Hari-bhakti-vilasa
Sixteenth Vilasa, Volume One
By Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami
Duties in the Month of Karttika
Text 1
atha karttika-krityam
damodaram prapadye ‘ham
sri-radha-ramanam prabhum
prabhavad yasya tat-preshthah karttikah sevito bhavet
I surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was tied about the waist with a rope, and who is the lover of Sri Radha. By His power one is able to serve His favored month: the month of Karttika.
Text 2
bhati karttika-krityadi
skanda-padmadishu sphutam
tathapy ekatra sangrihya
sarato ‘tra vilikhyate
The duties of the month of Karttika are clearly described in the Skanda Purana, Padma Purana, and other scriptures. The essence of what they say is collected here in one place.
Text 3
karttike ‘smin viseshena
nityam kurvita vaishnavah
damodararcanam pratah-
snana-dana-vratadikam
Especially in the month of Karttika a Vaishnava should regularly bathe in the morning, worship Lord Damodara, give charity, follow vows, and perform other spiritual activities.
Text 4
tatha dina-viseshe yad
bhagavat-pujanadikam
kuryad vidhi-viseshena
lekhyam agre vivicya tat
Here I will write when the month of Krishna begins and how one should worship the Lord during this month.
Text 5
atha karttika-vrata-nityata
skande brahma-narada-samvade
dushprapyam- prapya manushyam
karttikoktam caren na hi
dharmam dharma-bhritam sreshtha
sa matri-pitri-ghatakah
One Should Always Follow the Vow of Karttika-vrata
In the Skanda Purana, in a conversation of Brahma’ and Narada, it is said: “O best of the followers of religion, a person who does not follow the vow of Karttika-vrata is a sinner. He is like a person who murders his father and mother.
Text 6
avratena kshiped yas tu
masam damodara-priyam
tiryag-yonim avapnoti
sarva-dharma-bahis-kritah
“A person who does not follow the vow in this month that is dear to Lord Damodara finds himself outside all religious principles. He takes birth in an animal’s womb.
Text 7
sa brahma-ha sa go-ghnas ca
svarna-steyi sadanriti
na karoti muni-sreshtha
yo narah karttike vratam
“O best of sages, a person who does not follow this vow in the month of Karttika is a brahmana-killer, a cow-killer, a thief of gold, and a perpetual liar.
Text 8
vidhava va viseshena
vratam yadi na karttike
karoti muni-sardula
narakam yati sa dhruvam
“O tiger of sages, a widow especially who does not follow the vow of Karttika certainly goes to hell.
Text 9
vratam tu karttike mase
yada na kurute grihi
ishtapurtam vritha tasya
yavad ahuta-naraki
“If a householder does not follow the vow of Karttika, his pious and charitable deeds do him no good. They become like the screams of a person in hell.
Text 10
samprapte karttike mase
dvijo vrata-paran-mukhah
bhavanti vimukhah sarve
tasya devah sa-vavarah
“if a brahmana spurns the Karttika vow, then Indra and all the demigods spurn him.
Text 11
ishtva ca bahubhir yajnaih
kritva sraddha-satani ca
svargam napnoti viprendra
akritva karttike vratam
“O king of brahmanas, a person who performs a hundred sraddhas and a host of yajnas, but does not follow the Karttika vow, cannot enter Svargaloka.
Text 12
yatis ca vidhava caiva
viseshena vanasrami
karttikam narakam yanti
akritva vaishnavam vratam
“Especially a sannyasi, vanaprastha, or widow who do not follow the Vaishnava Karttika-vow go to hell.
Text 13
vedair adhitaih kim tasya
purana-pathanais ca kim
kritam yadi na viprendra
karttike vaishnavam vratam
“O king of brahmanas, what good will study of the Vedas and Puranas do for a person who does not follow the Vaishnava Karttika-vow?
Text 14
janma-prabhriti yat punyam
vidhivat samuparjitam
bhasmi-bhavati tat sarvam
akritva karttika-vratam
“A person who does not follow the Karttika vow finds his life’s pious deeds burned to ashes.
Text 15
yad dattam ca param japtam
kritam ca su-mahat-tapah
sarvam viphalatam eti
akritva karttike vratam
“A person who does not follow the Karttika vow finds that all his charity, great austerities, and mantra-chanting is useless.
Text 16
sapta-janmarjitam punyam
vritha bhavati narada
akritva karttike masi
vaishnavam vratam uttamam
“O Naarada, if one does not follow the Vaishnava Karttika-vow, seven births of his pious deeds become useless.
Text 17
papa-bhutas ca te jneya
loke martya maha-mune
vaishnavakhyam vratam yais tu
na kritam karttike subham
“O great sage, they who do not follow the auspicious Vaishnava Karttika-vow are known as sinners in this world.”
