Karthika Puranam Day – 4

Karthika Puranam – Day 4:

Namashshivabhyam Navayauvanabhyam Namo Namah Shankara Parvatibhyam

In the narration of Kaartheeka PuraaNam by sage Vasishta to King Janaka, today’s topic is about the procedure for prayer using flowers and donation of lamp. If one prays to Srihari during Kaartheeka Maasam with lotus flowers, Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) will reside permanently in their house. If you donate fruits with devotion, your sins will disappear just as darkness disappears at sunrise, said Sage Vasishta. Whoever ties string of mango leaves in a VishNu temple will reach paramapada (ultimate level of existence). If you pray with black or white Avisa flowers (Hummingbird flower), you will get the same result as one who performs a yajna (fire ritual). During Kaartheeka Maasam, if you pray to Siva with jilledu (crown flower) leaves, you will live a long life and attain Moksha (liberation from cycle of life and death). Four rituals are compulsory during Kaartheeka Maasam: (1) Donating til (sesame seeds) (2) River bath (3) Eating on a Brahmapathra (4) Feeding guests.

Sage Vasista said to King Janaka, “Those who do not take bath, etc., or exhibit miserliness (which implies not donating as per one’s financial status) will be born into very low births. On the other hand, those who, during Kaartheeka Maasam, pray to Srihari with Kadamba flowers (burflower) will go higher than Soorya Mandalam (solar system) and will go to heaven.

Kaartheeke bhaanu vaarathu snaana karma samaachareth
Maasam samaanena yathupunyam tathpunyam labhite nrupa

(Oh King, those who bathe on a Sunday of Kaartheeka Maasam will receive the same punyam as those who do it every day of the month.

“O Raja! During Kaartheeka Maasam if one takes the appropriate Sankalpam (ritual for starting an act) and does early morning bath on either a Sunday or Shukla Paadyami (first day of the rising lunar fortnight) or on full moon day or on new moon day ( last day of the lunar month), one gets all the punyam(virtue) of doing bath on ALL days of the month. If you are not strong enough for doing it everyday, reading or listening to Kaartheeka Puraanam will shower the same benefit. However, this is only for those incapable. Sage Viswamitra warns us that if we avoid having bath in spite of availability of facility and capacity, we will not get the benefit. Those who chant Vishnu or Siva Sthothraas in a temple during Kaartheeka Maasam will go to Dhruva Lokam after going to heaven.

As the sage was saying this, King Janaka had a doubt, just as most of us are likely to get: Vedas say that there is no relief from our sins unless we do some acts to offset them. Our dharma shaastraas (scriptures) also state the same rule. But you are now saying that by merely doing Kaartheeka Maasa Vratham, one is rid of all sins, and one attains Vaikuntham (Abode of Sri Vishnu). How is this possible? How can severe sins be canceled by virtuous deeds alone? For example, how can we, using only our nails, pinch away a huge tree/ mountain that can only be brought down by big axes?

A good question. Those who have been listening to the discourse for the last two days are sure to get this doubt. How can sins done by us be canceled by a Vratam?

Sage Viswamitra replied “Raja, you posed a good question. Dharma (righteous living ) is very subtle and of microscopic nature. We should look at it as such, but not at the macroscopic level. Vedas, shaastraas, and puraanaas, in fact, all our ancient scriptures, teach us the microscopic nature of dharma. Some of these are based on Sattva guna ( good qualities): subtle aspects of Dharma; Ritualistic practices; penance.

The Praayaschittas (atonements) are formed due to Rajoguna (passion mode). Logic/reasoning raises questions like: Does God exist or not? What is his thinking? Does he have a form or not? Is God pure energy? All such questions belong to Tarka Shaastra (science of Logic). All these acts are also inspired by God. Acts of Donation/ Philanthropy, etc. are the gross form of Dharma. Good deeds are the subtle form of Dharma, though they appear to be small, achieve magnified special fruits due to 1. Desam (Location), 2. Kaalam (Time) and 3. Yogyatha (Eligibility). Location here implies a holy place. Time means a holy time. That is why we are advised to go to holy places like VaaraNaasi and during holy times like pushkaram (a period of 12 days that recurs in a 12-year cycle for each river).This is called “multiplier effect”. Yogyatha is how deserving and eligible we are. Good acts performed without considering these three multipliers will not erase our sins. This Kaartheeka Maasam is a sacred period.
Look at this example: Pile up a mountain high dry firewood and apply a small spark of fire at the bottom. Are not all the pieces of wood burning down? Your doubts are natural, and I will narrate the story of AjaamiLa which clarifies this point.

[This is a very long story, but I will try and give you the gist]

A brahmin by name Sathyanishtta had a son by name AjaamiLa, who went into bad ways. He slept with servant maids, took pleasure in violence, gave up all holy rituals, and spent all his life satisfying his sexual desires. Through a servant maid, he got a son whom he named NaaraayaNa. He was extremely fond of his son and used to call him all the time “NaaraayaNa” , “NaaraayaNa”. Even at the time of leaving his body, AjaamiLa could not give up the deep attachment to his son and called out loudly, “NaaraayaNa! NaaraayaNa! NaaraayaNa!”. The son was away and so could not hear the call. But the yamdoothaas (messengers of death) came promptly and wanted to take to him away. But Vishnudoothaas (messengers of Vishnu) also arrived there and prevented Yamadoothaas saying, “Please step aside”. He deserves to come to our world and not yours. So we shall take him there”. They made all necessary arrangements.

This story will continue tomorrow also, and we will learn some more aspects.

Tomorrow is Panchami (fifth day). On Panchami, do not consume sour items like pulihora (tamarind rice/ lemon rice ). Donating a hand fan and swayam paakam (provision for the receiver to cook by himself). If you do pooja to Aadiseshu (the premordial snake, who is the resting bed for Sri Vishnu), you will attain fame, says Kaartheeka Puraanam.

Dharmasya Vijayosthu!