KARTHIKA DEEPADAANA 🪔

 KARTHIKA DEEPADAANA

Sacred Mantras, Meanings & Observance Guide 
(Madhva Sampradaya)

Sankalpa (Antaryami Invocation)

श्री भारतीरमणमुख्यप्राणान्तर्गत श्रीलक्ष्मीसमेत श्रीदामोदरप्रीत्यर्थं कार्तिकमासप्रयुक्तं दीपदानं करिष्ये ॥

ಶ್ರೀ ಭಾರತೀರಮಣಮುಖ್ಯಪ್ರಾಣಾನ್ತರ್ಗತ ಶ್ರೀಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀಸಮೇತ ಶ್ರೀದಾಮೋದರಪ್ರೀತ್ಯರ್ಥಂ ಕಾರ್ತಿಕಮಾಸಪ್ರಯುಕ್ತಂ ದೀಪದಾನಂ ಕರಿಷ್ಯೇ ||

శ్రీ భారతీరమణముఖ్యప్రాణాన్తర్గత శ్రీలక్ష్మీసమేత శ్రీదామోదరప్రీత్యర్థం కార్తికమాసప్రయుక్తం దీపదానం కరిష్యే ||

śrī bhāratīramaṇamukhyaprāṇāntargata śrīlakṣmīsameta śrīdāmodaraprītyarthaṃ kārtikamāsaprayuktaṃ dīpadānaṃ kariṣye ||

[Recited at the start with folded hands or while holding akshata/water to set the sacred intention.]

Meaning: To please Lord Sri Damodara accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi, who dwells within Sri Mukhyaprana (Vayu), the consort of Goddess Bharati, I hereby perform the sacred offering of lamps (Deepadana) pertaining to the month of Karthika.

The month of Karthika is famous for Deepadana (the offering and lighting of lamps). Even the ancestors (Pitris) eagerly await a worthy descendant—a Kuladeepaka (lamp of the lineage)—who will light a lamp for the Supreme Lord (Devadeva) during the sacred month of Karthika.

1. Invocation of Ancestors' Wish (Contemplation)

भविष्यति कुलेऽस्माकं पितृभक्तः सुपुत्रकः ।

कार्तिके दीपदानेन यस्तोषयति केशवम् ॥

ಭವಿಷ್ಯತಿ ಕುಲೇಽಸ್ಮಾಕಂ ಪಿತೃಭಕ್ತಃ ಸುಪುತ್ರಕಃ |

ಕಾರ್ತಿಕೇ ದೀಪದಾನೇನ ಯಸ್ತೋಷಯತಿ ಕೇಶವಮ್ ||

భవిష్యతి కులేఽస్మాకం పితృభక్తః సుపుత్రకః |

కార్తికే దీపదానేన యస్తోషయతి కేశవమ్ ||

bhaviṣyati kule’smākaṃ pitṛbhaktaḥ suputrakaḥ |

kārtike dīpadānena yastoṣayati keśavam ||

[Recited while preparing the lamp, remembering the lineage and ancestors' blessings.]

Meaning: May a virtuous and devoted son be born in our lineage, who will please Lord Keshava (Vishnu/Krishna) by offering lamps during the sacred month of Karthika.

2. Deepadana Mantra (Offering the Lamp to Lord Damodara)

दामोदराय नभसि तुलायां लोलया सह ।

प्रदीपं ते प्रयच्छामि नमोऽनन्ताय वेधसे ॥

ದಾಮೋದರಾಯ ನಭಸಿ ತುಲಾಯಾಂ ಲೋಲಯಾ ಸಹ |

ಪ್ರದೀಪಂ ತೇ ಪ್ರಯಚ್ಛಾಮಿ ನಮೋಽನನ್ತಾಯ ವೇಧಸೇ ||

దామోదరాయ నభసి తులాయాం లోలయా సహ |

ప్రదీపం తే ప్రయచ్ఛామి నమోఽనన్తాయ వేధసే ||

dāmodarāya nabhasi tulāyāṃ lolayā saha |

pradīpaṃ te prayacchāmi namo’nantāya vedhase ||

[Recited while lighting and offering the ghee or sesame oil lamp toward the deity or sky.]

Meaning: I offer this lamp to Lord Damodara along with Goddess Lakshmi (Lola) during the month of Karthika (when the Sun is in Libra/Tula). Salutations to the infinite Creator.

3. Deepa Samarpanam

ಸಾಜ್ಯಂ ತ್ರಿವರ್ತಿಸಂಯುಕ್ತಂ ವಹ್ನಿನಾ ಯೊಜಿತಮ್ ಮಯಾ!
ದೀಪಂ ಗೃಹಾಣ ದೇವೇಶ ತ್ರೈಲೊಕ್ಯತಿಮಿರಾಪಹ!!
ಭಕ್ತ್ಯಾ ದೀಪಂ ಪ್ರಯಚ್ಛಾಮಿ ದೇವಾಯ ಪರಮಾತ್ಮನೇ!
ತ್ರಾಹಿಮಾಂ ನರಕಾದ್ಘೊರಾತ್ ದಿವ್ಯಜ್ಯೋತಿ: ನಮೋಸ್ತು ತೇ!!

साज्यं त्रिवर्तिसंयुक्तं वह्निना यॊजितम् मया!

दीपं गृहाण देवेश त्रैलॊक्यतिमिरापह!!

