In a village in the Dravida country, in the south, lives a woman who is all alone.
No husband. No children. No relatives. No one.
She works in other people's houses. She cooks for them. She pounds their grain. She saves every coin she earns, and lends it out at high interest.
She has money. But she eats stale food. She has never given anyone even a handful of rice. She has never once said the name of God.
Then one day, a stranger on a pilgrimage comes to her door. He looks at her… and feels sorry for her. And he says a few words that turn her whole life around.
What did he say?
Today's chapter is about the gift of a lamp, given every day of the month.
Vasishtha Tells of a Lonely Miser
Vasishtha said to King Janaka, "Every good deed bears fruit, Janaka. Listen to what happened to a woman who had never done a single one."
In a village in the Dravida country there lived a widow. She had no children, and no relatives at all.
To make a living, she worked as a maid in other people's houses. Cooking, pounding grain, grinding. Whatever work there was. And she was good at holding on to money. She saved her wages. She traded a little. And she lent money out at high interest.
But she was a miser. A deep, hard miser.
She never gave alms. Not even a handful of rice to a hungry person at the door. She hardly fed herself. She ate leftover food, stale food, food that others had thrown away. She never kept a fast. She never went on a pilgrimage. She never listened to the stories of the Lord. She never even thought of God.
A Pilgrim's Words at Her Door
One day, a brahmin passed through that village. He was on his way to Srirangam, to see Lord Ranganatha. He heard about this woman, and he came to her house.
He saw how she lived. And he felt pity for her.
"Amma," he said, "listen to me for a moment."
"This body is like a bubble on water. It shines for a moment, and then it is gone. It is made of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air and space. And one day it will go back into them."
"To think this body will last forever… that is the greatest ignorance. And to live for it alone, cheating, wanting what belongs to others, never giving, never keeping a single vow… that is a great wrong."
"Have you seen an insect fly into a flame? It thinks the flame is food. It flies straight in… and dies. Desire is like that flame."
"So let go of desire, anger, greed, pride and envy. Don't hold on so tightly to money. Respect your elders. Give what you can."
"And in this month of Karthika, bathe every morning before sunrise. Light a lamp at a temple of Shiva or Vishnu. That is your way to freedom."
Then the brahmin went on his way.
How Her Heart Changed
And the woman thought about his words.
She thought about her life. All those years. All that saving. And nothing given. Not once.
She felt sorry for what she had done. And her heart changed.
From that day, she gave something every day. She welcomed guests. She respected her elders. She bathed in the cold water at dawn. She worshipped the Lord. She kept the Karthika lamp vow, giving a lamp every single day. She listened to the Purana. And at the end of the month, she fed brahmins.
The woman who had never given away a grain of rice… now gave every day.
And at the end of her life, she was freed from the cycle of birth and death.
Vasishtha said to the king, "Janaka, keep this lamp vow, and you too will be freed from rebirth."
Notice: no one forced her. No miracle happened. A stranger spoke a few honest words, and she listened. That was all it took to begin.
How to Keep the Lamp Vow
And here is how Vasishtha described that lamp vow.
"Every day of Karthika, make a small lamp out of rice flour or wheat flour. Put in a wick of clean cotton, and fill it with cow's ghee. Light it, worship it, and give it to a learned brahmin."
"On the last day of the month, make a lamp of silver, with a wick of gold. Set it in flour and fill it with ghee. Worship it, offer food, feed the brahmin, and give him the lamp, saying:
Sarva-jnana-pradam deepam, sarva-sampat-sukhavaham.
Deepa-danam pradasyami, shantir astu sada mama.
'I give this lamp, which brings all knowledge and all wealth. May peace be with me always.'"
"After that, feed brahmins, or give food to all who come."
"And no one is barred from this vow. It costs little. Its fruit is great."
What This Chapter Asks of Us
So today, make a small lamp from rice flour or wheat flour. Use a cotton wick and a little ghee. Light it, and give it to a learned brahmin, a priest. That is the lamp gift this chapter teaches.
Read next
- Karthika Puranam – all 30 days
- Previous chapter: Karthika Puranam Day 5: The Boy Who Became a Rat
- 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