ekādaśyāṁ parair dattaṁ
dīpaṁ prajvalya mūṣikā
mānuṣyaṁ durlabhaṁ prāpya
parāṁ gatim avāpa sā

ekādaśyām-on ekādaśī; paraiḥ-by others; dattam-offered; dīpam-lamp; prajvalya-lighting; mūṣikā-a mouse; mānuṣyam-a human birth; durlabham-rare; prāpya-attaining; parām-the supreme; gatim-destination; avāpa-attained; sā-she.

“Somehow or other a mouse once lit a lamp that someone offered on ekādaśī during the month of Kārttika. That mouse attained a rare human birth and then went to the supreme spiritual world.”

– Kārtik Mahatmya Text 129