It is said that Parvati after her marriage with Siva arrived at Kailasa on the first day of Kartika month. She then lighted the diya first time and Siva was pleased.He said that whoever lights up diya through out Kartika month will get their desires fulfilled.
karthika masam is very auspicious and sacred for both saiva and vaishnava devotees and the devotees indulge in month long prayers to the gods apart from various rituals and customs. The devotees observe karthika masa vratham also and get good life and moksha. It is celebrated on the full moon day of the karthika month which coincides with krithika star.
Karthika masam starts just the day after Deepavali Amavasya. Karthika month is the favourite month for Lord Shiva amongst all 12 months.During Karthika Masa, devotees execute various rituals and customs. They observe karthika Masa Vratam. One really should stick to the rituals to direct a good life and to get Moksha. Danams like swarna, Vastra, Cow will give good results. Upavasams to be performed on Mondays.
Sivasya Hrudayum Vishnuhu, VIshnusya Hrudaygaum Shiva
Yatha Shivamayor Vishnu, EEvam Vishnu Maya Shivaha
During Karthika Masam it helps the devotee to understand and embrace within himself that there is no difference between Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva and that both are one.
Karthika masam / Karthika masam is the most auspicious month to our hindus. . Kartika masam is very auspicious and gets us spiritual bliss when we worship Lord vishnu/Shiva. There are many important pooja procedures to be done during this period like Ksheerabdhi dwadasi pooja/ Kartika deepam or Kartika pournami pooja, lighting the lamps near Tulasi plant and doing nitya poojas to Goddess Tulasi,
Chanting vishnu sahsranamam or shiva sahasranamam, atleast daily chanting of shiva stotras, fasting on mondays and meditating on Lord shiva are to be done .According to kalidharma and kaladharmam we are not able to follow each and every ritual according to Kartika puranam, but atleast we can adapt some rituals and do simple pooja with scuchi and subratha. (Cleanliness )
Lord Vishnu goes to sleep on Ashadha suddha ekadashi and wakes-up on Karthika suddha ekadashi.
Lord Shiva klled Tripurasuras on Karthika pournami and protected the world.
In this month Ganga (Godess of river Ganges) enters in to all rivers, canals, ponds and wells and makes them as pious as Ganga.
Ayyappa deeksha is also taken in Karthika masam and is continued up to Makara Sankranthi (Jan 15th).
River Bath ( Nadi Snanam)and Shiva worship is important in Kartik Maas . As per the Science, in Kaarthika Masam Water enrich with more Magnetic Power from the Earth and will be stored in water before the Sunrise this may be the one of the reason for taking a Kartika Snanam before Sunrise.
As in Magnetic Therapy, taking bath on Kaarhika Somavaram (Monday) in any Flowing Water for 15mts. that Human being will get relief from STOMACH DISORDERS, LEVER DISORDERS, and GENERAL Health Problems.
Kartik Maas is also known as Damodar Maas.
Kartika masa is the most auspicious and holiest month for Hindus.
Pujas are to be performed for the whole month. Those who cannot perform for 30 days (full month) they can do minimum for 10 days.
These 10 (ten) days are "initial starting five days of karthik masam and 5 days before pournima". These 10 days are important days in this month.
As per puranas, there is no sacred month like karthik, there is no God similar to Lord Vishnu, there is no scripture like Vedas and there no river like Ganga.
Karthik month is the favorite month to both of the supreme Gods Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva. Water in rivers, lakes and ponds get holy power to destroy ill effects during the month hence karthik snaan is one of the most popular Hindu rituals.
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 provides details of 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 or Shiva 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."
Above all if any person just chants Om Namah Sivaya in Kartik month will get his grace.
On the full moon day of the month of Kartika (November-December) which falls on the ascension of the Kritika star, the Hindus celebrate the Kartika Deepam. It is on this day that the huge beacon is lit on the holy hill Arunachala, in South India.
Tiruvannamalai Deepam:-( Arunachalam)
It is celebrated in a special manner in Thiruvannamalai. Lord Shiva asks Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu to find out the exact location of his head and his feet. Since Lord Shiva takes a gigantic form, they are not able to find out anywhere.
Then Lord Shiva takes the form of a jyothi (light of fire) on the hill of Thiruvannamali. Therefore, this festival is also known as Annamalai Deepam. Here, a special torch is lighted on the zenith of the hill and it is believed that Lord Shiva's jothi will be visible on this day.
Edited by ltelidevara - 6 years ago