A celestial chariot is rising through the sky. It is shining, decked with flowers, pearls and coral. Inside it sits a woman. Simple. Gentle. She is on her way to Vaikuntha, the world of Lord Vishnu.
But the road to Vaikuntha passes by the world of Yama.
She looks down. And far below, in a dark pit of suffering, she sees four figures. Two brahmins. A hunter. And a tiger.
One of those two brahmins… is her own husband.
"Stop," she says. "Please. Stop the chariot."
Who were these four? How did they end up in the same pit? And can one simple woman set all of them free?
A Thief on the Forest Path
Today, Vasishtha told King Janaka about the power of a single lamp, and of listening to this Purana.
In the land of Kalinga lived a brahmin named Mandara. He had given up his bath, his prayers, everything a brahmin should do. He worked for wages in other people's houses.
His wife was named Susheela. She was a good and faithful woman. She knew exactly what kind of man her husband was. And still, she served him without a word of complaint.
But Mandara found hard work too hard. So he took a knife and hid beside a path through the forest. And he began to rob travellers.
One day a brahmin came walking along that path. Mandara caught him, tied him to a tree, and took everything he had.
Just then, a cruel hunter appeared out of the forest. He saw the money. And he killed both brahmins, and took it all.
But the hunter didn't get far. A huge tiger came out of a cave nearby, drawn by the smell of people. It sprang at the hunter. The hunter stabbed it with his knife. And the tiger and the hunter died together.
Four lives. One chain of greed and violence. Ended in a single moment.
All four were taken to Yama's world. And there, all four were thrown into the same dark pit.
Susheela's Lamp on Karthika Purnima
Back home, Susheela was now a widow. But she did not lose her way. She lived by dharma. She kept good company. She was devoted to Lord Hari. And she always remembered her husband.
One day, a wandering holy man came to her village, singing and dancing to the names of Hari. He came to her door. She welcomed him with respect and gave him alms.
He looked at her and said, "Mother, do you know what day today is? It is Karthika Purnima, the full moon of Karthika. Tonight, the Karthika Purana will be read before the Lord in the temple. I have brought oil for the lamp. Will you make the wick?"
Susheela's face lit up.
She went to the temple. She cleaned the floor. She smeared it with cow dung, the old way of purifying. She drew beautiful rangoli patterns. Then she took cotton, cleaned it with her own hands, and rolled two wicks. The lamp was lit, and Lord Hari was worshipped.
And she didn't stop there. She went from house to house, all through the village. "Come," she said. "Come and hear the Karthika Purana tonight."
People came. And Susheela sat with them and listened… to the whole Purana.
From that day, she lived only for Vishnu. And in time, she left her body while worshipping Hari.
At once, Vishnu's messengers came for her. Four arms. Lotus eyes. Yellow robes. And a shining chariot.
And that is how she came to be passing the world of Yama… and saw her husband in that pit.
The Gift That Freed Four Souls
When she asked them to stop, the messengers explained who the four were.
"The first is your husband. He left his dharma and became a thief."
"The second is the brahmin he robbed. When he was a boy, he killed his own friend to take his wealth."
"The third is the hunter, who killed them both."
"And the fourth, the tiger… in an earlier life, he was a brahmin from the south. On a Dwadashi, a holy day, he ate food cooked in oil without caring whether it was right."
Susheela's eyes filled with tears. "Is there no way to free them?"
"There is," they said. "Give them your merit."
So she did. She took water in her palm and gave it away, piece by piece.
The merit of hearing the Purana… she gave to her husband.
The merit of the wick she made with her own hands… she gave to the hunter and the tiger.
And the merit of going from house to house, calling people to listen… she gave to the brahmin who had betrayed his friend.
In that moment, all four were free.
The darkness fell away from them. They bowed to Susheela. Celestial chariots came for them too. And all four rose… to Vaikuntha.
Vasishtha on the Lamp and Listening
Notice what she gave. Not gold. Not land. A cleaned floor. Two cotton wicks. An evening of listening. And a few knocks on her neighbours' doors.
Vasishtha said to the king, "Janaka, in this month, even worshipping Hari with simple flax flowers removes sin. Lighting a lamp on Karthika Purnima destroys sin. And whoever reads this Purana, has it read, or listens to it, reaches the highest world. You have seen it. It can lift not only the one who hears it… but others too."
What This Chapter Asks of Us
So, today's practice. Light a lamp in the evening. Listen to the Purana. And if you can, call someone in your home to come and listen with you.
Read next
- Karthika Puranam – all 30 days
- Previous chapter: Karthika Puranam Day 10: Before He Was Ajamila
- Start from Day 1: Karthika Puranam Day 1: The River in Every Well
- Why Karthika Masam Is So Sacred: Meaning and Key Days
- Why We Light a Lamp (Deepam): Meaning, Oil, Wicks and Rules
- How to Do Tulasi Puja at Home: Method and Rules