THE GLORIES OF KARTIKA & Krishna Saradiya Rasayatra

[Guest guest]

Krishna Saradiya Rasayatra:

 

The first full moon of the autumn season marks the celebration of Krsna's

dancing with the gopis. On this day the deities of Vrndavana are nicely

decorated in white. Krsna lila dramas are enacted. Because the moon is

very auspicious, the vraja vasis leave pots of sweet rice exposed to the

full moon for the whole night, to turn the swet rice into amrta.

 

Note: (today also is Lakshmi puja).

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THE GLORIES OF KARTIKA

 

Here we find the rules and regulations for observing Kartik plus

additional explanation of Damodarastakam Prayer which should be sung and

deeply meditated upon everyday during Radhika's holy month, as well as

other useful information that will help us to be absorbed in the mellows

of love for Sri Damodar.

 

sarvatha saranapatti kartikadi-vrata, 'catuh-sasti anga' ei parama-mahattva

 

SYNONYMS sarvatha-in all respects; sarana-apatti-surrender; kartika-adi-

vrata-to observe special vows in the month of Karttika; catuh-sasti anga-

sixty-four parts; ei-this; parama-mahattva-very important items.

 

TRANSLATION "Thirty-four: One should surrender to Krsna in all respects.

(35) One should observe particular vows like kartika-vrata. These are some

of the sixty-four important items of devotional service. (Sri Caitanya-

caritamrta Madhya 22.128)

 

Performing Devotional Service in Karttika

 

"One of the most important of these ceremonial functions is called Urja-

vrata. Urja-vrata is observed in the month of Karttika (October-November);

especially in Vrndavana, there is a specific program for temple worship of

the Lord in His Damodara form. "Damodara" refers to Krsna's being bound

with rope by His mother, Yasoda. It is said that just as Lord Damodara is

very dear to His devotees, so the month known as Damodara or Karttika is

also very dear to them.

 

"The execution of devotional service during Urja-vrata in the month of

Karttika is especially recommended to be performed at Mathura. This system

is still followed by many devotees. They go to Mathura or Vrndavana and

stay there during the month of Karttika specifically to perform devotional

services during this period. In the Padma Purana it is said, "The Lord may

offer liberation or material happiness to a devotee, but after some

devotional service has been executed, particularly in Mathura during the

month of Karttika, the devotees want only to attain pure devotional

service unto the Lord." The purport is that the Lord does not award

devotional service to ordinary persons who are not serious about it. But

even such unserious persons who execute devotional service according to

the regulative principles during the month of Karttika, and within the

jurisdiction of Mathura in India, are very easily awarded the Lord's

personal service." (Srila Prabhupada in NOD chap. 12)

 

How to Observe????

 

(Srila Prabhupada Conversation with a disciple)

 

Devotee (2): Srila Prabhupada, today is the beginning of urja-vrata (the

Kartik vrata). Can you describe what that is, urja-vrata, how it should be

observed?

 

Prabhupada: Urja-vrata, you chant Hare Krsna twenty-four hours one month

(laughter) That's all.

 

Gurudasa: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna...

 

Prabhupada: Yes. Don't sleep, don't eat. This is urja-vrata. Can you

execute?

 

Devotee (1): I don't know. (laughter)

(Srila Prabhupada lecture 18/10/72 in Vrndavana RadhaDamodaraMandir)

 

Quotes from Mathura Mahatyam by Srila Rupa Gosvami

 

Residing in Mathura During the Month of Karttika

 

In the Karttika-mahatmya, Narada says: By bathing in sacred places and

giving charity during the month of Karttika, a person in any country

attains piety equal to an agnihotra-yajna.

 

Text 168

krsna-salokya-do masah puja-snanais ca karttikah

anyah puryas tat-samana bhavanti mathuram vina

 

In Mathura bathing and worship during the month of Karttika place one on

the same planet as Lord Krsna. No other holy place is equal to Mathura.

 

Text 169

damodaratvam hi hares tatraivasit yatah kila

mathurayam tatas turjo vaikuntha-priti-vardhanah

karttiko mathurayam vai paramavadhir isyate

 

The month of Karttika, when Lord Hari enjoyed His Damodara-pastime in

Mathura, delights Lord Vaikuntha. The month of Karttika spent in Mathura

brings the supreme destination.

 

Text 170

yatha maghe prayagah syad vaisakhe jahnavi tatha

karttike mathura sevya tatrotkarsah paro na hi

 

As Prayaga should be served in the month of Magha, and the Ganges in the

month of Vaisakha, so Mathura should be served in the month of Karttika.

Nothing is better than that service.

