Quick answer: Karthika Puranam Adhyaya 4 is read on day 4 of Karthika Masam 2026, which in India is Friday, 13 November 2026 (Shukla Chaturthi at sunrise, Hyderabad). In the USA, UK and Canada the month begins a day earlier, on Monday 9 November, so families following a local panchang there usually read it on Thursday, 12 November. The three spirits from Chapter 3 are freed, Vasishtha praises lamps in Shiva and Vishnu temples, and he tells the story of Prince Shatrujit. In India this day is also Nagula Chavithi.

The three spirits are freed

In Chapter 3, the truthful traveller Tattvanishtha met three tormented spirits in a banyan tree on the Godavari bank, and each told him the wrongs of its past life. Chapter 4 completes their story: they are released through the merit of the Karthika bath. The bath that Chapter 1 named as the first daily practice of the month is shown here as merit strong enough to free others.

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Lamps in Shiva and Vishnu temples

Vasishtha, still speaking to King Janaka, then praises the lighting of lamps in temples of both Shiva and Vishnu. The lamp is the best-known sign of Karthika, and this chapter is one of the places where the Puranam explains why.

The story of Prince Shatrujit

To show the power of the lamp, Vasishtha tells of a childless king who, on the advice of a sage, keeps the Karthika vow and offers lamps. A son is born to him: Shatrujit.

But the prince grows up wayward. The turning point of his story is a single lamp: a lamp lit in a ruined Shiva temple on a Karthika Pournami that fell on a Monday changes his fate. The day joins the full moon of Karthika with Monday, Shiva's day.

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The point of the story, in our summary's words, is that even a small lamp in Karthika is never wasted. A wayward life is not presented as beyond help; one act of light, in a neglected place, at a sacred time, is enough to turn it. Tradition tells this as encouragement, not as a promise.

What this chapter teaches

  • Merit can help others: the spirits are freed by the merit of the Karthika bath.
  • Lamps belong to both Shiva and Vishnu: the chapter praises lamps in both kinds of temple.
  • No act of light is too small: one lamp in a ruined temple changes Shatrujit's course.
  • Neglected places deserve care: the lamp that matters is lit in a ruined shrine, not a grand one.
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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 4, 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: light one extra lamp today, at a temple if you can, or at your doorway or tulasi. If you keep Nagula Chavithi today, you can read the adhyaya after the morning puja or in the evening.
  • 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.

More on today's festival: Nagula Chavithi 2026. More on lamps in the month: Akasha Deepam in Karthika Masam.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Karthika Puranam Chapter 4 about?

The three spirits met by Tattvanishtha are freed; the chapter praises lamps lit in Shiva and Vishnu temples and tells the story of Prince Shatrujit.

Who is Shatrujit in the Karthika Puranam?

The son of a childless king who kept the Karthika vow and offered lamps on a sage's advice. Shatrujit grows up wayward, yet a lamp lit in a ruined Shiva temple on a Karthika Pournami that fell on a Monday changes his fate.

What is the lesson of Adhyaya 4?

That even a small lamp lit in Karthika is never wasted.

When is Karthika Puranam Chapter 4 read in 2026?

In India on Friday, 13 November 2026, which is also Nagula Chavithi. In the USA, UK and Canada, where the month begins on 9 November, many families read it on Thursday, 12 November.

Karthika Puranam chapters and Karthika Masam 2026 guides