Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 14 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 14

King Dridhadhanva asked Valmiki Muni about the words of the Shuka bird, wanting to understand the reason for his life's success and prosperity. Valmiki Muni told the king that in his previous life he was a Brahmin named Sudeva, who had performed difficult penance. As a result of his penance, Lord Vishnu was pleased with his devotion and blessed him.

Shri Narayanji said, 'After this, Valmiki Muni came to the house of King Dridhadhanva, who was anxious with worry, and described the supremely wonderful and beautiful character of Ramachandraji. Seeing Valmiki Muni coming from afar, King Dridhadhanva quickly got up with agitation and prostrated himself at his feet with devotion. After worshiping him properly, he seated the sage on an excellent seat, took his feet in his lap and washed them with both hands, and with great joy, he placed that charanamrita on his head, remembering the words of the Shuka bird, King Dridhadhanva spoke these sweet words.

Dridhadhanva said, 'O Lord! At this time I am fulfilled. I am fortunate. My birth has been successful. O Lord! Today my wish has been fulfilled. Today, by your direct darshan, the true meaning of the scriptures has been realized. O purifier of the world! What can I describe about my fortune today?'

Shri Narayan said, 'After saying this to Valmiki Muni, the king became silent, then Valmiki Muni, seeing the king full of humility, became very pleased and spoke, delighting the people.

Valmiki Muni said, 'O best of kings! It is right, it is right, it is possible for you to have all the things mentioned. O King! Why are you anxious with worry? Tell me everything in your mind. It seems that you have a desire to say something, therefore, O great-minded one! Say it.

King Dridhadhanva said, 'By the grace of your lotus feet, there is always happiness. But O wise one! There is a great doubt in our heart. Remove that word like an arrow that came out of the mouth of the Shuka bird in the forest. Once I went out into the dense forest to hunt. While wandering there, I saw a pond, drank its water, and then sat down under a large banyan tree to relieve my fatigue.

I saw a beautiful Shuka bird sitting on that tree, which had extremely dense and beautiful shade and gave joy to the mind and eyes. When our gaze fell on that Shuka bird, it faced us and recited a verse, that seeing the immense happiness present on this earth, you do not contemplate on the essence (soul), then how will you cross this world? I was astonished to hear the words of the Shuka bird in this way, O Brahmin! I do not know what that Shuka bird said?

You are capable of removing this doubt in our heart. Our kingdom-happiness and four beautiful sons, a beautiful virtuous wife, elephants, horses, chariots, army, O Brahmin! By what merit have we obtained all this immense prosperity at this time? You are capable of considering all this and telling it in brief.

Hearing the words of King Dridhadhanva, Valmiki Muni, after doing pranayama, remained absorbed in meditation for a muhurta, knowing the past, future and present subjects of the universe, like an amla fruit in his hand, by the power of samadhi in his heart, and after ascertaining, spoke to the king.

Valmiki Muni said, 'O best of kings! Listen to the story of your previous life, O Rajendra! In your previous life, you were a Brahmin named Sudeva, living on the banks of the Tamraparni River in the Dravida country. He was religious, truthful, content with whatever he got, accomplished in Vedic studies, and devoted to Vishnu. You pleased Lord Hari by performing Agnihotra and other yagyas. While you were living in this way, you had a virtuous wife. She was the beautiful daughter of Gautam Rishi, known as Gautami, who served you with love like Parvati, who was devoted to the service of Shankar.

A long time passed living religiously in the Grihasthashram dharma! But you had no children. One day, the Brahmin, sitting on the seat served by his wife, spoke in a choked voice, 'O beautiful one! There is no happiness greater than a son in the world, and the merit earned from penance and charity gives happiness in the other world. A child born in a pure lineage brings welfare in this world and the next, my life is fruitless without that best son. I have neither loved a son nor woken him up from sleep to read the Vedas, nor have I married him, therefore my birth has gone in vain.

Let me die now, I do not cherish life. Hearing the words of her beloved husband in this way, his wife Gautami became sad. Then, holding her patience, clever in speaking pleasant words, immersed in the love of her beloved husband, that woman spoke beautiful words to console her husband.

Gautami said, 'O Lord of my life! Do not speak such trivial words now. Learned people like you, who are devotees of God, do not fall into delusion. O Vibho! You are devoted to truth and dharma, you have conquered heaven. O Suvrata! That is, O one who performs beautiful vows! What kind of happiness do wise people like you get from sons? That is, wise men do not desire the happiness that comes from sons.

O Brahmin! Earlier, a king named Chitraketu was afflicted with grief over his son, then when Narada and Angira Rishi came, he was freed from the grief of his son and attained salvation from the world. Similarly, King Anga went to the forest at night because of his wicked son named Vena. Similarly, O Swami! Your offspring will also cause you sorrow. Still, O ascetic! If you desire a good son, then happily worship Hari Bhagwan, the Lord of the world, the giver of all meanings. O Brahmin! Earlier, Sankhyacharya Kardama Rishi, by worshiping whom, obtained a son who became famous by the name of Kapil Dev, the best among yogis.

Hearing the words of his religious wife in this way and deciding, that Brahmin, along with his wife Gautami, went to the banks of the Tamraparni River. Going there, after bathing in that holy pilgrimage site, he performed extremely great penance. He used to eat dry leaves and water after every five days. While he was performing penance in this way, four thousand years passed for that treasure of penance, Sudeva Brahmin, O Brahmin! The three worlds trembled by his penance. Seeing the extremely fierce penance of that Sudeva Brahmin, the devotee-loving Lord quickly appeared riding on Garuda.

Shri Narayan said, 'Seeing Murari, who was like a new cloud, capable of protecting the world, with four arms and a cheerful face, Sudeva Sharma Brahmin, with joy, prostrated himself before Mukunda Bhagwan and spoke.

Thus ends the fourteenth chapter in the Purushottammas Mahatmya of Shri Brihannaradiya Purana ॥14॥