Hare Krishna, today article:
Instructions for Kartik (7.10) is from Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami
Prayers
Śrī Guru-Praṇāma:
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
caksur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-guruve namaḥ
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.”
Two important verses:
suna suna nityananda, suna haridasa
sarvatra amara ajna karaha prakasa
prati ghare ghare giya kara ei bhiksa
‘bala krsna, bhaja krsna, kara krsna-siksa’
“Listen, listen, Nityananda! Listen, Haridasa! Make My command known everywhere! Go from house to house and beg from all the residents, ‘Please chant Krishna’s name, worship Krishna, and practise what Krishna teaches.’” (Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat, 2.13.8-9)
harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverence is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”
Mahā-mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa:
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma
Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Instructions for Kārtika
Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Śrīla Gurudeva’s instructions for Kārtika month that we should observe.
Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅgau Jayataḥ!
Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha devotees observe the intense sādhanā of eight periods of devotional service as mentioned in Bhajana Rahasya. Śrīla Gurudeva advises that everyone should try to participate in the Kārtika Vrata observance. They can go to any branch of the maṭha near to them.
For the devotees not living near the Maṭha, Śrīla Gurudeva advises the following practices for Kārtika Vrata. Everybody should try to follow as much as possible according to their capacity.
Associate more with devotees.
Sing Śrī Dāmodarāṣṭakam, while meditating on the meaning. Śrīla Guru Mahārāja has translated the Dāmodarāṣṭakam into English. It is included in the Kārtika Handbook.
Daily offer a ghee lamp to the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
One should always remember the Supreme Lord Hari. Devotees should try to chant Harināma correctly.
Hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam daily in association with exalted Vaiṣṇavas, if possible. Preference should be given to hearing the scriptures from Sādhus during this month. Reciting and reading Śrī Gajendra Mokṣa Līlā-stava from the 8th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is most beneficial, which teaches complete surrender to the Supreme Lord.
Eat only the food offered to the Supreme Lord. There are some food restrictions to be followed in the month of Kārtika. (Restricted food items during Kārtika Vrata include sesame seed and oil, mustard seed and oil, eggplant, parmal (poṭol), honey, urad dāl, laukī, tomato, etc.)
Daily recite the Śikṣāṣṭaka of Śrīman Caitanya Mahāprabhu and meditate on its meaning. Read the commentary on Śikṣāṣṭaka by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura as recommended by Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. In the Bhajana Rahasya translation, Śrīla Gurudeva has covered the commentary of Śikṣāṣṭaka (in the Kārtika Handbook).
Daily read the Upadeśāmṛta of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī as recommended by Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
Observe special days during Kārtika month (many Vaiṣṇava appearances and disappearances, Rādhā-kuṇḍa appearance, Govardhana appearance, Gopāṣṭamī, Parama Gurudeva appearance, etc.). Śrīla Gurudeva has written about the Girirāja Govardhana in the Kārtika Handbook.
