Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 11 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 11

In the story, an ascetic maiden performed rigorous penance to Lord Shiva. Shiva granted her the boon of five husbands, but the maiden rejected it, citing the consequence of disrespecting Purushottam Maas.

Naradji said - O great sage! Please tell us about the great and difficult penance that this maiden performed, which is difficult even for all the sages.

Shri Narayan said - Then the Rishi-Kanya, meditating on Lord Shiva, the peaceful, five-faced, eternal Mahadev, began a very intense penance. Adorned with serpents, served by gods, Nandi-Bhringi and other ganas, endowed with twenty-four elements and three qualities, possessed of eight great siddhis and nature and man, with a crescent moon adorning his head, with matted locks, that maiden began a great penance for the pleasure of the Lord.

In the summer season, sitting amidst the five fires, in the winter and autumn seasons, sitting in cold water, with her face open, she began to shine like a lotus blooming in the water. Covered with black and blue locks spread under her head, she looked in the water as if surrounded by a group of moss creepers in the mud.

The beautiful smoke rising from her nostrils due to the cold appeared as if a row of bumblebees was passing by after extracting nectar from the lotus. During the rainy season, she used to sleep on a platform with a seat without shade, and that beautiful-limbed woman used to smoke morning and evening. Hearing about this difficult penance of that maiden, Indra became very worried.

Desirable by all the gods and coveted by the sages. While that Rishi-Kanya was engaged in penance, O Nripanandan! O ornament of the Kshatriyas! Nine thousand years passed. Pleased with the penance of that Bala, Lord Shankar showed her his own transcendental form. Seeing Lord Shankar, she suddenly stood up as if life had come into her body, and despite being weakened by penance, that Bala became healthy and strong at that time. Having suffered much from wind and sun, she pleased Shankar very much, and that maiden bowed down and saluted Parvatipati Shankarji. After worshiping that universally revered Lord with mental offerings and with a devotional heart, she began to praise the Lord of the universe.

The maiden said - O beloved of Parvati! O Lord of life! O Lord! O Bharga! O Bhutesh! O Gaurish! O Shambho! O Somasuryagninetra! O Tamah! O my support! Mundasthimalin! I bow to you.

One who is afflicted with many sufferings, whose limbs are in pain, and who is drowned in the extremely terrible ocean of the world, bitten by wicked serpents and the sharp teeth of time, even if such a man takes refuge in you, he is liberated.

O Vibho! You who embraced Banasura and revived the dead wife of King Alarka, such are you, O compassionate Lord! Bhutesh! Chandisha! Bhavya! Bhavatran! Mrityunjaya! Prananath! O destroyer of Daksha Prajapati's face! O destroyer of all enemies! O you who always liberate devotees from the world! O destroyer of birth, O creator of the first creation! O Lord of life! O destroyer of sins! I bow to you. Protect your servants.

O King! The very fortunate and intelligent ascetic maiden, after praising Shankar in this way with her mind and speech, became silent.

Shri Krishna said - Hearing the praise offered by the maiden and pleased with her intense penance,

Sadashiva said to the maiden - O ascetic! May you be blessed, ask for whatever boon you desire in your heart, O Mahabhage! I am pleased, do not grieve.
Hearing such words of Lord Shankar, that Kumari attained great joy and, O King! said to the pleased Sadashiva.

The maiden said - O Dinanath! O ocean of compassion! If you are pleased with me, then O Lord! Do not delay in fulfilling my desire. O Mahadev! Give me a husband, give me a husband, give me a husband, I want a husband, give me a husband, I have not thought of anything else in my heart.
That Rishikanya said this to Mahadev and became silent, then hearing this, Mahadev said to her.

Shiva said - O Munkanyake! It will be as you have said with your mouth because you have asked for a husband five times, therefore, O beautiful one! You will have five husbands and all five will be brave, knowers of all religions, virtuous, truthful, mighty, performers of yagnas, famous for their qualities, truthful, famous, self-controlled, looking at your face, all Kshatriyas and virtuous.

Shri Krishna said - Hearing the words of Mahadev, who is neither too dear nor too unpleasant, the maiden, skilled in speaking, bowed down and said.

The Bala said - O Girijakant! Sadashiva! In the world, a woman has only one husband, therefore, do not make me laugh in the world by giving me the boon of five husbands. A woman with five husbands has neither been seen nor heard of. Yes, a man can have five wives.

O Shambho, O ocean of mercy! How can I, your servant, have five husbands? It is not proper for you to say such a thing to me. Consider the shame that I am feeling because I am your servant as your own. Hearing this statement of the maiden, Shankarji again said to her.

Shankarji said - O timid one! You will not get marital happiness in this birth, in the next birth when you will be born without a womb by the power of penance. Then, after enjoying marital happiness, you will attain the supreme state because you had earlier insulted my beloved form, Durvasa.

O Subhru! If that Durvasa gets angry, he can burn the three worlds, so you have suppressed the Brahmatej out of pride. You have not observed the fast of Purushottam Maas, which is dear to the Lord, to whom Lord Krishna has given his glory.

I, from Brahma onwards, all the gods, from Narada onwards, all the ascetics, have always followed his command, O Bale! Who violates his command? O fool! O Dwijaatmaje! You have not worshiped the world-worshiped Purushottam Maas by the command of Durvasa, that is why you will have five husbands.

O Bale! By disrespecting Purushottam, it cannot be otherwise now. He who condemns that Purushottam is destined for the Raurava hell. The one who insults Purushottam gets the opposite result, this can never be otherwise. Those who are devotees of Purushottam have sons, grandsons and wealth, and they have attained, will attain and are attaining the Siddhi of this world and the next. And all of us gods are also servants of Purushottam.

In which Purushottam Maas, Purushottam is quickly pleased by Vratadik, how can we not worship that month worthy of service, O Sumadhyame? How can the words of those extremely intense and best ascetic men, who discuss proper and improper thoughts and are therefore worthy of emulation, be false? Tell me.
While saying this, Lord Neelkanth quickly disappeared and that Bala became bewildered like a doe separated from its herd.

Sootji said - O Munish! When Sadashiva with a moon-like forehead went towards the north direction, the anxiety that Indra had after killing Vritrasura began to trouble the daughter of the Muniraj in the same way.

Thus ends the eleventh chapter of Shri Brihannaradiya Purushottam Maas Mahatmya ॥11॥