Tomorrow is the full moon of Karthika.
And according to today's chapter, somewhere beyond this world, your ancestors are waiting.
Waiting for one of their own family to do something for them on that full moon. Not a grand feast. Not a pilgrimage to Gaya.
Something much simpler… and much stranger. To set a young bull free.
What is this old rite? And what does it do for them?
Today there is no story. Today Vasishtha gives King Janaka the rules of the month. What to give. What to do each day. And seven things never to do. Some of them will surprise you.
Vasishtha on the Release of the Bull
Vasishtha began with the full moon.
"Janaka, on the full moon of Karthika, a young bull is marked with the sacred sign and set free. From that day it belongs to no one. It is never yoked, never made to work. This is called vrishotsarga, the releasing of the bull."
"Your ancestors wait for this. They wait for some descendant to do it for them on Karthika's full moon. It frees them. And it wipes away the wrongs of past lives."
"It is equal to a crore of offerings at Gaya. And without it, the Gaya rites, the yearly shraddha, the offerings of Mahalaya… none of these fully satisfy the ancestors. Rich or poor, no one should neglect it."
Then he spoke of gifts.
"On that same full moon, give an amla fruit with a little dakshina, a small gift of money. Whoever does this will one day rule the earth."
"Give a lamp, and the wrongs of mind, speech and body are burnt away. Give a Shiva linga, or a salagrama stone, and great merit comes, in this life and the next."
Seven Things Never to Do in Karthika
And then Vasishtha came to the things one must not do. He counted them out. Seven.
One. Do not take an oil bath, oiling the head, during this month.
Two. Do not sleep during the day.
Three. Do not eat from a vessel of bronze.
Four. Do not eat your meals in a monastery, a matha.
Five. Do not bathe at home.
Six. Do not eat at night on the days when it is forbidden.
And seven. Do not speak against the Vedas or the holy books.
Let's look at two of these more closely. Because they are the ones people skip most.
Number five. Bathing at home.
Vasishtha said that Brahma himself put it this way. "For someone who is strong and healthy, a hot bath at home in Karthika is like bathing in toddy." Yes. Toddy. As far from a sacred bath as you can get. Only someone who is unwell should bathe at home.
"While the Sun is in Tula," said Vasishtha, "bathe every day in a river. If there is no river, then a tank. A canal. A well. And as you pour the water, call the holy rivers into it."
And there is a simple verse for that.
"Gange cha Yamune chaiva, Godavari Sarasvati. Narmade Sindhu Kaveri, jale'smin sannidhim kuru."
Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri… come, and be present in this water.
Seven rivers. One bucket. That is the faith of Karthika.
Number six. The night meal on forbidden days.
On the new moon. On the full moon. On Ekadashi. On Sundays. On the days for the ancestors. On the day of an eclipse. On these days, Vasishtha said, there is no meal at night. Instead, eat once, in the late afternoon, when your shadow has grown to twice your height. An old clock. And you carry it with you everywhere.
There were other things to avoid too. Eating other people's food. Eating at a shraddha meal as a guest. Accepting a gift of sesame. Eating onions.
A Day in Karthika, Dawn to Dusk
Then Vasishtha described a day in Karthika, from dawn to dusk.
"Bathe before sunrise. Then picture Hari in the disc of the rising Sun, and meditate on him. Listen to the stories of Hari. Then go about your day's work."
"In the evening, bathe again. Worship Lord Shiva. Offer him the sixteen services of worship. Set rows of lamps before him. Feed the learned, and give, without holding back. And worship Shiva and Vishnu without making any difference between them."
And one more day he singled out. The fourteenth day of the bright fortnight, Chaturdashi. The day just before the full moon.
"On that day, remember your ancestors. Offer them water with sesame. Feed a learned person in their name. Give fruit, and your family line will never break. Fast, worship Shankara, give sesame… and Kailasa is yours."
What This Chapter Asks of Us
Notice something about this chapter. Half of these rules look back. To our parents, grandparents, those who came before us. The bull. The sesame. The fourteenth-day offering. And the other half look inward. Sleep less. Bathe in cold water. Eat simply. Speak no ill of what is holy.
Karthika asks us to remember where we come from… and to discipline who we are.
And Vasishtha ended with a promise. "Janaka, whoever even hears this chapter is cleansed of wrongs."
So tomorrow, on the full moon, if you can, give an amla fruit with a small dakshina, and give a lamp. And for the rest of this month, keep away from the seven.
Read next
- Karthika Puranam – all 30 days
- Previous chapter: Karthika Puranam Day 13: The King Who Sold His Daughter
- 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