namo namaḥ tulasī kṛṣṇa-preyasi namo namaḥ
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā pābo ei abilāṣī
ye tomāra śaraṇa loy, tara vāñchā pūrṇa hoy
kṛpā kori’ koro tāre vṛndāvana-vāsi
mora ei abhilāṣa, vilāsa kuñje dio vāsa
nayana heribo sadā yugala-rūpa-rāśi
ei nivedana dhara, sakhīra anugata koro
sevā-adhikāra diye koro nīja dāsī
dīna kṛṣṇa-dāse koy, ei yena mora hoy
śrī-rādhā-govinda-preme sadā yena bhāsi
(1) O Tulasī, beloved of Kṛṣṇa, I bow before you again and again. My desire is to obtain the service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
(2) Whoever takes shelter of you has his wishes fulfilled. Bestowing your mercy on him, you make him a resident of Vṛndāvana.
(3) My desire is that you will also give me a residence in the pleasure groves of Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Thus within my vision I will always behold the beautiful pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
(4) I beg you to make me a follower of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. Please give me the privilege of devotional service and make me your own maidservant.
(5) This very fallen and lowly servant of Kṛṣṇa prays, “May I always swim in the love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Govinda.'
Śrī Tulasī Pradakṣiṇa Mantra
(Sing while circumambulating Tulasī)
yāni kāni ca pāpāni / brahma-hatyādikāni ca
tāni tāni praṇaśyanti / pradakṣiṇaḥ pade pade
yāni kāni—whatever; ca—and; pāpāni—sins; brahma-hatya—killing of a brāhmaṇa; ādikāni—and so on; ca—also; tāni tāni—all of them; praṇaśyanti—are destroyed; pradakṣiṇaḥ—(by) the circumambulation (of Tulasī Devī); pade pade—at every step.
Those who circumambulate Śrīmatī Tulasī-devī step by step destro whatever sins they have committed, even the killing of a brāhmaṇa.
• Importance of kartik month
1. Kartik is the month of Lord Vishnu in the 12 months of the Hindu calendar. In this, the constellation-planet yoga, the order of the date festival gives wealth, fame-majority, profit, good health.
2. In ancient times, there is a mention of the beginning of the year in different months, but in modern times the beginning of the year in different parts of India is in the month of Kartik or Chaitra.
3. In this month, Shiva's son Kartikeya killed the demon Tarakasur, hence the name Kartik, the one who gives victory.
4. The greatness of Kartik month is also found in Skanda Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana.
5. About twenty days of Kartik month inspire man to strengthen himself by worshiping God. That is why this month is also called the door of salvation.
6. It is said in the scriptures that in the month of Kartik, all the needs of man, such as good health, family progress, God's grace, etc., get spiritual solution very easily.
• What to do in this month and what rules and precautions should be kept?
According to the scriptures, meat, fish and whey should be discarded in this month. Along with this, you should be patient throughout the month. Apart from this, one should do penance with fasting and rules.
• Offering Lamps
According to religious scriptures, the most important work in the month of Kartik is said to be donating lamps. In this month, Daily offer a pure ghee-lamp (lit with a Tulasi-stick from a departed Tulasi-bush) to Radha-Damodara with love & devotion.
• Tulsi Puja
Daily offer lamp to Tulsi devi and pray for eternal residence in Vrndavana and eternal service of the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna. Do 4 parikrama (circumbulation) of Tulasi.
• Worship Lord Krishna
One should always remember Supreme Lord Hari. Devotees should try to do more Harinam Chanting. Do extra rounds and more kirtana.
• Associate with Vaishnavas
Hear Srimad Bhagavatam, daily in association of exalted Vaisnavas, if possible. All other duties should be given up in favor of hearing the scriptures from sadhus during this month. It is most beneficial to recite and read Gajendra Moksha Lila-stava from 8th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, which teaches complete surrender/dependence of Supreme Lord.
• Eat only prasadam.
