Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 16 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 16

Shri Narayan told Narad the wonderful story told by Rishi Valmiki to King Dridhadhanva. Garuda gave Sudeva Sharma the boon of son's happiness but warned that the son would die in the twelfth year. Deval Muni predicted that Shukdev would have a short life. Gautami advised Sudeva to worship Hari, due to which he renounced sorrow and remembered God.

Shrinarayan said, 'O great wise one! O Narad! I will tell you the supreme wonderful character that Rishi Valmiki told to King Dridhadhanva, listen to that character.

Rishi Valmiki said, 'O Dridhadhanvan! O Maharaj! Listen to our words. Garuda Ji said this to the best of Brahmins by the order of Keshav Bhagwan.

Garudji said, 'O best of the twice-born! You do not have the happiness of a son for seven births, this is what Hari Bhagwan has said, so it is the same for you at this time, yet by the grace of Swami, I will give you a son by his order. O ascetic! You will have a son from our part. With that son, you will achieve your desired goal with Gautami; but both of you will surely have the sorrow caused by that son.

O best of the twice-born! You are blessed that your intellect is in Hari Bhagwan. Hari Bhakti, whether with desire or without desire, both are dear to Hari Bhagwan. The body of human beings is like a bubble of water, which is going to be destroyed in a moment, that person who, after attaining that body, contemplates the feet of Hari in his heart is blessed. There is no one else besides Hari Bhagwan who can save from this extremely difficult world, it is by the grace of Hari Bhagwan that I have given you a son. Keep Shri Hari in your mind and think happily and enjoy the pleasures of the world with indifference.

Rishi Valmiki said, 'While Gautami and Sudeva, both husband and wife, were watching, after giving the best boon, Bhagwan Hari immediately went to Vaikuntha riding on Garuda. Sudeva Sharma also came to his house with his wife after getting the boon of a son according to his mind and started enjoying the happiness of a good householder.

After some time, Gautami conceived and the womb was full after the tenth month. When the time of delivery came, Gautami gave birth to an excellent son and Sudeva Sharma was very happy when the son was born. After calling the best Brahmins, he performed the Jatakarma rites and after taking a good bath, the best Brahmin Sudeva Sharma gave a lot of donations to those Brahmins. The intelligent Sudeva Sharma performed the naming ceremony with Brahmins and relatives. This son was born out of love by the merciful Garudji.

Like the rising moon of Sharad, radiant, he is like Shuka, therefore this dear son of mine should be named Shukdev. That son, who gave joy to the mother's mind, started growing like the moon of Shukla Paksha along with the wishes of the father.

The father performed the Upanayana ceremony with joy and taught the Gayatri Mantra. Later that boy, after attaining the Vedarambha ceremony, remained in the vow of Brahmacharya. That boy, full of the radiance of Brahmacharya, shone like the second sun. That boy, the ocean of intelligence, started studying the Vedas. That guru-loving boy pleased his guru with good intelligence and attained all the knowledge by just one saying of the guru.

Rishi Valmiki said, 'Once Deval Rishi came with the effect of a crore suns. Seeing him, Sudeva Sharma bowed down with joy. He worshiped those Deval Muni with Ardhya, Padya etc. according to the rules and gave a seat to Mahatma Deval. The very radiant Devdarshan Deval Rishi sat on that seat. Later, seeing the boy falling at his feet, Deval Rishi said.

Deval Muni said, 'Oh Sudeva! You are blessed, God is pleased with you, because you have attained a rare, beautiful, best son. Such a humble, intelligent, eloquent Vedpathi and virtuous son has not been seen anywhere with anyone.

O son! Come here, what do I see as a spectacle in your hand? Beautiful umbrella, two whisks, lotus with barley line, these hands of yours hanging up to the knees like the trunk of an elephant, huge red eyes spread up to the ears, body round in shape, stomach with three folds.

Saying this about that boy and seeing that Brahmin excited, Deval Rishi again said, O! O Sudeva! This boy of yours is an ocean of qualities.

The junction of shoulder and womb is mysterious, the throat with ups and downs like a conch, the hair of the head is smooth and crooked, the chest is high, the neck is long, the ears are equal, the shoulder is like a bull, in this way this son is the treasure of the best fortune with all the characteristics.

There is only one very big defect due to which everything is in vain. Saying this, Deval Muni, shaking his head and taking a long breath, said, 'First of all, the age should be examined, then the characteristics should be told. What is the use of the characteristics of a child who is devoid of age? O Sudeva! This boy of yours will drown and die in the twelfth year, so do not grieve in your mind. What is bound to happen will definitely happen, there is no reaction to it like giving medicine to a dying person.

Valmiki Muni said, 'Saying this, Deval Muni went to Brahmaloka and Sudeva Brahmin fell on the earth with Gautami.

Lying on the earth, remembering the words spoken by Deval Rishi, he lamented for a long time. Later, his wife Gautami, holding patience, took the son in her lap, first kissed the son's face with love, then said to her husband.

Gautami said, 'O king of the twice-born! One should not be afraid of what is going to happen. What is not going to happen will never happen and what is going to happen will happen. Did King Nala, Ramchandra and Yudhishthira not suffer?

King Bali was also bound, the Yadavas were destroyed, Hiranyaksha was killed in a difficult way, Vritrasura also died. Sahasrarjuna's head was cut off, Ravana's heads were also cut off in the same way, O Muni! Bhagwan Ramchandra also suffered the separation of Janaki in the forest.

Rajarshi Parikshit also died from a Brahmin. O Munishwar! In this way, what is going to happen definitely happens. Therefore, O Nath! Get up and worship the eternal Hari Bhagwan who is the protector of all living beings and the giver of salvation.

Rishi Valmiki said, 'In this way, after listening to the words of his wife Gautami, Sudeva Sharma became healthy and, meditating on the feet of Hari Bhagwan in his heart, quickly renounced the sorrow caused by his son.

Thus ends the sixteenth chapter in Shri Brihannaradiya Purana, Purushottamamas Mahatmya ॥16॥