SRI DAMODARA PUJA - OFFERING GHEE LAMP TO LORD DAMODARA OR SIR KRISHNA IN HIS CHILD FORM.
THE MONTH LONG KARTIK FESTIVAL STARTS ON THE
9TH OCTOBER 2014 AND RUNS FOR FOUR WEEKS TILL 6TH NOVEMBER 2014.
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• Damodara Lila From Lit... - Damodara Lila From Little Krishna TV series
What is Damodara Puja?
Damodara Puja, The festival of offering ghee lamps to Lord Krishna, lasts the entire month of Damodara. Damodara-month occurs usually during October and November. It is also known as Kartik-month, in accordance with Vaishnava calendars. It is described in the scriptures as the best among months. Damodara-month glorifies Krishna’s pastime of being bound with ropes by Mother Yasoda.
Observing vrata (austerities) in the month of Kartika is glorified in the Puranas. It is also mentioned that one who offers ghee lamps to Lord Damodara in this auspicious month and sings the Damodara Ashtakam (8 verses glorifying the Lord) will get rid of his past sins and develop bhakti (devotion) to Lord Damodara(Krishna).
Everyone, indiscriminately - man, women, young and old can offer the ghee lamps. Ghee lamp offerings can be made in the morning or evening or during both times.
Why Damodara Puja?
Lord Krishna has many glorious names like Gopal, Madhava, Mukunda, Hrishikesa, etc. The name, Damodara, means one who is bound by the ropes of love, and happened when The Lord was tied with a cord (daama) around His waist (udara), denoting a divine pastime in which Krishna's mother Yasoda bound Krishna for being mischievous.
Through his pure willingness to be finally bound by the pure love of Yasoda, His divine mother, He becomes submissive to His mother’s love although in truth, no rope has the power to bind the Supreme Lord. It is this love that we hope to fill our hearts with, to bind Lord Krishna to us, eternally. This is beautifully illustrated in the Srimad Bhagavatam, which says, even though the Lord is greater than us in every single way, He is controlled and bound by the love of His pure devotee.
What are the Puja Benefits? (Based on Puranas)
Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda 112.3
tasmad vrata tra yam hy etan mama tiva priyankaram
magha kartikayos tad vat tat hai vaikadasi vratam
van aspatinam tulasi masanam kartikah priyah
ekadasi tithi nam ca ksetranam dvaraka mama
ete sam sevanam yastu karoti ca jitendriyah
same vallabhatam yati na tat ha yajanadi bhih
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 Dvaraka is most dear, and of all days, Ekadasi is most dear.
One who offers a steady ghee lamp to Lord Hari during the month of Kartika enjoys pastimes in Lord Hari’s splendid spiritual world.
Skanda Purana.
Satya-yuga is the best of yugas (ages), as the Vedas are the best of scriptures, as Ganga is the best of rivers, so Kartika is the best of months, the most dear to Lord Sri Krishna.
When one offers a ghee lamp during the month of Kartika, his sins in many thousands and millions of births perish in half an eyeblink.
A person who offers a ghee lamp during the month of Kartika attains a result that cannot be obtained with even a hundred yajnas or a hundred pilgrimages.
A person who gives ten million cows, all filled with milk and all the mothers of young calves, in charity to the brahmanas does not earn even one sixteenth of pious merit earned by one who places a lamp on the roof of Lord Krsna's temple.
Please hear the glories of offering a ghee lamp during the month of Kartika, an offering that is very pleasing to Lord Kesava.O king of brahmanas, a person who offers a ghee lamp in this way will not take birth again in this world.
Even if there are no mantras, no pious deeds, and no purity, everything becomes perfect when a person offers a ghee lamp during the month of Kartika.
To one who either at home, or in a temple offers Him a ghee lamp during the month of Kartika, Lord Vasudeva gives a great result.
A person who offers a ghee lamp to Lord Krishna during Kartika attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering.
By offering a ghee lamp during the month of Kartika one burns away a collection of sins as big as Mount Meru or Mount Mandara. Of this there is no doubt.
O Narada, no sin exists anywhere in the three worlds that will not be purified by offering a ghee lamp to Lord Kesava during Kartika.
Narada Purana, in a conversation of Sri Mohini-devi and Sri Rukmangada
Of all gifts the gilt of a ghee lamp during the month of Kartika is the best. No gilt is its equal.
3 окт 2024