 

Text 171

mathurayam narair urje snatva damodaro 'rcitahkrsna-rupa hi te jneya natra

karya vicarana

 

They who, after properly bathing, worship Lord Damodara in Mathura during

Karttika, attain forms like that of Lord Krsna. Of this there is no doubt.

 

Text 172

durlabhah karttiko vipra mathurayam nrnam iha

yatrarcitah svakam rupam bhaktebhyah samprayacchati

 

O brahmanas, residence in Mathura during Karttika is a rare attainment for

humans. To they who worship Him there and then the Lord gives their

original spiritual forms.

 

Text 173

bhuktim muktim harir dadyad arcito 'nyatra sevinam

bhaktim tu na dadaty eva yato vasya-kari hareh

 

When He is worshiped in any other place, Lord Hari gives only liberation

or sense-gratification to His servants. He does not give them pure

devotional service, for that service brings Him under their dominion.

 

Text 174

sa tv anjasa harer bhaktir labhyate karttike naraih

mathurayam sakrd api sri-damodara-sevanat

 

By once serving Lord Damodara in Mathura during Karttika, the people can

easily attain pure devotional service to Lord Hari.

 

Text 175

mantra-dravya-vihinam ca vidhi-hinam ca pujanam

manyate karttike devo mathurayam mad-arcanam

 

They who, even without proper mantras and offerings, and without properly

following the rules, worship Him in Mathura during Karttika, the Lord

considers His true devotees.

 

Text 176

yasya papasya yujyeta marananta hi niskrtih

tac-chuddhy-artham idam proktam prayascittam su-niscitam

karttike mathurayam vai sri-damodara-pujanam

 

The perfect atonement to purify the sins of a lifetime is: worship Lord

Damodara in Mathura during Karttika.

 

Text 177

sulabha mathura loke pratyabdam karttikas tatha

tathapi samsarantiha nara mudha bhavambudhau

 

Although Mathura is easy to visit in this world, and although Karttika

comes every year, the fools still swim in the ocean of repeated birth and

death.

 

Text 179

yani sarvani tirthani nada nadyah saramsi ca

karttike nivasanty atra mathure sarva-mandale

 

All holy places and all holy rivers, streams, and lakes reside in the

circle of Mathura during Karttika.

 

Text 180

Sparopahasam uddisya karttike hari-sevaya

mathurayam labhed bhaktim kim punah sraddhaya narah

 

They who as a joke serve Lord Hari during Karttika in Mathura will attain

pure devotional service, what to speak of they who serve the Lord with

faith and devotion.

 

Text 181

tatraiva dhumrakesam prati yama-vakyam

tasman nrpatmaja sreyah param kincin na-not; vidyate

karttike mathurayam ca sri-damodara-pujanat

 

Yamaraja says to Dhumrakesa:

Therefore, O prince, nothing is better than to serve Lord Damodara in

Mathura during Karttika.

 

Residence in Mathura During Prabodhini tithi

 

In the Padma Purana, Karttika-mahatmya, it is said:

 

When Lord Visnu does not wake from His happy sleep on Prabodhini tithi,

then all the holy places roar with asvamedha-yajnas. Note: Prabodhini

tithi is the first ekadasi in the month of Karttika. On that day the Lord

awakens from His four-month-long nap.

 

Text 186

mathurayam tu kim vacyam jagare hari-sannidhau

karttike bodhinim prapya tatah sreyah param hi na

 

What can be said about approaching the Deity of Lord Hari when He awakens

in Mathura? No day is better than the Prabodhini day in the month of

Karttika.

 

Text 187

rajyam anyatra santyajya sphitam nihata-kantakam

karttike mathurayam vai kaimutyam jagaram caret

 

One should leave any other great and peaceful kingdom, and in Mathura stay

awake through the night during Prabodhini in the month of Karttika. What

place is better than Mathura for this?

 

Residing in Mathura During Dvadasi in Karttika Month

 

In the Visnu Purana it is said:

 

A person who during the Sukla-dvadasi in the month of Karttika bathes in

the Yamuna and sees the Deity of Lord Hari in Mathura attains the supreme

destination.

 

Text 189

atha bhisma-pancake padme bhismam prati sri-krsna-vacanam

tvaya krte vrate pascat khyasyate bhisma-pancakam

ye tatra janma-bhumau me karisyanti maha-vratam

mathurayam tu gangeya tesam bhaktih kare sthita

 

Residing in Mathura During Bhisma-pancaka (goes from Utthana Ekadasi til

Purnima)

 

In the Padma Purana, Sri Krsna says to Bhisma:

 

O Gangeya, this vow you have followed will henceforth be known as Bhisma-

pancaka. They who follow this great vow in My birthplace, Mathura, find

pure devotional service resting in their hand.

