Hari-bhakti-vilasa
Sixteenth Vilasa, Volume One
by Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami
Text 99
atha tatra dipa-dana-mahatmyam-
skande tatraiva
kalpa-koti-sahasrani
patakani bahuny api
nimeshardhena dipasya
vilayam yanti karttike
In the Skanda Purana it is said: “When one offers a lamp during the month of Karttika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eyeblink.”
Text 100
kim ca
srinu dipasya mahatmyam
karttike kesava-priyam
dipa-danena viprendra
na punar jayate bhuvi
It is further said: “Please hear the glories of offering a lamp during the month of Karttika, an offering that is very pleasing to Lord Kesava. O king of brahmanas, a person who offers a lamp in this way will not take birth again in this world.
Text 101
ravi-grahe kurukshetre
narmadayam sasi-grahe
tat phalam koti-gunitam
dipa-danena karttike
“By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one attains a pious result ten million times greater than the result obtained by bathing at Kurukshetra during a solar a eclipse or by bathing in the river Narmada’ during a lunar eclipse.
Text 102
ghritena dipako yasya
tila-tailena va punah
jvalate muni-sardula
asvamedhena tasya kim
“O tiger of sages, for a person who thus offers a lamp burning with ghee or sesame oil, what is the use of performing an asvasmedha-yajna?
Text 103
mantra-hinam kriya-hinam
sauca-hinam janardane
sarvam sampurnatam yati
karttike dipa-danatah
“Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Karttika.
Text 104
teneshtam kratubhih sarvaih
kritam tirthavagahanam
dipa-danam kritam yena
karttike kesavagratah
“A person who during the month of Karttika offers a lamp to Lord Kesava has already performed all yajnas and bathing in all holy rivers.
Text 105
tavad garjanti punyani
svarge martye rasatale
yavan na jvalate jyotih
karttike kesavagratah
“When in the month of Karttika there is no lamp burning before Lord Kesava, then the pious deeds in Svargaloka, Martyaloka, and Rasatalaloka scream with dissatisfaction.
Text 106
sruyate capi pitribhir
gatha gita pura dvija
bhavishyati kule ‘smakam
pitri-bhaktah suto bhuvi
“O brahmana, when the pitas hear devotional verses and songs in the month of Karttika, in that family will be born a son devoted to his father.
Text 107
karttike dipa-danena
yas toshayati kesavam
muktim prapsyamahe nunam
prasadac cakra-paninah
“The ancestors say: When someone in our family pleases Lord Kesava by offering to Him a lamp during the month of Karttika, then, by the mercy of the Lord who holds the Sudarsana-cakra in His hand, we will all attain liberation.”
Text 108
kim ca
meru-mandara-matrani
kritva papany aseshatah
dahate natra sandeho
dipa-danat tu karttike
It is further said: “By offering a lamp during the month of Karttika one burns away a collection of sins as big as Mount Meru or Mount Mandara. Of this there is no doubt.
Text 109
grihe vayatane vapi
dipan dadyac ca karttike
purato vasudevasya
maha-phala-vidhayinah
“To one who either at home it in a temple offers Him a lamp during the month of Karttika, Lord Vasudeva gives a great result.
Text 110
sa jato manushe loke
sa dhanyah sa ca kirtiman
pradattah karttike masi
dipo vai madhuhagratah
“A person who, after taking birth in the world of human beings, offers a lamp to Lord Krishna during the month of Karttika becomes very glorious and fortunate.
Text 111
nimishardhardha-matrena
dipa-danena karttike
na tat kratu-sataih prapyam
phalam tirtha-satair api
“A person who offers a lamp during the month of Karttika attains a result that cannot be obtained with even a hundred yajnas or a hundred pilgrimages.
Text 112
sarvanushthana-hino ‘pi
sarva-papa-rato ‘pi san
puyate natra sandeho
dipam dattva tu karttike
“Even a person addicted to all sins and averse to all pious deeds who somehow offers a lamp during Karttika becomes purified. Of this there is no doubt.
Text 113
tan nasti patakam kincit
trishu lokeshu narada
yan na sodhayate dipah
karttike kesavagratah
“O Narada, no sin exists anywhere in the three worlds that will not be purified by offering a lamp to Lord Kesava during Karttika.
Text 114
purato vasudevasya
dipam dattva tu karttike
prapnoti sasvatam sthanam
sarva-badha-vivarjitam
“A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krishna during Karttika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering.
Text 115
yah kuryat karttike masi
karpurena tu dipakam
dvadasyam ca viseshena
tasya punyam vadami te
“Now I will describe to you the pious result attained by a person who offers a lamp during the dvadasi day of Karttika month.
Text 116-117
kule tasya prasuta ye
ye bhavishyanti narada
samatitas ca ye kecid
yesham sankhya na vindate
kriditva su-ciram kalam
devaloke yadricchaya
te sarve muktim ayanti
prasadac cakra-paninah
“His ancestors and descendants, so many they cannot be counted, will enjoy for a long time in the worlds of the demigods, and then they will all easily attain liberation by the mercy of Lord Krishna, who holds the Sudarsana-cakra in His hand.”
Text 118
kim ca
dyuta-vyajena viprendra
karttike kesavalayam
dyotayed yo maha-bhaga
punaty asaptatam kulam
It is further said: “O very fortunate one, a person who in order to play dice lights a lamp in Lord Kesava’s temple purifies seven generations of his family.
Text 119
karttike dipa-danam tu
kuryad yo vaishnavalaye
dhanam putro yasah kirtir
bhavet tasya ca sarvada
“A person who offers a lamp in a temple of Lord Vishnu during the month of Karttika attains eternal wealth, good children, fame, and glory.
Text 120
yatha ca mathanad vahnih
sarva-kashtheshu drisyate
tatha ca drisyate dharmo
dipa-dane na samsayah
“As fire is present in all wood and may be extracted by friction, so piety is always present in the offering of a lamp during the month of Karttika. Of this there is no doubt.
Text 121
kim ca
nirdhanenapi viprendra
kritva caivatma-vikrayam
kartavyam dipa-danam tu
yavat karttika-purnima
It is further said: “O king of brahmanas, when someone offers Him a lamp on the full-moon day of the month of Karttika, Lord Krishna, finding that He does not have sufficient money to repay that gift, gives Himself in exchange for that lamp.
Text 122
vaishnavo na sa mantavyah
samprapte karttike mune
yo na yacchati mudhatma
dipam kesava-sadmani
“O sage, a fool who does not offer a lamp in Lord Kesava’s temple during Karttika is not considered a Vaishnava.”
Text 123
naradiye sri-rukmangada-mohini-samvade
ekatah sarva-danani
dipa-danani caikatah
karttike na samam proktam
dipa-do hy adhikah smritah
In the Narada Purana, in a conversation of Sri Mohini-devi and Sri Rukmangada, it is said: “Of all gifts the gift of a lamp during the month of Karttika is the best. No gift is its equal.”
Text 124
padme ca tatraiva
karttike ‘khanda-dipam yo
dadati hari-sannidhau
divya-kanti-vimanagre
ramate sa hareh pure
In the Padma Purana it is said: “One who offers a steady lamp to Lord Hari during the month of Karttika enjoys pastimes in Lord Hari’s splendid spiritual world.
