Shloka 19
Kārtika-Māhātmya
The Greatness of Kārtika
न वेदेन समं शास्त्रं न तीर्थं गंगया समम् । न भूम्या सदृशं दानं न सुखं भार्यया समम् ॥ १९ ॥
na vedena samaṃ śāstraṃ na tīrthaṃ gaṃgayā samam | na bhūmyā sadṛśaṃ dānaṃ na sukhaṃ bhāryayā samam || 19 ||
Nulle Écriture n’égale le Veda ; nul lieu de pèlerinage (tīrtha) n’égale la Gaṅgā. Nul don n’est comparable au don de la terre, et nulle joie n’égale celle qui vient par l’épouse.
Narada (in instruction within Uttara-Bhaga context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It establishes a hierarchy of spiritual and dharmic excellences: the Veda as supreme authority, Gaṅgā as foremost tīrtha, bhūmi-dāna as an eminent form of charity, and the harmonious household (with a wife) as a major source of worldly well-being supporting dharma.
By praising Gaṅgā as the highest tīrtha and the Veda as the highest śāstra, it points devotees toward purification (tīrtha-sevā, snāna) and scriptural grounding—both of which traditionally nourish Viṣṇu-bhakti through disciplined living, worship, and sacred practice.
The verse is not a technical Vedāṅga passage; its practical takeaway is śāstra-prāmāṇya (reliance on Vedic authority) guiding correct ritual conduct and dharmic giving (dāna), rather than detailing Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Chandas, Nirukta, Kalpa, or Jyotiṣa.