About Month of Kartika

the approaching of cardiac masa. This is the most important month of the year. We all know how important it is because Gaudiya Vaishnavas, especially for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, they take special vratas, special vows to celebrate this month. This month is called uh urja this is another name of uh kartika kartika or kritika is the name of shi mater adharani but her other name is urja and therefore uh this month is sometimes called urja or the vows of this month are called Urjavrata. Urja means energy. This is a especially powerful month of the year in which we can feel the helping grace of Shri Mati Radharani. Why do we give a special attention to certain days of the year or certain periods of the year because in these days and the special energy is working and we are trying to use this energy for advancement in our spiritual practices. Simati Radharani is called Urja because she is the original energy of the Lord she is Adi Shakti and being Adi Shakti being the Shakti of his grace his love his mercy she is especially easily pleased in this month and when she's pleased Krishna is automatically pleased therefore by tradition Gorya Vaishnavas they give special vows they chant more rounds sometimes they increase drastically the number of the rounds for one month they also reject certain kinds of food like for example it is prohibited to eat and enduring cardiac mass, tomatoes, and even potatoes are not so good, which is a bad news, and eggplants. There are so many other restrictions, but the main point is, of course, not to follow the restrictions. It's important, but not that important. The main point is to increase our positive input into the spiritual practices. it's not a coincidence that on this day on this month we also celebrate the Lila about churning of the milk caution by demons and demigods described in the eighth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. This whole lila of mantana or churning milk caution is the metaphor of our spiritual practice. By metaphor I don't mean that this lila didn't take place. It did take place but this whole lila is supposed to teach us how to conduct our spiritual practices while we are churning milk for a long time there is no results but ultimately the result of churning comes there is no doubt about it in a similar way when we chant the holy name we may have an impression that nothing is happening but in reality something very significant is happening And by the end of this churning, one after another, the beautiful gifts were appearing from the milk ocean. Of course, the first gift of the churning or the first result of the churning was poison. And that's also a problem of our sadhana. But as we know, Lord Shiva drank the poison. In a similar way, the senior devotees, Vaishnavas, our spiritual master, sometimes have to drink the poison which comes on the surface as a result of our spiritual practice. In the form of negative emotions, crises of faith which we have, so on and so forth. But then after this, very amazing fruits of our spiritual practices will come. And the main point of this lila is, of course, not to be tempted by the temporary fruits of our spiritual practice, but always be focused on the final and the most important fruit of our spiritual practice, that is love of God, which is symbolized in this lila as amrita. Only love of God can make us really immortal. No material amrita has this effect. and real Amrita is Premamrita, the Amrita of Prema. And again, it's not the coincidence that we are celebrating this Lila or commemorating this Lila in this month. and by the end of this month particularly on Trayodoshi, Danterra, Danvantari, God, manifestation of God with a big pot of Amrita comes out to reward those who were engaged in spiritual practice and we know that there are so many other festivals connected with this month rasa lila took place on this in this month kovardana lila damadharabandana lila all these uh lilas beautiful lilas kopashtami lila Bajalashtami Lila. All these Lilas are the integral part of our celebration of Kartika and they all help us to meditate on the particular aspects of Krishna Lila and in this way deepen our connection with the Holy Name and with the Lord. And of course we are chanting beautiful the Madarashtaka prayers the whole month and offering the lamps to the deity which is significant this is the ritual which helps us to remember that in our heart the lamp the light of of prema has to be ignited. That ultimately, we are, by offering this lamp or this light to Krishna, we're reminding him, please ignite the real light of prema within our heart. So all this makes this month very special for us us and we would be very foolish or just inattentive if we would miss this wonderful opportunity to increase our dedication and to increase our devotional service so let's do it and And for sure the fruits of these vows will come to us. There is no doubt about it. Thank you very much. Srila Prabhupada, Ki Jaya.