The Importance of Offering Lights etc.

The Lord said:

1-25a. OKartikeya, of him who, resorting to the shade of dhatri, offers pindas, the dead ancestors obtain salvation through Vishnu's grace. O child, a man who, being adorned with dhatri-fruits, holds a dhatri fruit on his head, in his hand, mouth, on his body, and who eats dhatri-fruits becomes Vishnu. O Kartikeya, he, the devotee of Vishnu, who has a dhatri-fruit, becomes dear to gods; then what to say of human beings? A man should not abandon a Tulasi-garland and especially a dhatri-garland. As long as the dhatri-garland remains round the neck of a man, Vishnu, till that time, remains in his body. The life of him in whose house these three, viz. dhatri-fruit, Tulasi, and clay from Dvaraka are (found), is fruitful. A man would live in Vaikuntha for as many thousands of yugas as the days he wears a dhatri-garland in the Kali age. He who would wear a pair of garlands of dhatri and Tulasi round his neck would live in heaven for a crore of kalpas. A man who. having controlled the group of his senses, devoutly worships Salagrama stone, has the religious merit of a horse sacrifice in (i.e. from) each flower. As is Vishnu among gods, so is Tulasi among flowers. He who everyday would worship the Garudabannered god with Tulasi, becomes free from birth, grief, old age and diseases, and would obtain salvation. In case of him who has worshipped Vishnu in Kartika, Vishnu rubs off the row of letters written by Yama. Shricandana with camphor, agaru sandal with saffron, so also offering ketaki flowers and lights is always dear to Vishnu. He who has offered ketaki flower or light in Kartika in the Kali-age would emancipate a hundred (members) of his family, O Kartikeya. On the days of Kartika, offering of lotuses, Tulasi, ketaki-flowers and mango-blossoms, and lights as the fifth (should be done). O child, he who has made in Kartika a bower with ketakl-garlands for Vishnu, obtains residence in heaven. Vishnu, the Garuda-bannered god, worshipped with a ketaki-flower only, is much pleased for a thousand years. O Kartikeya, by worshipping Vishnu with ketaki flowers, one goes to Vishnu's auspicious and happy abode. So also having worshipped the lord of gods when Vaishakha has come with damanaka, he obtains a fruit due to that worship, O best of sages. O brahmana, by the sight of him who worships Vishnu with agasti-flowers, the fire of hell perishes. O brahmana sage, Vishnu, pleased by penance, does not do that which, O Mahasena, he does, when he is adorned with mango-flowers. He who, abandoning all (other) flowers, devoutly worships Vishnu in Kartika with mango flowers, would obtain the fruit of a horse-sacrifice. About him who offers Vishnu a garland made of mango-flowers, even the lord of gods speaks good words. O Kartikeya, the fruit which is obtained by the gift of a myriad cows, is obtained by offering (just) one mango-flower in Kartika. As Vishnu is pleased with the Kaustubha gem, or with the garland of wood-flowers, so is he pleased with a Tulasl-leaf in Kartika. Suta said:

25b. Seeing Kartikeya bowing with politeness and full of devotion, Shiva, the Bull-bannered god spoke again. The lord said:

26-37. O Kartikeya, listen to the importance of lights in Kartika. The dead ancestors, always surrounded by hosts of (other) dead ancestors, desire: 'A good son, devoted to his dead ancestors, will be born in our family, who will please Vishnu by offering lights in Kartika'. O Kartikeya, to him, whose lamp burns with ghee or oil, what is the use of a horse-sacrifice? He who has offered lights in Kartika before Vishnu, for five days especially in the dark half, has performed all sacrifices, and has plunged into the water at a holy place. He who offers a light on these days, would eternally obtain religious merit. A female rat, having brightened the lamp offered by others, obtained the existence of human beings difficult to obtain, and got the best position. A hunter also who, going without food, worshipped the great lord on the fourteenth day, got the highest (place) and went to Vishnu's world. A prostitute Lilavati who, due to her resorting to a candala, caused (to burn more) a lamp lighted by others, became pure and went to the eternal heaven. A certain cowherd who, seeing on the new-moon day the worship of Vishnu again and again said, " Victory (to Vishnu), " became the great lord of kings. Therefore, at night, after sunset, lamps should be offered in houses, all cow-pens and all abodes, temples of gods and cremation grounds and lakes. Due to its religious merit the offering of lights with ghee for a good purpose should be done for five days. The dead ancestors who were sinful and who had missed the rites (of the offering) of pindas and water, get the highest salvation due to the religious merit of offering lights.

 

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