On the bank of the river Kaveri stands a big, shady tree. Pilgrims rest under it after their bath.
Today, a great sage sits beneath it with his disciples. They are reciting aloud from a sacred text.
Behind them, a hunter is creeping closer. He has not come to listen. He has come to rob them… and kill them if he must.
And down among the roots of the tree, a small rat sits very still. Listening.
That rat was once a boy.
How did he end up like this? And what will a few holy words do… to the rat, and to the hunter?
Today's chapter is about the power of hearing the Karthika Purana.
A Son Who Mocked the Vow
Vasishtha said to King Janaka, "Listen, Janaka, to what happened to a boy who laughed at the Karthika vow."
On the bank of the Kaveri there lived a brahmin named Devasharma. He had a son.
From childhood, the boy did whatever he liked. He ignored his parents. He disrespected his elders. And as he grew up, he grew wicked.
One day Devasharma had had enough. "You have brought me shame," he said.
But the boy was still his son. So the father offered him a way out.
"It is the month of Karthika. Bathe in the river in the morning. In the evening, light lamps at the temples of Shiva and Vishnu. Do that, and every wrong you have done will be washed away."
The son laughed.
"Karthika? What is this Karthika business? I will never do any such thing."
He mocked the vow. He mocked the lamps. He would not even step into the river for a bath.
And his father's patience ran out.
"Then be born as a rat," he said, "living in the hollow of a tree, in the forest!"
The boy went pale. He fell at his father's feet. "Father… forgive me!"
Devasharma looked at his son. And even in his anger, he felt pity.
"Listen," he said. "The day you hear the Karthika Purana, you will get your own form back."
And so the boy became a rat.
He lived in the forest, in a big tree, eating fruits and grains that fell nearby. And it so happened that this tree stood near the Kaveri. Pilgrims who came to bathe in the river would often sit and rest in its shade.
Time passed.
Vishvamitra Beneath the Kaveri Tree
Then one Karthika, the great sage Vishvamitra came to the Kaveri with his disciples. They bathed in the river. Then they sat down under that very tree… and began to recite the glory of Karthika.
Just then, a hunter came by. A rough man of the forest. He saw the sages sitting there, and he came closer, meaning to rob them, and to kill them if he had to.
But then… he looked at Vishvamitra.
Just one look. And every evil thought in his mind melted away.
He bowed to the sage. And he asked, "Swami… what is it that you are reading?"
Vishvamitra answered him.
"This is the glory of Karthika. Whoever bathes in this month, and then hears or reads this, is freed from sin. Even a bath and a gift in Karthika, done without understanding, lead to Vaikuntha. Done with devotion, they set a person free in this very life."
The hunter went down to the Kaveri and bathed. He came back. He sat down with the sages. And he listened.
And he was not the only one listening.
Down among the roots of the tree, the little rat had heard every word.
And in that moment, the curse ended.
The rat was gone. In its place stood a young brahmin, in his own form again.
He bowed to Vishvamitra. He told the sage his whole story. His father, his mockery, the curse. Vishvamitra was amazed.
And the young man went home, praising the glory of Karthika.
As for the hunter, he stayed with the sage. He heard from him all about dharma. And in the end, he too reached Vaikuntha.
A Story That Reaches Every Listener
Vasishtha said to the king, "Janaka, whoever wants freedom from rebirth should hear the glory of Karthika. That is the truth."
Notice something. The rat was not trying to listen. He was just there, hiding in the roots. And the hunter had come to rob. Neither of them came for the story. But the story reached them both.
What This Chapter Asks of Us
Vasishtha added a few more things that bring great merit in this month.
"In Karthika, recite the Bhagavad Gita in a temple of Shiva or Vishnu. It sheds sins the way a snake sheds its skin. If you can't recite the whole Gita, recite at least a few of its chapters. And go to a grove, sit under an amla tree, worship the Lord there and share a meal. Then read or listen to the Purana there, in its shade."
So today, after your morning bath, read or listen to one chapter of the Karthika Purana. And if you are reading this right now… you have already begun.
Read next
- Karthika Puranam – all 30 days
- Previous chapter: Karthika Puranam Day 4: The Lamp in the Ruined Temple
- 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