Chapter 92 - Rules for the Vow of Kārtika

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Pṛthu said:

1. O sage, you told me the great fruit of the vows of Kārtika and Māgha. O Nārada, you also (told me) properly about the rite of bathing and about the restraints. (Now) please tell me in due order the bringing to completion (of that rite).

Nārada said:

2-15. You are born from a portion of Viṣṇu. (Therefore) nothing is unknown to you. Yet, O son of Vena, listen properly to the importance from me who am telling it. A man, being careful, should observe the rule about the vow of Kārtika, when it would be the Ekādaśī of the bright half of the month of Āśvina. When a quarter of the night is left, he, the observer of the vow, with a vessel containing water should go out of his house in the south-west direction. By the day and in the evening after having placed his sacred thread on his ear, after having covered the ground with grass, after having covered his head with a garment, having carefully controlled his mouth, without spitting or panting, he should pass urine or feces after facing the north. If it is night he should face the south. Having held his organ of generation he should get up. Taking pure clay, he should carefully make purification (i.e. wash) by which the smearing and odour will vanish. He should apply (clay) to his organ of generation once, to the anus five times, to the left hand ten times, to both the hands seven times, and to the feet thrice (and then wash them with water). Twice this (number) is told for a celibate, and thrice for a hermit, four times for an ascetic. Half (the number should be used for) purification at night. Half ofit (should be employed when he is) travelling. Half of it is (recommended) for women and śūdras. All the acts of him who does not go through the act of purification, are useless. The hymns of one not having his mouth pure, are said not to give the (desired) fruit. After that he should carefully cleanse his teeth and tongue, ‘O tree, give us (long) life, power, success, vigour, progeny, animals and wealth.’ Uttering this hymn, (he should take a piece of) wood of the length of twelve fingers of the kṣīra tree^[1] without fasting on the diminutive day (obscure) (and he should cleansehisteeth). He should not cleanse his teeth onthe first day, the new-moon day, the ninth day, the sixth day, a Sunday and at the time of the lunar or solar eclipse. He should avoid cleansing his teeth with (a stick of) the kaṇṭakī tree, cotton tree, nirguṇḍa tree, palāśa tree, bilva tree, castor oil plant, and iṅgudī tree.

16-30. Then he, with a pleased mind and devoted, should go, taking with him sandal, flowers, good tāmbūlas to the temple of Viṣṇu and Śiva. Then having separately offered articles (and modes) of worship like water for washing the feet, respectful oblation etc., and bowed again, he should do auspicious things like singing. He should also honour the good dancers having musical instruments made of bell-metal, lutes, tabors etc., so also he should honour the singers with fragrant flowers and tāmbūlas, since they are the forms of Viṣṇu. In the Kali age penance, sacrifice, gifts made with devotion to the good lord of the world, always give delight. O king, I asked, “O lord of gods, where do you live?” Viṣṇu, pleased with my devotion then spoke to me thus: “I do not live in Vaikuṇṭha, nor in the heart of the yogins. O Nārada, I stay there where my devotees sing (my praise). Those foolish men who, after hearing a good narrative from a Purāṇa or the singing of my devotees, do not long for me, are hated by me. Men (should) worship them (devotees) with sandal, flowers etc. By that I am so much pleased as I am not pleased with my worship,” Viṣṇu should not be worshipped with the flowers of śirīṣa, dhattura, hill-plantain, jasmine, śālmali, sun-plant, karṇikāra and with sacred rice grains. So also Śiva should not be worshipped with the flowers of japā, kunda, śirīṣa, jasmine, white jasmine, ketakī. One should not worship Gaṇeśa with Tulasī-leaves and Pārvatī with dūrvās. A man desiring wealth should not, in the same way, worship the Sun with damanaka flowers. Always he should use fragrant and best flowers for worship. Having thus offered the worship, he should apologise to the god of gods: ‘O lord of gods, may whatever I have offered as worship without hymns, rites and without devotion, be complete. Then having gone round (the deity by keeping the deity) to his right, he should salute (i.e. prostrate himself) like a staff. He should again apologise to the deity and the singers etc. Those men who, on a night in Kārtika, properly worship Viṣṇu or Śiva, have their sins completely destroyed, and their ancestors go to Viṣṇu’s abode.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kṣīravṛkṣa—Name of the four trees, viz. Nyagrodha, Udumbara, Aśvattha and Madhūka.