भक्त्या दीपं प्रयच्छामि देवाय परमात्मने!

त्राहिमां नरकाद्घॊरात् दिव्यज्योति: नमोस्तु ते!!

సాజ్యం త్రివర్తిసంయుక్తం వహ్నినా యొజితమ్ మయా!

దీపం గృహాణ దేవేశ త్రైలొక్యతిమిరాపహ!!

భక్త్యా దీపం ప్రయచ్ఛామి దేవాయ పరమాత్మనే!

త్రాహిమాం నరకాద్ఘొరాత్ దివ్యజ్యోతి: నమోస్తు తే!!

sājyaṃ trivartisaṃyuktaṃ vahninā yojitam mayā!

dīpaṃ gṛhāṇa deveśa trailokyatimirāpaha!!

bhaktyā dīpaṃ prayacchāmi devāya paramātmane!

trāhimāṃ narakādghorāt divyajyoti: namostu te!!

Meaning: O Lord of all Devas, dispeller of the darkness of the three worlds, please accept this lamp filled with ghee (ajya) and three wicks, kindled by me with sacred fire. With devotion, I offer this lamp to You, the Supreme Soul (Paramatman). Protect me from the dreadful darkness of Naraka (hellish suffering); salutations to You, O Supreme Divine Light.

4. Salutations for Ancestors' Peace & Guidance

नमः पितृभ्यः प्रेतेभ्यो नमो धर्माय विष्णवे ।

नमो यमाय रुद्राय कान्तारपतये नमः ॥

ನಮಃ ಪಿತೃಭ್ಯಃ ಪ್ರೇತೇಭ್ಯೋ ನಮೋ ಧರ್ಮಾಯ ವಿಷ್ಣವೇ |

ನಮೋ ಯಮಾಯ ರುದ್ರಾಯ ಕಾನ್ತಾರಪತಯೇ ನಮಃ ||

నమః పితృభ్యః ప్రేతేభ్యో నమో ధర్మాయ విష్ణవే |

నమో యమాయ రుద్రాయ కాన్తారపతయే నమః ||

namaḥ pitṛbhyaḥ pretebhyo namo dharmāya viṣṇave |

namo yamāya rudrāya kāntārapataye namaḥ ||

[Recited while offering a lamp (often placed facing south or near a Tulsi plant/water body) for departed souls.]

Meaning: Salutations to the ancestors (Pitris) and departed souls (Pretas), and salutations to Lord Dharma and Lord Vishnu. Salutations to Lord Yama, Lord Rudra, and to the Lord of the inaccessible paths (Kantarapati).

5. Concluding Prayer (Dedication of Merit)

कीटाः पतङ्गा मशकाश्च वृक्षा जले स्थले ये निवसन्ति जीवाः ।

दृष्ट्वा प्रदीपं न च जन्मभागिनो भवन्ति नित्यं श्वपचा हि विप्राः ॥

ಕೀಟಾಃ ಪತಙ್ಗಾ ಮಶಕಾಶ್ಚ ವೃಕ್ಷಾ ಜಲೇ ಸ್ಥಲೇ ಯೇ ನಿವಸನ್ತಿ ಜೀವಾಃ |

ದೃಷ್ಟ್ವಾ ಪ್ರದೀಪಂ ನ ಚ ಜನ್ಮಭಾಗಿನೋ ಭವನ್ತಿ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಶ್ವಪಚಾ ಹಿ ವಿಪ್ರಾಃ ||

కీటాః పతఙ్గా మశకాశ్చ వృక్షా జలే స్థలే యే నివసన్తి జీవాః |

దృష్ట్వా ప్రదీపం న చ జన్మభాగినో భవన్తి నిత్యం శ్వపచా హి విప్రాః ||

kīṭāḥ pataṅgā maśakāśca vṛkṣā jale sthale ye nivasantī jīvāḥ |

dṛṣṭvā pradīpaṃ na ca janmabhāgino bhavanti nityaṃ śvapacā hi viprāḥ ||

[Recited at the end with folded hands (Namaskara) to dedicate the merit of lighting the lamp.]

Meaning: May all living beings—insects, moths, mosquitoes, trees, and creatures living in water or on land—as well as all humans across all walks of life, upon beholding this sacred lamp offered to Lord SriHari, be freed from miserable rebirths (durjanma) and attain auspicious merit (sat-gati) by the grace of the Supreme God.

Traditional Observance Notes:

• One who offers a ghee lamp (Tuppada deepa), an oil lamp (Taila deepa), or a sky lantern (Akashadeepa) to God during Karthika attains celestial bliss.

• Ideally, the lamp should be lit for all thirty days of the month. If that is not possible, one should light it for at least the final five days.

• Even if one lacks the means or ability to light a lamp of their own, trimming the charred wick of a lamp lit by others to make it shine brighter, or shielding its flame from the wind, bestows inexhaustible merit (Akshaya punya).

Scriptural Sources

These reflections (shlokas) are drawn from traditional Puranic and liturgical literature, including the Skanda Purana (Kartika Mahatmya), Padma Purana, Hari-Bhakti Vilasa, and the Dharmashastras.

श्री कृष्णार्पणमस्तु ।

नाहं कर्ता हरिः कर्ता ॥

(Śrī Kṛṣṇārpaṇamastu |

Nāhaṃ kartā hariḥ kartā ||)