Hello all! Long time no see!
I’ve been very busy ever since October 9, when the holy month of kartik began. I wanted to share a little about it with you all.
The month of Kartik (car-teek) happens around October/November every year, based off the Vedic lunar calendar. We celebrate the goddess Radha during this month, and how She is the one who binds Lord Krishna with Her love; and we also celebrate a binding pastime with baby Krishna and His mother.
Mother Yashoda is cooking when Krishna wakes up, hungry and wiping sleep from His eyes. She nurses Him, but suddenly realizes the milk is about to boil over. Putting Him down, she rushes to save the milk.
Krishna is angry at this. He runs to the room with pots of yogurt, butter and cream hanging from the ceiling and breaks one with a rock. Then He climbs onto a grinding mortar to eat the butter, feeding it to his crow and monkey friends.
Mother finds out and picks up a stick, pretending to threaten. Little Krishna runs away, but His mother catches Him.
As a time out she tries to tie Krishna to the grinding mortar, but - what is this? No amount of rope or ribbons etc will fit! After all, Krishna is the lord of the universes and as vishnu he breathes the universes out at the time of creation, in at the time of destruction.
Image Source
Finally, seeing His mother perspiring, being teased by her friends; flowers fallen from her hair and braid undone, he allows her to tie Him up.
It’s a symbol of how god and goddess are conquered by love.
Later he gets untied by his father after trying to roll the grinding mortar between two trees, felling them. And a tearful reunion with his mother where they’re both so glad each other is OK.
Painting by SoSacredArt
There’s a beautiful song we sing during this month called Damodar (He who is tied by his belly) astakam (8 verses). Here is a sweet video of the song, with lyrics and translation:
Find out more at this link:
And a book about it:
I’m so happy to be able to share this wonderful month, ans bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion), with you. It goes until November 9. Traditionally we sing that song, linked above, while offering a candle to goddess Radha or to baby Krishna. If you’d like, please listen to the song and offer a candle!
Here is a picture of Radha for you:
And baby Krishna (Damodara) :
Love and light!
So here it is:
