Kārtika-Māhātmya
The Greatness of Kārtika
विप्रवाक्यं चरेत्सुभ्रु विष्णुस्मरणपूर्वकम् । वृथा विप्रवचो यस्तु मन्यते मनुजः शुभे ॥ ८३ ॥
vipravākyaṃ caretsubhru viṣṇusmaraṇapūrvakam | vṛthā vipravaco yastu manyate manujaḥ śubhe || 83 ||
O Schöne, man soll dem Wort eines Brāhmaṇa folgen, nachdem man zuvor Viṣṇu in Erinnerung gerufen hat. Doch der Mensch, o glückverheißende Frau, der den Rat des Brāhmaṇa für nichtig hält—
Suta (narrating the Purana; verse framed as instruction addressed to a woman)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It teaches that dharmic conduct is safeguarded by honoring brāhmaṇic counsel, and that such obedience becomes spiritually potent when rooted in Viṣṇu-smaraṇa (remembrance of Viṣṇu).
Bhakti here is practical: remembering Viṣṇu first and then acting in harmony with righteous guidance (vipra-vākya), turning everyday decisions into devotional discipline.
It implicitly points to reliance on dharma-śāstric guidance preserved and taught by brāhmaṇas (often grounded in Kalpa—ritual procedure and conduct), emphasizing correct practice rather than self-willed action.