Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 19 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 19

Shri Suta Ji described the questions asked by Narada Muni to Shri Hari and the wonderful fruits obtained by Sudeva Brahmin by observing Purushottam Maas. Lord Vishnu explained the glory of this month to Sudeva, due to which his dead son was revived. Sudeva, along with his wife, worshiped Shri Hari in Purushottam Maas and attained Baikunth Lok.

Shri Suta Ji said, 'O ascetics! Pleasing Shri Narayan, who was speaking in this way, the best of sages, Narada Muni, said in sweet words. O Brahman! What answer did the treasure of penance, Vishnu Bhagavan, give to the pleased Sudeva Brahmin, O treasure of penance! Tell me.

Shri Narayan said, 'In this way, the great Sudeva Brahmin said to Vishnu Bhagavan. The devotee-loving Vishnu Bhagavan, pleased Sudeva Brahmin with his words.

Hari Bhagavan said, 'O king of the twice-born! No one else will do what you have done. You do not know what has pleased us. This is our beloved Purushottam Maas that has passed. You, immersed in sorrow with your wife, have served that Purushottam Maas. O treasure of penance! In this Purushottam Maas, whoever fasts even once, O best of the twice-born! That man burns infinite sins and goes to Baikunth Lok by airplane. So, you have spent a month without food and, due to the untimely arrival of the clouds, you have bathed in the morning, noon, and evening all three times effortlessly.

O treasure of penance! You got to bathe with the water of the clouds for a month and you also had unbroken fasts. Due to being immersed in the ocean of sorrow, being devoid of knowledge and strength, you unknowingly served Purushottam. Who can weigh this practice of yours? Placing all the practices mentioned in the Vedas on one side of the scale and Purushottam on the other side, Brahma weighed them in front of the gods and all became lighter, Purushottam became heavier. Therefore, Purushottam is worshiped by the people living on the earth.

O treasure of penance! Although Purushottam Maas is everywhere, it is said to give fruit when worshiped in this earthly world. Therefore, O son! At this time, you are blessed in every way because you have performed severe and extremely terrible penance in this Purushottam Maas. Those who, after attaining a human body, remain devoid of bathing, charity, etc. in Shri Purushottam Maas, become poor in birth after birth. Therefore, whoever serves our beloved Purushottam Maas in every way, that man is our beloved, blessed, and fortunate.'

Shri Narayan said, 'O Muni! Saying this, Jagdishwar Hari Bhagavan, riding on Garuda Ji, quickly went to the pure Baikunth Bhavan. Sudeva Sharma, along with his wife, seeing his son Shukdev, who had risen from death by serving Purushottam Maas, became extremely happy day and night.

I unknowingly served Purushottam Maas and that service of Purushottam Maas was fruitful. By serving which, the dead son stood up. It is surprising that such a month has never been seen! Wondering in this way, he started worshiping that Purushottam Maas well. That best of Brahmins, along with his wife, was pleased with this son and Shukdev's son also pleased his father Sudeva Sharma with his good deeds.

Sudeva Sharma praised Purushottam Maas and worshiped Shri Vishnu Bhagavan with respect and, renouncing the desire for the fruits resulting from the path of action, kept his love only in the path of devotion. Knowing the best Purushottam Maas to be the destroyer of all sorrows, upon the arrival of that month, he began to serve Shri Hari Bhagavan with chanting, offering oblations, etc., along with his wife.

That best of Brahmins, along with his wife, continuously enjoyed all the worldly pleasures for a thousand years and attained the best abode of Vishnu Bhagavan.

Which is difficult for even yogis to attain, then how can those who perform yagyas attain it? Going where, while residing near Vishnu Bhagavan, they do not become partakers of sorrow. Enjoying the pleasures that occur there, Gautami and Sudeva Sharma, both husband and wife, came to this earth. You are the same Sudeva Sharma, now famous as a strong-bowed king of the earth.

By serving the name Purushottam, you became the enjoyer of all riches. O king! This Gautami, your former birth's devoted wife, is the chief queen. O king! I have told you everything you asked me and the Shuka bird, who was famous as the son Shukdev in the previous birth and whom Hari Bhagavan had revived, after enjoying life for twelve thousand years, went to Baikunth. Sitting on a banyan tree near the pond in the forest, seeing you, the father of the previous birth, who had come, my well-wisher, my direct deity, immersed in the ocean of worldly affairs polluted by the serpent of worldly desires, and with great compassion, that Shuka bird began to think that if I do not preach knowledge to this king, I will be bound.

The son who protects his father from the hell named Punnaam is the true son. Today, this knowledge of the meaning of the scriptures will also be in vain. Therefore, I will do good to my father of the previous birth. O king Dridhadhanva! In this way, having decided, that Shuka bird spoke.

O sinless one! O king! I have told you all that you asked. Now, after this, I will go to the sin-destroying Saryu River.
Shri Narayan said, 'In this way, after telling the character of the previous birth of that famous and illustrious king Dridhadhanva for a long time, while going, after praying to Valmiki Muni, the king of countless virtuous kings, bowing down to Valmiki Muni, said something.

Thus ends the nineteenth chapter in the Purushottam Maas Mahatmya of Shri Brihannaradiya Purana ॥19॥