Kartika is the holiest month in the Hindu lunar calendar. It usually overlaps with the months October & November in the English calendar. Kartika Maas, also known as Damodar Maas, is described in the scriptures as the best among months for performing austerities.
Lord Sri Krishna says, “Of all plants, the sacred Tulasi is most dear to Me; of all months, Kartika is most dear, of all places of pilgrimage, My beloved Dwarka is most dear, and of all days,Ekadashi is most dear.” (Padma Purana, Uttara Khand 112.3)
Kartika or the festival of offering lamps to Lord Krishna, glorifies Lord Krishna’s pastime of being bound with ropes by Mother Yashoda. Observing vrata in the month of Kartika is glorified in the Puranas.
“As Sat-yuga is the best of yugas (ages), as the Vedas are the best among scriptures, as Ganga is best of rivers, so Kartika is the best of months, the most dear to Lord Krishna.” (Skanda Purana)
In this vrata one may observe the following foremost activities throughout the entire month of Kartika:
Japa – chanting the holy names of the Lord.
Worship the Lord by offering ghee lamps (diyas), flowers, incense, food, etc.
Practice brahmacharya – celibacy.
Worship of Tulasi Devi.
Give charity.
Perform austerities.
The month of Kartika is the best of all months, and it is in this month that many special festivals like Dhan-Teras, Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Duj, Tulsi Vivaah and various others take place.
Following are excerpts from some scriptures (Puranas) describing the glory of the pious Kartika month:
“If somebody performs even a little worship of Lord Shri Hari in this month, He offers that devotee His own abode.”
“If somebody burns a lamp in the temple of Lord Shri Hari even for a short time (in the month of Kartika), then whatever sins, he has acquired for millions of kalpas (one kalpa equals 1000 yugas) are all destroyed.”
“A person, who for the entire month of Kartika eats only once a day, becomes very famous, powerful and heroic.”
“O Narada! I have personally seen that a person who happily reads the Bhagavad Gita in the month of Kartika does not return to the world of birth and death.”
“Of all gifts, the gift of a lamp during the month of Kartika is the best. No gift is its equal.”
“The pious result 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 vow of Kartika.”
Quotes from Skanda Purana-
"A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krsna during Kartika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering."
"Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a lamp during the month of Kartika."
"A person who offers a lamp during the month of Kartika attains a result that cannot be obtained with even a hundred yajnas or a hundred pilgrimages."
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