Shloka 15
The Discourse of Rukmāṅgada
Prabodhinī Ekādaśī, Kārtika-vrata, and Satya-dharma
सोऽहं तृप्तिमनुप्राप्तः कामभोगात्पुनः पुनः । ज्ञातोऽयं कार्तिको मासः सर्वपापक्षयंकरः ॥ १५ ॥
so'haṃ tṛptimanuprāptaḥ kāmabhogātpunaḥ punaḥ | jñāto'yaṃ kārtiko māsaḥ sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaraḥ || 15 ||
Aku telah berulang kali mencari kepuasan melalui kenikmatan nafsu, lalu memperoleh rasa puas yang seketika. Namun kini aku mengerti bahawa bulan Kārtika inilah yang mendatangkan lenyapnya segala dosa.
Narada (in dialogue context with the Sanatkumāra tradition; exact speaker in this verse is presented as a first-person narrator within the Māhātmya)
Vrata: Kārtika observance (month-long Kārtika-vrata implied by māhātmya)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It contrasts temporary satisfaction from sense-enjoyment with the lasting spiritual purification attributed to Kārtika, declaring Kārtika-māsa as a powerful period for sarva-pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sins).
By implying that true transformation comes not from repeated indulgence but from sacred time and devotional observances associated with Kārtika—typically centered on Hari/Vishnu worship, vows (vrata), and purity of conduct.
Kalā (sacred timekeeping) and Jyotiṣa-informed month observance are implicit: recognizing Kārtika as a spiritually potent māsa guides when to perform vratas, dāna, and pūjā for maximum purificatory merit.