Text 18
kim ca akritva niyamam vishnoh
karttikam yah kshipen narah
janmarjitasya punyasya
phalam napnoti narada
It is further said: “O Narada, a person who does not follow the Vaishnava Karttika-vow loses the pious deeds of an entire life.”
Text 19
kim ca
niyamena vina caiva
yo nayet karttikam mune
caturmasyam tatha caiva
brahma-ha sa kuladhamah
It is also said: “O sage, a person who does not follow the Karttika and Caturmasya vows is sinful like a brahmana-killer. He is the most degraded person in his family.
Text 20-22
kim ca
pinda-danam pitrinam ca
pitri-pakshe na vai kritam
vratam na karttike masi
sravanyam rishi-tarpanam
caitre nandolito vishnur
magha-snanam na saj-jale
na kritamardaki pushye
sravane rauhinashtami
sangame na krita yena
dvadasi sravananvita
kutra yasyanti te mudha
naham vedmi kali-priya
What is the fate of the fools who do not offer pinda’ to the ancestors on pitr-paksha, who do not observe the vow of Karttika, who do not offer tarpana to the sages in the month of Sravana (July-August), who do not observe Lord Vishnu’s swing-festival in the month of Caitra (March-April), who do not bathe in clear water in the month of Magha (January-February), who do not follow the amardaki vow during the time of the star Pushya, and who do not observe the Rohinashtami day when in the month of Sravana the star sravana is present on the dvadasi day? O Narada, I do not know.
Text 23
padme ca sri-narada-saunakadi-muni-gana-samvade
manushah karma-bhumau yah
karttikam nayate mudha
cintamanim kare prapya
kshipyate kardamambuni
attaining; kshipyate-throws; kardamambuni-in muddy water.
In the Padma Purana, in a conversation of Sri Narada and the sages headed by Sri Saunaka it is said: “A human being in this world of karma who does not follow the vow of Karttika takes the cintamani jewel placed in his hand and throws it into muddy water.
Text 24
niyamena vina viprah
karttikam- yah kshipen narah
krishnah paran-mukhas tasya
yasmad urjo ‘sya vallabhah
“O brahmanas, the month of Karttika is very dear to Lord Krishna. That is why Lord Krishna turns His face from anyone who does not follow the Karttika vow.
Text 25
atha tatra viseshena snana-danadi-tat-karma-nityata
skande tatraiva
yair na dattam hutam japtam
na snanam na harer vratam
na kritam karttike putra
dvijas te vai naradhamah
One Should Always Follow the Karttika Bow by Bathing, Giving Charity, and Performing Other Pious Deeds
In the Skanda Purana it is said: “O son, brahmanas who in the month of Karttika do not give charity, perform yajnas, chant japa, bathe, or follow the vow to please Lord Krishna are the lowest of men.”
Text 26
kim ca
yair na dattam hutam japtam
karttike na vratam kritam
tenatma harito nunam
na praptam prarthitam phalam
It is further said: “They who in the month of Karttika do not give charity, perform yajnas, chant japa, or follow vows are thieves who rob themselves of their own valuables. They do not attain what they wish.”
Text 27
kim ca
samprapte karttike masi
ye rata na janardane
tesham sauri-pure vasah
pitribhih saha narada
It is further said: “O Narada, they who do not worship Lord Krishna during the month of Karttika reside, along with their ancestors, in hell.”
Text 28
kim ca
karttike narcito yais tu
bhakti-bhavena kesavah
narakam te gamishyanti
yamadutais tu yantritah
It is further said: “They who in the month of Karttika do not worship Lord Krishna with love and devotion are chained and dragged to hell by the messengers of Yamaraja.
Text 29
janma-koti-sahasrais tu
manushyam prapya durlabham
karttike narcito vishnur
haritam tena janma vai
“He loses the rare human life he attained after many thousands and millions of births who does not worship Lord Vishnu in the month of Karttika.
Text 30
vishnoh puja katha vishnor
vaishnavanam ca darsanam
na bhavet karttike yasya
hanti punyam dasabdikam
“A person who in the month of Karttika does not worship Lord Vishnu, chant Lord Vishnu’s glories, or associate with the Vaishnavas, kills ten years of pious deeds.”
Text 31
atha karttika-mahatmyam
karttikasya tu mahatmyam
prak samanyena likhyate
tato viseshatas tatra
karma-desadi-bhedatah
The Glories of Karttika
First I will write of the glories of Karttika in a general way and then I will write of the different situations beginning with the differences of work and place.
Duties in the Month of Kartikka
BY: SUN STAFF
Oct 16, 2016 — CANADA (SUN) —
