[Advaita-l] RAJA PARIKSHIT

[KAMESWARARAO MULA]

Dear Members,
                         IMPORTANCE OF KARTIKA MASA:

Due to the Grief of his Father;s death by snake bite , Janamejya performed Satra SarPa Yagam at the Naimesaranya under the auspicious Guidance of Sutaka, Saunakadi Maha munis.  During this diksha period, Sutaka explained in detail about the  importance of Kartika masa vishesha which was told to Kind Janaka by Sage Vasita.

KARTIKA MASA means Nadi snan, deeparadhana, salagramapuja, upavasa deeksha, Purana patan/sravan and Vana Samaradhana to make the rememberence of Kartika Damodara.

Lord visnhu went into Yoga nidra on sesha sayana in the Milky Ocean on Ashada Shukla Dasami (Devsayan) and get up from the sleep for the welfare of mand kind to do STITHI (Maintenance) on Katika Shukla Dwadasi (Devottan)

Kartika Somavara is very auspicious for fasting, Visiting vishnu/siva temples, japa, Danadi rituals leads to Moksha according to Kartika purana.

Rudra Abisheka along with Bilva Archanas to Salagram leads get rid of all worries finally to liberation,.Since all days are auspiocus archana, agnipuja, deeparadhana have to be performed on daily in this month.

Monday Fasting can be done in different ways as per individuals suitability. 

Full Fasting by taking only the tulasi teertha, Eka Bhuktam, Naktam (Day fasting, taking meals after seeing the Nakshtra Darsana), Taking of Ayachita Aharam in the evening(not self cooked)

Tila Danam has its superficiality during this period.

KARTIKA SOMAVARA VRATA:

The normal process of Karthika Somavara Vratham would be to fast for the whole day, perform the Rudra Abhishekam by chanting the Rudra Namakam and Rudra Chamakam. Then eat after seeing the stars.
In the Padma Purana, Karthika 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 Karthika), then whatever sins, he has acquired for millions of kalpas (one kalpa equals 1000 yugas) are all destroyed.” Hence Of all gifts, the gift of a lamp during the month of Karthika 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 Karthika (during Sandhya) gets unlimited prosperity, beauty, blessedness and wealth.”

Sage Vasista Explained the importance of Kartika somavari Vrata to KinG Janaka that: There was a married woman who has overstepped in all aspects in her life after marriage who has taken a rebirth as Sunakam (Dog) and residing at a house of Veda Pandit. On one of the Kartika Somavara, she fortunately fasted for the whole day as she did not get any food and took the Bali anna ahara after the Nakshatra Darshana at the vedic pandits house and started speaking her story seeked the pandi'ts help. The veda pandit realized her trouble and given his somvara vrata phala by water oblation and there by the woman got Kailasha Prapti.

Sri Guru Padaravindarpana Mastu

Kameswara