Kārtika Māhātmya

Kārtika Māhātmya, simply known as Kartika Mahatmya, Sanskrit: कार्तिक माहात्म्य, Telugu: కార్తీక మాహాత్మ్యం, Hindi: कार्तिक माहात्म्य.

The Kārtika Māhātmya, also called the Kārtika Māsa Māhātmya, is a complete māhātmya (glorification) of the sacred month of Kārtika. It forms part of the Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa (the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa) and runs to 36 chapters. Through teachings, ritual rules and narratives, it shows that Kārtika is the holiest of all months.

Sūta narrates it at Naimishāraṇya, in answer to the ṛshis’ (seers’) question about the means of moksha (freedom from rebirth) in the Kali Yuga. Within it, the main frame is a dialogue between Brahmā and Nārada. A second frame has Śrī Kṛshṇa speaking to Satyabhāmā. Further teachings come from the Vālakhilya ṛshis, and from Bhagavān Śiva speaking to Kārttikeya. The Māhātmya itself points to the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, chapters 88–118, which also give the glory of Kārtika.

The text covers the glory of Kārtika, the daily āhnika (routine of duties), the festivals of the month, the narratives of Jalandhara and Vṛndā, the origin of Tulasī and Dhātrī, narratives of beings who reached moksha, and the detailed procedures of the vratas, ending with Prabodhinī Ekādaśī and Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī.

The 36 chapters

Main teachings

The Kārtika Māhātmya declares Kārtika the most excellent of all months. It is greater than all tīrthas (holy places), greater than all yajñas (fire rituals) with rich gifts, and greater than all the great pilgrimage places of the Purāṇas. Its central teachings are:

• Every meritorious rite done in Kārtika with Vishṇu in view gives a fruit that never runs out.
• The morning bath alone in Kārtika equals all gifts and all vows put together.
• Even those who only see others keeping the Kārtika Vrata gain puṇya (merit) through being near them.
• Karma passes from one person to another: one-sixth of the puṇya goes to those who merely come into contact with people keeping the vrata.
• The Kārtika Vrata is open to all varṇas and is especially suited to the Kali Yuga.

Particular accounts

• The origin of Tulasī (chapter 8): Tulasī came from drops of Vishṇu’s tears of joy over the pot of amṛta (nectar) at the churning of the Milk Ocean.
• The origin of Dhātrī (chapter 12): Dhātrī came from Brahmā’s tears of love as he meditated on Mahāvishṇu at the start of creation.
• Tulasī and Dhātrī from seeds (chapter 23): the text gives a second account of their origin. Gaurī, Lakshmī and Svarā gave seeds to the devas, who sowed them at the place where Vishṇu mourned Vṛndā.
• Vṛndā’s śāpa: Vishṇu’s own gatekeepers, whom māyā made her see as rākshasas, will be born again and carry off his wife; and Vishṇu will wander in misery with Śesha as his disciple.
• The origin of Jaya and Vijaya: they were sons of Devahūti and Kardama who laid a śāpa on each other, and they were born as an elephant and a crocodile on the Gaṇḍakī river.
• The Sudarśana Cakra: Maheśvara first made it from the united tejas of all the devas and of Vishṇu. Later it was given to Vishṇu, after the Vaikuṇṭha Caturdaśī (chapter 35).
• The account of Śaṅkhāsura (chapter 13): it explains why the Vedas rest in the waters during Kārtika and why Prayāga is the greatest tīrtha.
• The laws by which karma passes on (chapter 30): detailed laws on how puṇya and pāpa (sin) pass from one person to another through nearness, shared meals, shared seats and lengths of time.

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Kārtika Māsa Māhātmya, chapters 1–36
• Padma Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, chapters 88–118