• Make nice offerings for Krishna. Devotees should observe the festival of Annakuta, Giriraj Govardhan Puja.
• Must sing Damodarastakam during Kartik month
Namamiswaram sachchidanandroopam, lasatkundalam gokule brajmanam.
Yashodabhiolukhaladhavamanam, paramshtamtyam tato drutya gopya..1.
Rudantam muhurnetrajyugam mrijantam, karambhoja-yugena satankanetram.
Muhuhshwaskamp - Trirekhaprakantha-sthita grava-damodaram bhaktibadham..2.
itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe, sva-ghoṣaḿ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam
tadīyeṣita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaḿ , punaḥ prematas taḿ śatāvṛtti vande..3.
varaḿ deva mokṣaḿ na mokṣāvadhiḿ vā , na canyaḿ vṛṇe ‘haḿ vareṣād apīha
idaḿ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaḿ , sadā me manasy āvirāstāḿ kim anyaiḥ..4.
idaḿ te mukhāmbhojam atyanta-nīlair , vṛtaḿ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyā
muhuś cumbitaḿ bimba-raktādharaḿ me , manasy āvirāstām alaḿ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ..5.
namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo , prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnam
kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaḿ batānu , gṛhāṇeṣa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ..6.
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat , tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca
tathā prema-bhaktiḿ svakāḿ me prayaccha , na mokṣe graho me ‘sti dāmodareha..7.
namas te ‘stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne, tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai , namo ‘nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam..8.
Chant the Mahamantra as much as possible
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Damodar Leelas...
a) Ukhal Bandhan Leela
Ukhal Bandhan Leela is also called Damodar Leela. This is a very beautiful Leela of the Lord.
Once upon a time, Nandrani Yashoda ji engaged all the maids of the house in other works and herself started churning curd to feed butter to her Lala. Maya used to remember Kanhaiya's pastimes and also used to sing. Nand Baba had thousands of servants and servants, but Maya used to do Lala's work with her own hands.
We, you will wonder why she herself was taking out the butter. If she could get this work done by a servant also, then Guru Bhagwan told - Maya does Lala's work herself, this increases the love of Maya and Kanha. Mothers who do not do the work of their children themselves, get them done by servants, whether their children will grow up to love their parents or not is doubtful in itself.
Yashoda Maiya had some flowers in her hair. At the time of churning of curd, those flowers started falling out of their hair and falling at their feet. Flowers thought that Yashoda Mayya is such a loving devotee of Shri Krishna, we have no right to be on his head. We have to make our life successful only by staying at their feet.
b) Maiya and Kanhaiya's love
Kanhaiya came to his mother and, increasing love in Maya's heart, grabbed the churn of curd, stopped her from churning the curd and climbed herself by jumping on the mother's lap. Due to excess of Vatsalyasneh, Maiya started feeding Lala with milk.
The milk of Padmagandha cow was kept in the fire, it started boiling. Gaia's milk thought - If Kanhaiya will drink only Maya's milk today, then he will not accept me. So I will commit suicide by jumping into the fire. If God will not accept me then what is the use of my life?
Seeing the milk boiling, Maiya left Lala unsatisfied and went to get the milk off. This angered Kanhaiya. He thought that the milk and curd which has made a difference between me and Maya, now I will not let this milk and curd remain safe. Kanhaiya picked up a stone and hit it on the pot kept nearby. The pot broke and milk and curd spread.
Now Kanhaiya filled her eyes with artificial tears, went to another room and started eating stale butter and started feeding the monkeys too. Thought- these are my past life companions.
When Maya came, she saw that the pot was broken, butter was spread. Maya understood that all this was the handiwork of my Lala. Maya reached there with a stick where Kanhaiya was feeding butter to the monkeys sitting on the hut. Kanhaiya saw Maya coming with a stick, so he ran through the back door of Nand Bhavan.
c) Kanhaiya's eccentric Leela
A very strange Leela is happening today. Big gods are watching, Narada is watching, the gopis are watching. The Lord is running forward and backward and the devotee is running back and forth. Yashodaji is running back and forth to catch the same God in whom the great yogis are not able to enter even after making their mind very subtle and pure through penance, but Shri Krishna does not come.