 

Text 191

durlabho bhakti-yogo me mama vasya-vidhayakah

karttike mathurayam ca vratenanena labhyate

 

Pure devotional service to Me which, becausae it places Me under My

devotee's dominion, is very difficult to attain, is easily attained by

following this vow in Mathura during Karttika.

 

Text 192

puranantare ca sarvabhista-pradam proktam

mathure bhisma-pancakam

 

In another place in the Puranas it is said: Following the vow of Bhisma-

pancaka in Mathura is said to fulfill all desires.

 

Text 193

yatha bhavisye bhisma-panca-dine prapte

mathura-mandale hareh nidra-ccheda-kare punye

paduke cavalokayet

 

In the Bhavisya Purana it is said: A person who observes Bhisma-pancaka

and Prabodhini tithi in Mathura will see Lord Hari's splendid sandals.

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda's article quoted in Bhakti-prajnan Kesava Maharaja's

book commenting on the Damodarastaka Prayers by Satyavrata Muni: "The

observance of the Karttika-vrata is one of the most important things for

the Vaisnavas. In accordance with these words, the vrata therefore begins

on the waxing ekadasi that comes the day after Vijaya-dasami in the month

of Asvina. And the vrata will be concluded on Utthana-ekadasi. That vrata

which is observed during the month between these two dates is called

niyama-seva. The rules of niyama-seva are: every day during this month,

one must rise upon the last hour of the night, purify oneself and perform

the mangala-arati of Sri Krsna. Then, after bathing in the morning, one

should worship Lord Damodara. At night, one should light brilliant lamps

filled with either ghee or sesame-seed oil, and place them in these

places - in the Lord's temple, around the base of tulasi plants, and in

the sky. During the month of Kartika, one should eat only vegetarian

foodstuffs and Bhagavan's prasad remnants. One should renounce excessive

eating and sleeping, plus avoid using oil, wine, and bell-metal utensils.

After honouring prasad, one should hear or recite scriptures headed by

Srimad Bhagavatam in the company of Vaisnavas. There should be incessant

harinama-kirtana and smarana. Thus passing the entire month in observance

of such regulations, on the final Utthana-ekadasi day one should fast from

everything including water and stay awake all night absorbed in Krsna-

katha. On the next day, after first purifying oneself and engaging in hari-

kirtana, one should serve the Lord's prasad to one's dearmost intimate

Vaisnava associates, and when they are finished one may then honour

prasad. That day, at the end of the night, the vrata will be completed.

 

The chief aim of observing this Urjja-vrata is to please Sri Radha-

Damodara. Srimati Radharani is called Urjjesvari (the Queen of the Urjja-

vrata). Only because of this, in order to establish the pleasure of Sri

Sri Radha-Damodara, the sage Satyavrata Muni uttered (in the eight verse

of Damodarastaka) the words namo radhikayai tvadiya priyayai - "My

obeisances unto Radhika, You most beloved." By this statement, he

indicated that the sole activity to be done during the observance of

Damodara-vrata is the worship of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara.

 

Among the 64 branches of bhakti followed by our Gaudiya Vaisnavas, we see

that the observance of Urjja is listed. It is to be understood that one

follows the Catur-masya-vrata completely only if one honours Urjja during

it. Some devotees are of the opinion - "Because Catur-masya-vrata is not

listed among the 64 branches of devotion, we will only follow the (one-

month long) vow of Urjja; we will not undergo the difficulty of observing

the entire four-month-long vow." In this way, those persons who attempt

performing bhajana, but who are unaware of the deep meaning of the

sastras, thereby remain in the indulgences of in discipline. Sriman

Mahaprabhu Himself observed the Catur-masya-vrata while situated in many

different places, and has thereby taught the practice by His own example.

We cannot consider such persons, who are unable to follow the instructions

that were enacted and preached by Mahaprabhu, to be part of the lineage of

pure Vaisnavas.

 

At this point, we would like to mention that the principle of atma-

nivedana is listed as one of the nine types of devotion (which are counted

among the six types of surrender, saranagati). Is it understood, then,

that by performing atma-nivedana (offering one's soul), the other five

types of surrender are therefore unnecessary? The ultimate surrender among

the six processes of saranagati is atma-nivedana - by this being listed as

such, it is understood that engaging in the other forms of surrender are

also recommended for the sadhaka. Thus it is accepted that a single

sadhana takes the form of several different aspects.

 

Due to the eternal nature of Sri Sri Damodarastaka, it is necessary to

study it every day during the month of Karttika (or Damodara).