At the foot of a tulasi plant, the ground has been swept clean and smeared with cow dung.
Rangoli designs are drawn on it. Sesame seeds are spread in the middle. And on top sits a big lamp, filled to the brim with sesame oil.
The lamp is lit.
And from that moment, there is one rule. It must not go out.
What is this lamp? Why does it matter so much? And what happens if it does go out?
Today there is no story. Instead, Vasishtha gives King Janaka a list of things to do in this holy month. Some are simple. Some are surprising. Let's look at the most striking ones.
Vasishtha's Counsel to King Janaka
"Janaka," said Vasishtha, "listen carefully. Hearing about Karthika is never enough. There is always more."
First, the lamp.
In this month, at the tulasi plant, smear the ground with cow dung. Draw rangoli designs on it. Spread sesame on it. And set on it a large lamp full of sesame oil. This is called the Nanda Deepa.
How great is the merit of offering it? Vasishtha says that even Brahma, the creator, cannot fully describe it.
But it comes with a condition. Once lit, it must not go out. If it does, the vow is broken. And to set it right, the Purana says, offer the lamp again, with sesame, grain and flowers.
Small Acts That Carry Vast Merit
Second… the shivering stranger.
Picture someone who has just taken their Karthika bath. Their clothes are soaking wet, and they are shivering in the cold.
Vasishtha says: whoever gives that person dry clothes gets the merit of ten thousand Ashvamedhas. The Ashvamedha, the horse sacrifice, was the greatest ritual a king could perform. And here is the merit of ten thousand of them… for one dry cloth, given at the right moment.
Third, the amla tree.
In Karthika, go to a grove. Sit under an amla tree with learned brahmins, and share a meal there. This is the vana bhojana, the forest meal. It wipes away sins by the millions.
And whoever worships the Lord under an amla tree, offering amla fruits, says Vasishtha… Yama, the lord of death, cannot even look at that person.
Fourth, flowers.
Vasishtha gave a whole list, flower by flower. Here are a few.
Worship Vishnu with lotus flowers, and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, stays in your home for good.
Worship with tulasi leaves, or with bilva leaves, and you will not be born again.
Worship Shiva with arka flowers, the crown flower, and you will be blessed with a long life.
Worship with jasmine, and your sins vanish like darkness at sunrise.
Fifth, a flag.
Whoever raises a flag on the tower of a temple in this month… their sins blow away like dust in the wind.
Sixth, and maybe the gentlest one of all.
Just seeing the Karthika lamps, and feeling joy in your heart, destroys sins. You don't have to light them. You only have to be glad when you see them.
A Way for Those Who Cannot
And then Vasishtha thought of those who cannot manage all this for a whole month.
For them, he gave a way.
A bath in Karthika on a Sunday brings the merit of bathing all month.
Or bathe at dawn on three days, the first day of the month, the full moon and the new moon. That gives the fruit of the whole month's bath.
And if even that is not possible, hear the glory of Karthika, every day of the month. That alone brings the fruit of the bath.
No One Is Left Outside
Notice how this chapter works. It sets the highest bar… a lamp that never goes out. And then it bends all the way down, to reach the person who can only sit and listen. No one is left outside.
What This Chapter Asks of Us
So tonight, if you have a tulasi plant, light a lamp beside it. If you can, prepare the ground, spread the sesame, and keep the Nanda Deepa burning without letting it go out. And if you can't, simply look at the lamps around you tonight, and let your heart be glad.
Read next
- Karthika Puranam – all 30 days
- Previous chapter: Karthika Puranam Day 6: The Miser Who Learned to Give
- 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