Chapter 121 - The Importance of Offering Lights etc.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Lord said:

1-25a. O Kārtikeya, of him who, resorting to the shade of dhātrī, offers piṇḍas, the dead ancestors obtain salvation through Viṣṇu’s grace. O child, a man who, being adorned with dhātrī-fruits, holds a dhātrī fruit on his head, in his hand, mouth, on his body, and who eats dhātrī-fruits becomes Viṣṇu. O Kārtikeya, he, the devotee of Viṣṇu, who has a dhātrī-fruit, becomes dear to gods; then what to say of human beings? A man should not abandon a Tulasī-garland and especially a dhātri-garland. As long as the dhātrī-garland remains round the neck of a man, Viṣṇu, till that time, remains in his body. The life of him in whose house these three, viz. dhātrī-fruit, Tulasī, and clay from Dvārakā are (found), is fruitful. A man would live in Vaikuṇṭha for as many thousands of yugas as the days he wears a dhātrī-garland in the Kali age. He who would wear a pair of garlands of dhātrī and Tulasī round his neck would live in heaven for a crore of kalpas. A man who, having controlled the group of his senses, devoutly worships Śālagrāma stone, has the religious merit of a horse sacrifice in (i.e. from) each flower. As is Viṣṇu among gods, so is Tulasī among flowers. He who everyday would worship the Garuḍa-bannered god with Tulasī, becomes free from birth, grief, old age and diseases, and would obtain salvation. In case of him who has worshipped Viṣṇu in Kārtika, Viṣṇu rubs off the row of letters written by Yama. Śrīcandana with camphor, agaru sandal with saffron, so also offering ketakī flowers and lights is always dear to Viṣṇu. He who has offered ketakī flower or light in Kārtika in the Kali-age would emancipate a hundred (members) of his family, O Kārtikeya. On the days of Kārtika, offering of lotuses, Tulasī, ketakī-flowers and mango-blossoms, and lights as the fifth (should be done). O child, he who has made in Kārtika a bower with ketakī-garlands for Viṣṇu, obtains residence in heaven. Viṣṇu, the Garuḍa-bannered god, worshipped with a ketakī-flower only, is much pleased for a thousand years. O Kārtikeya, by worshipping Viṣṇu with ketakī-flowers, one goes to Visnu’s auspicious and happy abode. So also having worshipped the lord of gods when Vaiśākha has come with damanaka, he obtains a fruit due to that worship, O best of sages. O brāhmaṇa, by the sight of him who worships Viṣṇu with agasti-flowers, the fire of hell perishes. O brāhmaṇa sage, Viṣṇu, pleased by penance, does not do that which, O Mahāsena, he does, when he is adorned with mango-flowers. He who, abandoning all (other) flowers, devoutly worships Viṣṇu in Kārtika with mango flowers, would obtain the fruit of a horse-sacrifice. About him who offers Viṣṇu a garland made of mango-flowers, even the lord of gods speaks good words. O Kārtikeya, the fruit which is obtained by the gift of a myriad cows, is obtained by offering (just) one mango-flower in Kārtika. As Viṣṇu is pleased with the Kaustubha gem, or with the garland of wood-flowers, so is he pleased with a Tulasī-leaf in Kārtika.

Sūta said:

25b. Seeing Kārtikeya bowing with politeness and full of devotion, Śiva, the Bull-bannered god spoke again.

The lord said:

26-37. O Kārtikeya, listen to the importance of lights in Kārtika. The dead ancestors, always surrounded by hosts of (other) dead ancestors, desire: ‘A good son, devoted to his dead ancestors, will be born in our family, who will please Viṣṇu by offering lights in Kārtika’. O Kārtikeya, to him, whose lamp burns with ghee or oil, what is the use of a horse-sacrifice? He who has offered lights in Kārtika before Viṣṇu, for five days especially in the dark half, has performed all sacrifices, and has plunged into the water at a holy place. He who offers a light on these days, would eternally obtain religious merit. A female rat, having brightened the lamp offered by others, obtained the existence of human beings difficult to obtain, and got the best position. A hunter also who, going without food, worshipped the great lord on the fourteenth day, got the highest (place) and went to Viṣṇu’s world. A prostitute Lilāvatī who, due to her resorting to a cāṇḍāla, caused (to burn more) a lamp lighted by others, became pure and went to the eternal heaven. A certain cowherd who, seeing on the new-moon day the worship of Viṣṇu again and again said, “Victory (to Viṣṇu),” became the great lord of kings. Therefore, at night, after sunset, lamps should be offered in houses, all cow-pens and all abodes, temples of gods and cremation grounds and lakes. Due to its religious merit the offering of lights with ghee for a good purpose should be done for five days. The dead ancestors who were sinful and who had missed the rites (of the offering) of piṇḍas and water, get the highest salvation due to the religious merit of offering lights.