sauristadvākyaśravaṇavibuddhatatsukarmā|| taṃ vipraṃ punaranayatsvakiṃkareṇa tānsarvānnirayagaṇānpradarśayiṣyan || 19 || tato dhaneśvaraṃ nītvā nirayānpretapo'bravīt || darśayiṣyaṃstu tānsarvānyamānujñākarastadā || 2.4.29.20 || || pretapa uvāca || || paśyemānnirayānghorāndhaneśvara mahābhayān || eṣu pāpakarā nityaṃ pacyaṃte yamakiṃkaraiḥ ||21|| akāmātpātakaṃ śuṣkaṃ kāmādārdramudāhṛtam || ārdraśuṣkādibhiḥ pāpairdviprakārānavasthitān || 22 || caturāśītisaṃkhyākaiḥ pṛthagbhedairavasthitān || yatprakīrṇamapāṃkteyaṃ malinīkaraṇaṃ tathā || 23 || jātibhraṃśakaraṃ tadvadupapātakasaṃjñakam || atipāpaṃ mahāpāpaṃ saptadhā pātakaṃ smṛtam || 24 || ebhiḥ saptasu pacyaṃte nirayeṣu yathākramam || kārtikavratibhiryasmātsaṃsargo hyabhavattava || 25 || tatpuṇyopacayādete nirhṛtā nirayāḥ khalu || śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca || || darśayitveti nirayānpretapastamathāharat || 26 || dhaneśvaraṃ yakṣalokaṃ yakṣaścā'bhūtsa tatra hi || dhanadasyā'nugaḥ so'yaṃ dhanayakṣeti viśrutaḥ || 27 || || sūta uvāca || || ityuktvā vāsudevo'sau satyabhāmāmatipriyam || sāyaṃsaṃdhyāvidhiṃ kartuṃ jagāma jananīgṛham || 28 || || brahmovāca || || evaṃprabhāvaḥ khalu kārtiko'yaṃ muktiprado bhuktikaraśca yasmāt || prayāṃtyanekā'rjitapātakāni vratasya saṃdarśayato'pi muktim || 29 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe kārtikamāsamāhātmye dhaneśvarayakṣajanmaprāptivarṇanaṃnāmaikonatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 29 ||

English translation

Śrīkṛṣṇa said :

1. On hearing Nārada ’s words thus, Pṛthu became surprised in his mind. Then, O beloved, he worshipped him duly and bade farewell to him.

2. Formerly there was a certain Brāhmaṇa named Dhaneśvara in the city of Avantī . He had deviated from all Brahminical rites. He was wicked-minded and sinful in activities.

3. For the purpose of buying and selling things he used to go from one country to another.

Thus once that Dhaneśvara went to the city of Māhiṣmatī . [1]

4. Formerly, this city had been built by Mahiṣa . Hence it is well-known as Māhiṣmatī. The river Narmadā , the destroyer of sins, forms a defensive ditch to this city.

5. Men who observed Kārttika Vrata had come there from different lands. He attended to them selling things (that they required). Thus he stayed there for a month.

6. For the purpose of selling things he used to move frequently on the banks of Narmadā everyday. On those occasions he saw Brāhmaṇas engaged in holy baths, Japas or worships of the Lord.

7. He saw some of them reading the Purāṇas , some engaged in listening to them, some eagerly interested in watching (religious) dances or hearing (devotional) songs and instrumental music or stories of Viṣṇu .

8. Some were engaged in the concluding rites of the Vratas ; some were enthusiastic about keeping awake; engaged in the worship of the Brāhmaṇas and cows, some were ardently offering lamps.

9. Dhaneśvara saw these in different places very enthusiastically. As he moved in the region regularly he was fortunate enough to contact Vaiṣṇavas , seeing them, talking to them, touching them etc.

10-13. He listened to the names of Viṣṇu frequently uttered by them. Thus that Brāhmaṇa stayed on the banks of Narmada for a month. (One day) he was bitten by a black serpent. Afflicted much he fell down (dead). After death the servants of Yama bound him and at the bidding of Yama threw that Brāhmaṇa Dhaneśvara into the hell Kumbhīpāka . But as soon as he was thrown into that place Kumbhīpāka became very cool like the fire into which Prahlāda was thrown formerly. On seeing this wonder Yama brought him out and questioned him.

14a. Presently Nārada who came there told him:

Nārada said :

14b-16. O son of the Sun-god, this (Brāhmaṇa) does not deserve to suffer in hells, since at the end of his life there occurred certain acts (done by him) that dispel hells.

If a person were to meet, touch or speak to persons of meritorious deeds, he gets one-sixth of their merits invariably. This Dhaneśvara not only contacted them but became their friend too.

17. He had contacted the Kārttikavrata-observers for a month. Hence he must get a share of their merit.

18. Since he has acquired merits unintentionally, let him be born in Yakṣa womb (species) after surveying all the hells that show how sinners fare there.

Śrīkṛṣṇa said :

19. When Nārada went away after saying this, Yama who came to know his meritorious deeds on hearing his words, desired to show him all the hells and asked a servant to take him round.

20. Then the servant of Yama took Dhaneśvara to those hells, desirous of showing him all. Then Pretapa (Head of the departed spirits) said:

Pretapa said :

21. O Dhaneśvara, see these terrible hells that instil fear (in everyone). In these the sinners are cooked and tortured continuously by the servants of Yama.

22. A sin that is committed without any intention is called Śuṣka (dry) and what which is committed with intention is known as Ārdra (wet). On the basis of Ārdra and Śuṣka sins, the hells are divided into two groups.

23-24. They are eighty-four in number, with separate locations. It is declared that sins are of seven varieties: (1) Prakīrṇa , (2) Apāṅkteya , (3) Malinīkaraṇa , (4) Jātibhraṃśakara , (5) Upapātaka , (6) Atipāpa and (7) Mahāpāpa .

25-26a. These sinners are cooked in these seven hells in order. Since you came into contact with those who had observed Kārttika Vrata, you acquired (a share in) their merits. Due to that you have been spared suffering in these hells.

Śrīkṛṣṇa said :

26b-27. After showing the hells to him thus, Pretapa took Dhaneśvara

to the world of Yakṣas . There he became a Yakṣa and an attendant of Kubera . He became well-known as Dhana -Yakṣa.

Sūta said :

28-29. After saying this to his great beloved Satyabhāmā , Vāsudeva went to his mother’s house to perform the evening Sandhyā rites.

Brahmā said :

This Kārttika Vrata has such efficacy. It gives worldly pleasures and salvation. Even the sins of persons who witness the Vrata perish and they too attain salvation.

[1]: [1] : Modern Maheshwar on the right bank of Narmadā, forty miles to the south of Indore (Madhya Pradesh). Relics of the Harappan period were excavated there and are kept in a museum there.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23009, revision 222086 (2020-01-10T00:43:23Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371671.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.