Quick answer: Karthika Puranam Adhyaya 13 is read in India on Sunday, 22 November 2026 (Shukla Trayodashi), whether you follow the tithi-based table or read one adhyaya a day from 10 November. In the USA, UK and Canada the month began a day earlier (Monday 9 November), so readers there going one a day reach it on Saturday, 21 November; check your local panchang. The chapter tells of King Suveera, who learns that giving a daughter in marriage freely is a great gift and that living on a bride price is condemned.

The frame

Vasishtha is still teaching King Janaka about the month. The previous chapters dealt with gifts: Chapter 12 praised the gifts of Karthika Dwadashi, above all the Salagrama, and in Chapter 9 the messengers of Vishnu counted the gift of a daughter in marriage (kanyadanam) among the marks of the virtuous. Chapter 13 takes up that gift.

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King Suveera and the ascetic

The chapter centres on King Suveera. From an ascetic he learns two things, as our 30-adhyaya guide summarises them:

  • Giving a daughter in marriage freely is a great gift. Kanyadanam, done without seeking anything in return, is praised.
  • Living on a bride price is condemned. Taking payment for a daughter turns a gift into a sale, and the chapter condemns it.

Our sources give only this outline of the chapter, so we do not retell its incidents here. For the full story, read the adhyaya in a Telugu edition your family trusts, or in the freely available text on Telugu Wikisource that our 30-adhyaya guide links to.

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Why this belongs in Karthika

Much of the Karthika Puranam is about giving: lamps, food, clothes, a cow, a Salagrama. Chapter 13 applies the same measure to the most personal gift a family makes. The point is the spirit of the gift. A daughter given freely is honoured; a daughter given for a price is not. Read today, the chapter speaks against any custom that turns marriage into a transaction.

What this chapter teaches

  • A gift must be free: what is given for a price is no longer a gift.
  • Daughters are not property: the chapter condemns living on a bride price.
  • Kings learn too: Suveera, a ruler, receives the teaching from an ascetic.
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How to read it today

  • Pick one time: after the morning bath, or in the evening after lighting the Karthika lamp. Keep the same time each day if you can.
  • Light a small lamp: ghee or sesame oil before your home shrine or tulasi. Never leave a flame unattended; in apartments keep it clear of curtains and smoke detectors.
  • Read or listen: say that you are reading adhyaya 13, then read it aloud from a Telugu edition your family trusts (about 15 to 30 minutes). One person can read while the family listens; the text praises listening as much as reading.
  • Today's small practice: if there are daughters or young women in your family, include them in today's reading and puja. Families who wish can make a small gift towards a girl's education or a wedding in a family in need.
  • Close simply: offer a flower or a little prasadam, bow and say a short prayer.
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Printed editions do not always break the chapters at the same place, so a story may begin an adhyaya earlier or later in your book. If your book differs, follow your book. Our summary is a guide to the day's reading, not the text itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Karthika Puranam Chapter 13 about?

King Suveera, who learns from an ascetic that giving a daughter in marriage freely is a great gift, and that living on a bride price is condemned.

What is kanyadanam?

The giving of a daughter in marriage. Chapter 13 praises it as a great gift when it is done freely, without taking a price for the bride.

Why does the chapter condemn a bride price?

Because it turns the giving of a daughter into a sale. The teaching King Suveera receives is that living on a bride price is condemned, while giving freely is a great gift.

When is Karthika Puranam Chapter 13 read in 2026?

In India on Sunday, 22 November 2026. Abroad, readers going one adhyaya a day from 9 November reach it on Saturday, 21 November; check your local panchang.

Karthika Puranam chapters and Karthika Masam 2026 guides