Karthika masam or Kartik month is the most auspicious month amongst all 12 Hindu months. According to Hindus, pujas, rituals, Kartik month give them great pleasure and happiness in life because this is the most favorite month for both of the Supreme Gods Lord Vishnu and Shiva. They believe that praying to Lord during Kartik maas fetches them Moksha (salvation).The pujas, all other rituals, rules and code during the month are called as Kartika Masa Vratam. There are certain rules and codes to perform Kartika Masa vrata. The Karthika Purana details the rituals and customs to be performed during the month of Karthik. Various Hindu sacred texts have mentioned the list of basic rituals and customs of Kartika masam Kartik is the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar. It usually overlaps with the months October & November in the English calendar. Kartik Maas is described in the scriptures as the best among months for performing austerities.
Sutaji said to the great sages: "The sin-destroying month of Kartik is said to be endowed with divine influence. It is ever so dear to Lord Vishnu and is the bestower of both worldly pleasures and moksha (salvation)."
The rituals associated with the Kartik month are as follows:
Japa - chanting the holy names of the Lord. As per our scriptures, if somebody performs even a little worship of Lord Shri Hari in this month, He offers that devotee His own abode.
Deep Daan (offering lamps) - Worship the Lord by offering lamps (diyas), flowers, incense, food, etc. Lighting a diya before the Lord is called as "deep-daan" and affords immense religious merits when performed during the Kartik month.
In the Padma Purana, Kartik Mahatmya, there is a very famous story of a mouse.
In a temple of Lord Vishnu, there was a mouse who used to eat the ghee from the extinguished ghee lamps which had been offered by devotees to Him. One day when she felt hungry to eat ghee, she tried to eat the ghee from a lamp which was not yet extinguished. While eating ghee from the lamp, the cotton wick got stuck in her teeth. Since the ghee wick had a flame, the mouse started jumping in front of the Lord's Deity form and thus died due to fire. But Lord Sri Vishnu accepted the jumping of that mouse with a lit ghee wick in her mouth as His aarti. In the end, He gave her liberation, the highest destination.
If somebody burns a lamp in the temple of Lord Shri Hari even for a short time (in the month of Kartik), then whatever sins, he has acquired for millions of kalpas (one kalpa equals 1000 yugas) are all destroyed."
Of all gifts, the gift of a lamp during the month of Kartik is the best. No gift is its equal."
The Pushkar Puran states, "The person who lights the lamp of sesame (til) oil in the name of Lord Shri Hari in the month of Kartik (during Sandhya) gets unlimited prosperity, beauty, blessedness and wealth."
Brahmacharya - During Kartik month, one should refrain from indulging in sex and should practice Brahmacharya.
Worship of Tulsi Devi in Kartik is the bestower of innumerable virtues. As per our scriptures, the religious merits obtained from bathing at Prayag, death in Kashi, and study of the scriptures are acquired simply through the worship of the Tulsi plant. During Kartik month, one should specially light a diya near the Tulsi plant. Applying tilak on the forehead using Tulsi ji's mitti (sand) in Kartik bestows good fortune (saubhagya).
Give Charity (daan).
Perform austerities - Lord Shiva said to His son Kartikeyaji, "Dear son! One who takes a bath before sunrise in the month of Kartik is absolved of all sins." A bath during the Brahma-murat in this month at home as well affords the same religious merits as bathing in holy places of pilgrimage like Gangaji, Kashi, etc. By sleeping on the ground during Kartik, one is entitled to the same religious merits as obtained by donating a piece of land to Brahmins during the solar and lunar eclipses.
Sutaji said to the great sages: "The sin-destroying month of Kartik is said to be endowed with divine influence. It is ever so dear to Lord Vishnu and is the bestower of both worldly pleasures and moksha (salvation)."
The rituals associated with the Kartik month are as follows:
Japa - chanting the holy names of the Lord. As per our scriptures, if somebody performs even a little worship of Lord Shri Hari in this month, He offers that devotee His own abode.
Deep Daan (offering lamps) - Worship the Lord by offering lamps (diyas), flowers, incense, food, etc. Lighting a diya before the Lord is called as "deep-daan" and affords immense religious merits when performed during the Kartik month.
In the Padma Purana, Kartik Mahatmya, there is a very famous story of a mouse.
In a temple of Lord Vishnu, there was a mouse who used to eat the ghee from the extinguished ghee lamps which had been offered by devotees to Him. One day when she felt hungry to eat ghee, she tried to eat the ghee from a lamp which was not yet extinguished. While eating ghee from the lamp, the cotton wick got stuck in her teeth. Since the ghee wick had a flame, the mouse started jumping in front of the Lord's Deity form and thus died due to fire. But Lord Sri Vishnu accepted the jumping of that mouse with a lit ghee wick in her mouth as His aarti. In the end, He gave her liberation, the highest destination.
If somebody burns a lamp in the temple of Lord Shri Hari even for a short time (in the month of Kartik), then whatever sins, he has acquired for millions of kalpas (one kalpa equals 1000 yugas) are all destroyed."
Of all gifts, the gift of a lamp during the month of Kartik is the best. No gift is its equal."
The Pushkar Puran states, "The person who lights the lamp of sesame (til) oil in the name of Lord Shri Hari in the month of Kartik (during Sandhya) gets unlimited prosperity, beauty, blessedness and wealth."
Brahmacharya - During Kartik month, one should refrain from indulging in sex and should practice Brahmacharya.
Worship of Tulsi Devi in Kartik is the bestower of innumerable virtues. As per our scriptures, the religious merits obtained from bathing at Prayag, death in Kashi, and study of the scriptures are acquired simply through the worship of the Tulsi plant. During Kartik month, one should specially light a diya near the Tulsi plant. Applying tilak on the forehead using Tulsi ji's mitti (sand) in Kartik bestows good fortune (saubhagya).
Give Charity (daan).
Perform austerities - Lord Shiva said to His son Kartikeyaji, "Dear son! One who takes a bath before sunrise in the month of Kartik is absolved of all sins." A bath during the Brahma-murat in this month at home as well affords the same religious merits as bathing in holy places of pilgrimage like Gangaji, Kashi, etc. By sleeping on the ground during Kartik, one is entitled to the same religious merits as obtained by donating a piece of land to Brahmins during the solar and lunar eclipses.
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