Karthika Puranam Chapter 30 (Adhyaya 30) in English: Story, Meaning and Lesson | Karthika Amavasya 2026

Quick answer: Karthika Puranam Adhyaya 30, the closing chapter, is read in India on Tuesday, 8 December 2026, Karthika Amavasya, the last day of Karthika Masam. On the tithi-based table it has the day to itself; if you have read one adhyaya a day from 10 November, read adhyayas 29 and 30 together today, because the month has 29 days. In the USA, UK and Canada the month began on Monday 9 November and also ends on 8 December, so one-a-day readers there reach adhyaya 30 today without doubling up; in Australia the month runs to 9 December locally. Check your local panchang. The chapter sums up the vow and gives its phalashruti.

The frame

The story of King Ambarisha and the sage Durvasa ended in Chapter 29 with the sage's blessing. Thirty adhyayas after Vasishtha first answered King Janaka's question in Chapter 1, why Karthika is honoured above the other months, the Puranam closes.

The phalashruti

Our 30-adhyaya guide says the last chapter sums up the vow and gives its phalashruti, the merit tradition says comes to those who keep the month and read or hear the Purana. Each chapter ends by describing the merit of the practice it teaches; the last gives a phalashruti for the whole month.

Our sources name the words of the phalashruti but do not retell it, so we do not retell it here. For the full chapter, read the adhyaya in a Telugu edition your family trusts, or in the freely available Telugu Wikisource text that our 30-adhyaya guide links to. Note that the Wikisource text arranges the month differently (two Skanda Purana adhyayas a day up to Karthika Pournami, then the Padma Purana's Karthika Mahatmyam), so look this adhyaya up by its number, not by the day of the month.

These are statements of the tradition, meant to encourage devotion. We do not promise any result: the reading is an act of faith, and families keep it for the discipline, the stories and the time spent together before the lamp.

The stories of the month

When the Telugu Wikisource text closes the Skanda Purana part, it recalls the main stories by name. Each has its chapter in this series:

• Tattvanishtha and the three spirits on the Godavari (Chapters 3 and 4)
• Prince Shatrujit and the lamp in a ruined Shiva temple (Chapter 4)
• The vana bhojanam, the shared meal under the amla tree (Chapter 5)
• Devadatta, the wayward son (Chapter 6)
• Ajamila and the divine name (Chapters 9 and 10)
• Manthara and his wife's Pournami lamp (Chapter 11)
• King Shrutakirti (Chapter 14)
• King Ambarisha and the sage Durvasa (Chapters 24 to 29)

Ending the month

Many families read adhyaya 30 on Karthika Amavasya and end the month with a simple puja. If you have kept the reading all month, or only some of it, close with a lamp, a flower and a short prayer, and give thanks for the days you managed. For the day itself see Karthika Amavasya 2026.

What this chapter teaches

• A vow is completed, not just begun: the closing chapter gathers the whole month together.
• The stories carry the teaching: the tradition remembers the month by its stories.
• Merit is a promise of tradition, not a contract: the phalashruti encourages devotion; it is not a guarantee.

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 30, 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: end the month with a simple puja at home: light a lamp, offer a flower, read or listen to this last adhyaya, and give thanks. If you can, make a small gift of food or a lamp.
• Close simply: offer a flower or a little prasadam, bow and say a short prayer.

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 30 about?

It is the closing chapter. It sums up the Karthika vow and gives its phalashruti, the merit tradition says comes to those who keep the month and read or hear the Purana.

When is Karthika Puranam Chapter 30 read in 2026?

In India on Tuesday 8 December 2026, Karthika Amavasya, the last day of Karthika Masam. Families reading one a day from 10 November read adhyayas 29 and 30 together that day. In the USA, UK and Canada the month also ends on 8 December; in Australia it runs to 9 December locally. Check your local panchang.

What are the main stories of the Karthika Puranam?

When the Telugu Wikisource text closes the Skanda Purana part, it recalls Tattvanishtha, Shatrujit, the vana bhojanam, Devadatta, Ajamila, Manthara, Shrutakirti and Ambarisha.

Does reading the Karthika Puranam guarantee results?

No. The phalashruti states what tradition says, to encourage devotion. Families keep the reading for the discipline, the stories and the time spent together before the lamp.

What comes after Karthika Masam?

Margasira (Margashirsha) Masam. See our Margasira Masam 2026 guide for its dates and the Lakshmivara (Thursday) vratam.

Karthika Puranam chapters and Karthika Masam 2026 guides

• Previous: Karthika Puranam Chapter 29
• Next: Margasira Masam 2026, the month that follows, or go back to all 30 adhyayas
• Karthika Puranam 2026: the 30-adhyaya reading table and summaries
• Karthika Masam 2026: dates, rituals and festivals
• Karthika Masam 2026 calendar, day by day