Skandapurana 2.4.4.4.5

2.4.4.4.5

evaṃ gaṃgāvacaḥ śrutvā pratyāha parameśvaraḥ ..
.. rudra uvāca .. ..
pāpanirharaṇāyādau padmanābhāṃghripaṃkajāt..58..
prādurbhūtā'si tvaṃ devi kimarthaṃ tapyate tvayā ..
pāpaprahārā''dhipatyaṃ kalpitaṃ tava viṣṇunā .. 59 ..
tathā'pi pāpanirhāra upāyaṃ te bravīmyaham..
kaveśca tanayā devī kāverī saritāṃ varā .. 2.4.4.60 ..
sarvotkṛṣṭā ca sarveṣāṃ harerbalavaśāttu sā ..
sarvapāpapraharaṇe sāmarthyaṃ tatra vartate .. 61 ..
kārtike māsi kāveryāṃ yaḥ snānaṃ kurute naraḥ ..
sa tu pāpavinirmukto yāti viṣṇoḥ paraṃ padam .. 62 ..
tasmāttāṃ gaccha devi tvaṃ tataḥ pāpādvimokṣyase ..
ityuktā sā tadāgacchatkāverīṃ pāpahāriṇīm ..63..
tajjalasparśamātreṇa kārtike viṣṇupādajā ..
nirdhūtapātakā gaṃgā jagāma svaniketanam ..64..
kārtike prativarṣaṃ tu gaṃgā trailokyapāvanīm ..
snātuṃ bhaktyā samāyāti kāverīṃ pāpahāriṇīm ..65..
tajjalasparśamātreṇa kārtike viṣṇupādajā ..
nirdhūtapātakā gaṃgā jagāma svaniketanam ..66..
tasmācchastaṃ tulāsnānaṃ kāveryyāṃ śasyate budhaiḥ ..
yaḥ kāveryāṃ tulāsnānaṃ bhaktyā tu kurute mune..67..
vimuktaduritaḥ sadyastato yāti parāṃ gatim ..
tasmātsnānaṃ tu kāveryāṃ kārtike māsi śasyate .. 68 ..
itihāsamimaṃ śrutvā kārtikavratatatparaḥ ..
sa kāverī snānaphalaṃ prāpnoti ca parāṃ gatim .. 69 ..
rātriśeṣe bhavetsnānamuttamaṃ viṣṇutuṣṭikṛt ..
sūryodaye madhyamaṃ syādyāvannā''stā tu kṛttikā .. 2.4.4.70 ..
tāvadeva bhavetsnānamanyathā tanna kārtikam ..
snānaṃ strībhirvidhātavyaṃ gṛhītvā''jñāṃ dhavasya ca ..71..
apṛṣṭvā yatkṛtaṃ dharmyaṃ bhartāraṃ tatkṣayaṃ nayet ..

Hearing this speech of the Gaṅgā, the supreme Lord replied: / Rudra said: / In the beginning, for the eradication of sin, you emerged / from the lotus-foot of Padmanābha, O goddess! Why are you distressed? / Sovereignty over the destruction of sin was ordained for you by Viṣṇu. / Even so, I shall tell you the means for the eradication of sin. / The daughter of Kavi, the divine Kāverī, is the best of rivers; / and she is the most supreme of all through the force of Hari’s power. / In her lies the capacity for the destruction of all sins. / The man who performs ritual ablution in the Kāverī during the month of Kārtika / is freed from sin and goes to the supreme abode of Viṣṇu. / Therefore, go to her, O goddess; then you will be liberated from sin. / Thus addressed, she then went to the Kāverī, which removes sins. / By the mere touch of its water in Kārtika, she who was born from Viṣṇu’s foot, / her sins cleansed, the Gaṅgā went to her own abode. / Every year in Kārtika, with devotion the Gaṅgā comes to the Kāverī, / the purifier of the three worlds, which removes sin, in order to bathe. / By the mere touch of its water in Kārtika, she who was born from Viṣṇu’s foot, / her sins cleansed, the Gaṅgā went to her own abode. / Therefore, the Tulā ablution in the Kāverī is recommended and praised by the wise. / The one who performs the Tulā ablution in the Kāverī with devotion, O sage, / is immediately released from wickedness and then goes to the supreme state. / Therefore, bathing in the Kāverī in the month of Kārtika is praised. / Having heard this ancient tale, one devoted to the vow of Kārtika / obtains the fruit of bathing in the Kāverī and the supreme state. / Ablution at the close of night is supreme, pleasing to Viṣṇu; / at sunrise it is intermediate; as long as Kṛttikā has not set, / just so long is the ablution valid; otherwise, it is not of Kārtika. / Ablution must be performed by women having received the permission of their husband; / a religious act done without asking one’s husband leads to loss.