Kārtika-Māhātmya
The Greatness of Kārtika
प्रवृत्तानां हि भक्ष्याणां कार्तिके नियमे कृते । अवश्यं विष्णुरूपत्वं प्राप्यते साधकेन हि ॥ ३३ ॥
pravṛttānāṃ hi bhakṣyāṇāṃ kārtike niyame kṛte | avaśyaṃ viṣṇurūpatvaṃ prāpyate sādhakena hi || 33 ||
En verdad, cuando se observan las restricciones prescritas para el mes de Kārtika—en especial respecto de los alimentos que uno suele desear—el practicante alcanza sin falta un estado semejante al de Viṣṇu.
Narada (teaching within the Kārtika-māhātmya context)
Vrata: Kārtika-vrata
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
It declares that disciplined restraint during Kārtika—especially controlling habitual food-enjoyment—has a direct transformative fruit: the sādhaka attains Viṣṇu-like spiritual status (viṣṇurūpatva).
Bhakti is shown as practical surrender through vrata: by curbing ordinary cravings and aligning daily life with Kārtika-niyamas for Viṣṇu’s pleasure, devotion matures into divine likeness.
Ritual discipline (kalpa-style niyama of vrata) is emphasized—how time (Kārtika-māsa) and regulated conduct, especially dietary restraint, function as a structured sādhanā with a stated phala.