Shiva Answers Kartikeya's Queries

1. Having approached the listener, viz. Kartikeya, full of devotion, the bull-bannered lord Shiva spoke again. The lord said:

2-15. Kartika is Vishnu's month and the best of all months. In the Kali age all the thirtythree gods come together in this month. In the very prosperous month of Kartika men will give to a brahmana a cow, gold, silver, land, residence, cows with full devotion, O you of a good vow. Of all gifts the gift of a daughter is the best. Men will duly give their daughter to a brahmana of the Atri-family. They (will) live in Vaikuntha as long as the fourteen Indras (rule). When small hair appears (on the private parts), Soma enjoys a daughter. When she attains puberty, gandharvas (enjoy her); and when the breasts appear (prominent), Fire (enjoys her). A man should marry his daughter as long as she has not attained puberty. Wise men recommend a girl's marriage when she is eight years old. She should be duly given to a brahmana who is well-versed in sacred learning, possesses moral virtue, has actually studied the Vedas, and has observed celibacy. This is said to be the rule regarding a daughter to be given (in marriage). He is honoured in Rudra's heaven for as many thousand years as the number of hair on the daughter's body. (The gift of) a thousand cows is equal to that often bulls. (The gift of) a vehicle is equal to that of ten bulls. (The gift of) a horse is equal to that of ten vehicles. The gift of an elephant is superior to the gift of thousands of horses. The gift of gold is equal to the gift of thousands of elephants. Giving knowledge is equal to the gift of thousands of bMras of gold. The gift of (a piece of) land is a crorefold superior to giving knowledge. The gift of cows is superior to thousands of gifts of land. Giving food is superior to thousands of gifts of cows. All this immobile and mobile world has food as its support. Therefore, O Kartikeya, one should with an effort (i.e. should make an effort to) give (gifts) in Kartika. (These) three are equal gifts, and have equal fruits — a cow fulfilling all desires, earth (i.e. land) and Sarasvati (i.e. knowledge). Kartikeya said:

16. O great god, please tell me other (religious) practices doing which one having got rid of all (one's) sins, would be a god. Suta said:

17. O you treasures of penance, what is the use of praising it in many ways? Thus asked ava again commenced speaking: The lord said:

18-46. He who, observing restraints, avoids others' food in Kartika, gets the fruit of the Candrayana (vow). The man who, noticing that Kartika has arrived, would avoid others' food day by day, obtains the fruit of the Krcchra vow. A man should avoid oil in Kartika; a man should avoid honey in Kartika; one should avoid (the use of) bell-metal in Kartika; and one should especially avoid food prepared for a group. By eating flesh (but) once (in Kartika) he obtains (i.e. goes to) a demonish stock and is cooked in feces for sixty thousand years. Freed from that the sinner is born as a village-pig eating feces. When foods (generally) indulged in are restricted in Kartika (by a man), he surely obtains Vishnu's form and a position giving salvation. There is no (other) month like Kartika and no deity superior to Vishnu. There is no (other) sacred knowledge like the Vedas; there is no (other) holy place like Ganga; there is no (other) practice like (that of) truth; there is no (other) age like the Krta (age). There is no (other) satisfaction like that of the tongue; there is no (other) pleasure like that due to giving gifts. There is no (other) friend like righteousness; there is no (other) luminary like the eyes. He who would spend (Kartika), the month dear to Vishnu, without (observing) a vow, should be known to have fallen from duty and he is born in low stocks. Kartika is the best month, always dear to Vishnu's devotees. A holy river flowing into the sea is difficult to be had for a bath by those given to bathing (everyday). An unmarried girl belonging to a noble family and of good character is difficult to be found. A couple of human beings (of an amiable nature) is difficult to be found. In the world a (good) mother and especially a (good) father are difficult to be found. Honour to the good is rare. A virtuous son is rare. Residence at Dvaraka is difficult to be accomplished. Krishna's sight is difficult to be had. A bath in Gomati is had with difficulty. The Kartika vow is difficult to be had. O child, the fruit that a man gets by giving (pieces of) land to brahmanas at (the time of) lunar and solar eclipses is had by one who sleeps on the (bare) ground. He should feed a brahmana couple and should honour them with unguents. Blankets, gems, various garments, mattresses filled with cotton should be given along with bed-sheets. Give a pair of sandals or an umbrella in the purifying (month of) Kartika. He who everyday eats from leaves in Kartika, does not meet with a calamity as long as the fourteen Indras are ruling. He gets the fruit of all his desires, and would get the fruit of (visiting) all holy places. By eating from palasa leaves a man does not see (i.e. have) a residence in hell, since this palasa is actually known to be Brahma granting all desired objects. O Kartikeya, in Kartika (a man) should avoid the middle (palasa) leaf. In the three leaves (of palasa), Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (reside). He should avoid the divine leaf, (since) Brahma is excellent Vishnu (obscure). By eating from the remaining leaves he obtains all religious merit. O best sage, by eating from the middle leaf (of palasa) and by drinking the milk of a tawny cow a man would go to hell. A shudra who ignorantly drinks the milk of a tawny cow, is purified by giving a cow to a brahmana in Kartika. Giving Sheshamum, bathing in a river, always seeing the good, eating from palasa leaves in Kartika give salvation. He who observes silence, eats from palasa leaves, bathes with (river-) water, always forgives, sleeps on the (bare) ground in Kartika would destroy sin earned during (many) ages, O Kartikeya, one who keeps awake before Vishnu at dawn in Kartika, would obtain the fruit of (giving) a thousand cows. The fruit which men get by offering food in pitrpaksa (i.e. dark half of Bhadrapada), and by offering water in Jyestha and Asadha, is obtained by them in lighting others' lamps. By lighting another's lamp and by serving Vishnu's devotees in Kartika a man gets the fruit of Rajastiya and horse sacrifices. He who does not bathe in a river, does not (tell) tale(s) of Vishnu, does not see Vishnu's devotees in Kartika would lose the religious merit (collected during) ten years. O best sage, (the religious merit of) that wise man who would remember Puskara through (physical) act, mentally, or through speech, would be a lakh of crore times more.

47-60. Prayaga in the month of Magha, Puskara in Kartika, so also Avanti in Vaishakha-month would destroy sin earned during ages. O Kartikeya, those men are blessed especially in the Kali age, who by all means serve Vishnu everyday. (For him,) O sage, what is the use of having offered many pindas by means of (offering) sraddhas etc.? There is no doubt that he has emancipated his dead ancestors from hell. Those who for (i.e. in honour of) their dead ancestors give a bath with milk etc. to Vishnu, go to heaven and live there with gods for a crore of kalpas. O best brahmana, Lakshmi does not stay for crores of existences in the houses of them who have not worshipped the lotus-eyed Krishna (i.e. Vishnu) in Kartika. Those who have not worshipped Vishnu with black or white lotuses are stung, snatched, have perished and have fallen into the cave of Kali. He who (even) with one lotus worships the chief of gods, the lord of Lakshmi, destroys sins (collected during) a myriad thousands of years. The lord of gods, saluted and worshipped with (just) one lotus would forgive seven hundred thousands of sins. O best sage, he who would worship Vishnu in Kartika with a lakh of Tu'iasileaves would obtain a pearl on (i.e. for) every leaf as the fruit. Vishnu, O (my) son, is pleased for crores of thousands of kalpas with whatever is done (i.e. offered) after being mixed with (i.e. having) the fragrance of Tulasi. O Kartikeya, Kali does not touch him who carries in his mouth, on his head or body a Tulasi (leaf) taken down from (the image of) Vishnu (after it was offered to him). O Kartikeya, he who would sprinkle his body with the offerings like flowers after taking them down from (the image of Krishna, becomes free from all diseases and sins also. O (my) son, undoubtedly the sins of him perish, and diseases of him come to an end, whose body touches (i.e. is smeared) with the remaining of the (burnt) charcoal etc. (offered) to Vishnu. The water in a conch, devotion to Vishnu, the remains of offerings like flowers, water (flowing from) the feet (of the image of Vishnu), sandal, the remains of incense remove (the sin of) the murder of a brahmana.

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