When Kanhaiya saw that Maya was tired, then he stood up and caught hold of Maya. Holding Kanhaiya's hand, she started intimidating him. At that time Lala's tableau was becoming very strange. Kanhaiya started crying and shedding tears. Yashoda Maiya saw that Lala was very scared, Maiya threw the stick. After that thought that it should be tied with a rope once. Maya asked for a rope to tie and started tying Kanhaiya.
Kanhaiya started Leela again, the rope became two fingers short! Then Maiya added another rope, that too became two fingers short, thus adding all the ropes of Gokul, still could not tie Kanhaiya and if the rope was short then two fingers.
The meaning (meaning) of shortening the rope with two fingers, God explains that my mother, when these two tasks are completed, then only I come in the bondage of someone. Which? The devotee who performs the hymn should have desire and God's grace. Only then the Lord comes under the control of the devotee, he is bound in bondage.
Lord Krishna saw Maya very tired; Then by grace he himself got tied in the bondage of his mother. By the way, Shri Krishna is supremely independent. Along with Brahma, Indra etc., the whole world is under his control. Still, bound like this, he told the world that I am under the control of loving devotees.
In Sanskrit, the string is called 'Dama' and 'Udar' is called the stomach. Yashoda Maiya tied the stomach of Lord Krishna with a rope, hence the name of the Lord Damodar.
d) The salvation of Yamalarjuna
Maiya tied up Kanhaiya with her neck and got busy in her work. Kanhaiya saw that Maya is doing her work, so I should also do my work.
Two trees of Yamalarjuna stood outside the Nand Bhavan. One's name was Nalkubar and the other's name was to save Manigriva, who had become a tree due to Narada's curse. Kanhaiya came out of Nand Bhavan dragging Ukhal. There he trapped Ukhal between the two trees and pulled it loudly, there was a terrible sound and both the trees fell. Divine men appeared from among them.
Nalkubar and Manigriva were very wicked and troubled in their previous lives. Due to the curse of Narad ji, he got the privilege of becoming a tree in the courtyard of Nand Baba. Seeing the pastimes of Lord Shri Krishna, his intellect became pure. Today he got freedom from his tree avatar. He asked for a boon from Shri Krishna-
Oh God! After today, if anything comes out of our speech, then your name will come out or your story will come out. Don't waste time with things here and there.
If we hear something with our ears, your praise, your kirtan, your story is another boon.
If someone works with his hands, then it should be service to you, service to the temple, service of saint, service of Thakur. This is the use of hands.
The mind should always think of you and asked for this boon.
Our heads kept bowing to salute all the people. Because you are seated in all the people. Give us such a boon that our eyes should always see you or see the devotee of God.
God granted him a boon, and he went to the abode of God.
Teachings from the said pastimes
These Gopi Nandan are as accessible to the adoring devotees as they are to the soul-conscious, ritualistic and ascetic.
Lord Krishna knew that his pastimes in Kali Yuga would be very beautiful, which would attract the mind. That's why he did this Leela.
The shortening of the two-fingered rope means that the Lord wants to show - when a man has desire and ego (two fingers) in his mind and he desires to have Me, then I do not bind him. When desire and ego are removed from his mind, then I do mercy to him and I am bound by his bondage.
Hare Krishna 🙏🙏
Thank you so much for this valuable information.
ReplyDeleteHare Krishna 🙏🙏
May lord Krishna bless you.
Finally, today I got your article. It's so much glad for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you so much.🙏🙏
Wow, really I got goosebumps. Surely I follow all the rules of this precious month.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your valuable information.
Hare Krishna 🙏🙏
Again Thanks a lot.
Thank you so much for this informative article.
ReplyDeleteHare Krishna 🙏🙏
tq very much very nice
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