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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

On Saturday 15th Oct'16, a spiritual program held at HG Suddha Nitai Prabhu's home in the pune and lecture given by HG Anand Murari Prabhu on the importance of Kartik month (Damodar mass) in our life. The Kartik month festival starts on the 16th of October 2016 and runs for four weeks till 14th of November 2016. The Damodarastakam, a series of eight beautiful verses by the great sage Satyavrata Muni is sing and offer a candle to Mother Yasoda and Lord Krishna every day.

Kartik (Damodar) is the best, the purest of purifiers, and most glorious of all months. Kartik month is particularly dear to Lord Sri Krishna. This month is full of bhakta vatsalya. Any vrata, even the smallest, will yield huge results. The effect of performing a Kartik Vrata lasts for one hundred lifetimes, Kartik or the festival of offering lamps to Lord Krishna, glorifies Lord Krishna’s pastime of being bound with ropes by Mother Yashoda.

In the lecture, Prabhuji told, the lord has given us the body as a vehicle and by that our soul can go to Bhagvad Dham, but need to use the body and mind in the Krishna Bhakti and get the best opportunity to go back to Godhead. According to Puranas (Vedic Scriptures), there are 12 months calender and every month controlled by each avatar of lord Vishnu, months sequence is based on the Nakshatra pattern, Kartik month is one of them and managed by Damodar Bhagvan and there Nakshatra pattern is Kirtika (another name of Radharani as on her mother's name Kirtida). Radharani likes the Kartik month, so Krishna also like this month because he is Bhakt-Vatsal (near to the heart).

Many festivals related to Krishna’s or His devotees pastimes occur during this month: Rasa-lila, Damodar lila, Diwali, Govardhan puja, Appearance of Radha-kund and the Disappearance of Srila Prabhupada. Damodara-lila is a sweet pastime of the Lord showing us how He could be bound by the love and affection of His devotees. Another pastime is Lord krishna went to jungle for guo (cow) charane first time.

The Pastime of Damodar-Krishna

On Diwali Day Mother Yasoda, while feeding Krishna her breast milk, was forced to put Him down to attend to the milk pan boiling over on the stove. Krishna was very upset and after breaking His mother’s butter pots, He distributed the contents to the monkeys. Upon seeing Krishna’s naughty behaviour Mother Yashoda decided to punish Him by binding him with a rope, to a large grinding mortar in the courtyard. She tried to tie the rope around Krishna’s waist but the rope was short by two fingers. Adding more and more ropes, she tried again and again but the ropes always remained short. Then, by His compassion for His tired Mother, Krishna allowed Himself to be tied. When alone, Krishna pulled the mortar between two yamala-arjuna trees bringing them crashing to the ground. Imprisoned in these trees were Nalakuvera and Manigriva, sons of Kuber, who had been cursed by Narada Muni. They were now liberated.

Everybody should follow following practices in Kartik (Damodar) month:
1. Daily offer a ghee lamp to Krishna and sing the Damodarastakam, meditating on meaning.
2. One should always remember Supreme Lord Hari. Devotees should try to do more Harinam Chanting. Do extra rounds and more kirtana.
3. Hear Srimad Bhagavatam, daily in association of exalted Vaisnavas, if possible.
4. Eat only prasadam.
5. Everyone should do the Yagya(chant mahamantra), Dan and Tap (vrat and dham vas).
6. Daily offer lamp to Tulsi devi and pray for eternal residence in Vrndavana and eternal service of the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna. Do 4 parikrama (circumbulation) of Tulasi.
7. Make nice offerings for Krishna. Devotees should observe the festival of Annakuta, Giriraj Govardhan Puja.
8. Associate more with devotees.
9. Practice brahmacharya – celibacy.
10. Perform austerities.

Source:
http://www.iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/kartik-damodarthe-holiest
http://www.iskcon-london.org/31-festivals/664-kartik-month.html
http://www.iskconmauritius.com/node/55
http://www.iskconvrindavan.com/festivals/kartika/

Hare Krishna!
Rajeev