Karthik Month or Karthik Maas is the most auspicious month devoted for the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. Every month has a presiding deity and for this month of Karthik, the presiding deity is Srimati Radharani or Karthika devi. Srimati Radharani is the topmost and the dearest devotee of Lord Sri Krishna and so this month of Kartik is dearest to Lord Sri Krishna. This year the Karthik month starts on 9th Oct 2022 and ends on 8th Nov 2022.
In this auspicious month Lord Krishna also came to be known as Damodara due to a sweet pastime that the Lord displayed with His Mother Yashoda. 5000 years ago, on the day of Deepavali, Mother Yashoda bound Lord Krishna to a grinding mortar and so this month is also known as Damodara month. Dama means rope and Udara means waist.
Significance of Karthik Month
This month is considered to be most auspicious month and many scriptures glorify this month. Few of the glories of this month are listed as below:
- By offering a ghee lamp in this month, the sins of a person in many thousands and millions of births are perished in half an eyeblink. (Skanda purana)
- Lord Krishna is pleased by one who offers a single lamp in this month of Karthika. The Lord Himself glorifies a person who also offers a lamp for someone else. (Hari Bhakti Vilasa,16.44)
- The pious results obtained by bathing in all holy places and giving all charities is not equal to one ten millionth part of the result obtained by following the Karthika vrata. (Hari Bhakti Vilasa, 16.32)
Benefits of Observing Karthika Vrata
In this month, one who performs any spiritual activity gets 100 times the benefits of his activities. Not only this, by performing any spiritual activities, the grandfathers, forefathers, the current generation, next generation and also those who are yet to take birth receive immense benefits of the austerities.
Festivals and Auspicious Days in Karthika Month
- Sharad Purnima – Lord Krishna expanded Himself a thousand times and performed Raas Lila.
- Bahulashtami – Appearance of Radha Kunda and Syama Kund
- Rama Ekadashi – Fast from grains
- Diwali – Lord Rama returns to Ayodhya
- Damodar Lila – When mother Yashoda binds Krishna
- Govardhan Puja – Worship of cows and Govardhan hill
- Disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada
- Gopashtami – Sri Krishna becomes a cowherd boy
- Disappearance Day of Srila Gaur Kishor Das Babaji
- Utthana Ekadashi – Fasting from grains
- Bhishma Panchak – In the last five days of Kartik, Bhismadev prayed to Lord while preparing to leave his body
- Tulasi Vivah – Marriage ceremony of Tulasi and Lord Vishnu
Invite Lord Damodara & Receive Unlimited Mercy
In this auspicious month of Karthika, invite the Supreme Lord Damodara to your home and receive unlimited blessings and mercy of the Lord. It is a very simple process where you register in the below link based on your convenient date and time. The Damodara Puja could be either online or in-person.