Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 20 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 20

By performing ritualistic bathing, charity, fasting, applying tilak, worship, and adoring Lord Purushottam in Purushottam Maas, one attains great merit, which paves the way for liberation.

Sootji said - O Brahmins! After hearing the story of the previous birth of King Dridhadhanva from the mouth of Narayan, Narad Muni asked Shrinayaran, not being fully satisfied.

Narad Ji said - O ascetic! What did Maharaj Dridhadhanva say to the best of sages, Valmiki Ji? Please tell me in detail with humility.

Narayan said - O Narad! Listen. I will tell you what King Dridhadhanva said after praying to the great wise sage Valmiki Muni.

Dridhadhanva said - How should those who desire liberation observe Purushottam Maas? What charity should be given? And what is its method?

Please tell me all this for the welfare of the entire world, because great souls like you wander on the earth only for the benefit of the world. This Purushottam Maas is itself the direct Lord Purushottam, by observing this Purushottam Maas, great merit is attained. I have heard this clearly from your mouth. In my previous birth, I, being the best of Brahmins named Sudev, observed Purushottam Maas according to the prescribed method.

By the power of which, my dead son rose up. O Brahman! Due to the grief of my son, this Purushottam Maas of mine passed without knowing, continuously without food. Such was the result of Purushottam Maas done out of ignorance that Shukdev, who had attained death, also rose up. Upon the saying of Hari Bhagwan, this experienced Purushottam Maas was observed.

O ascetic! I have forgotten all that in this birth. Therefore, please tell me again in detail the method of worshiping this Purushottam Maas.

Valmiki Ji said - One should wake up in the Brahma Muhurta and contemplate on the Supreme Brahman, then take water in a large vessel and go to the southwest direction. One who observes Purushottam Maas should go far away from the village for defecation. During the day and in the evening, keeping the sacred thread on the ear and facing north, cover the earth with grass, tie a cloth around the head and keep the mouth closed, that is, remain silent, do not spit and do not breathe. In this way, one should excrete feces and urine. And if it is night, then one should excrete feces and urine facing south and get up holding the urinary organ. Take pure soil, leaving laziness, purify with the soil to remove the bad smell. Apply soil once to the penis, five times to the anus, three times to the left hand, ten times to both hands, and fourteen times to both feet. This is said to be the defecation for a householder. After defecating in this way, wash the feet and hands with soil and water and do other work.

Do not defecate in a pilgrimage site. Take water from the pilgrimage site and defecate. Leaving a pond with two hands of water, if one defecates in undrawn water, that is, in a pilgrimage site, then one should purify the pilgrimage site afterwards, otherwise the pilgrimage site becomes impure. In this way, one who observes the best fast of Purushottam should defecate.

Then rinse the mouth sixteen times or twelve times. After urinating, a householder should rinse the mouth eight or four times. Get up and first wash the eyes. Bring a toothbrush and brush the teeth well, saying this mantra.

O Vanaspati! Give me age, strength, fame, aura, progeny, animals, wealth, Brahma knowledge and intellect.

The toothbrush of Apamarga or Ber should be twelve fingers long, without holes, like the little finger, with a brush made in half of the node, with that toothbrush, one should purify the mouth.

It is forbidden to brush the teeth with wood on Sunday. Therefore, purify the mouth with twelve rinses. After rinsing the mouth, take a bath well in the morning.

After bathing, at the same time, offer water to the deities of the pilgrimage site through Tarpan. And bathing in a river that has merged into the sea is said to be the best. Bathing in a well, pond is said to be medium by scholars, and bathing in the house is said to be normal for a householder. After bathing, wear two clothes that are pure and white. A Brahmin should always wear the upper garment to be kept on the shoulder with care.

Sit facing east or north in a holy bath and tie the hair knot and keep the hands inside both thighs. Hold the Kusha's Pavitri in hand and perform the Achaman Kriya. By doing this, the Pavitri does not become impure. But the Pavitri becomes impure by eating food. Therefore, after eating food, one should abandon that Pavitri.

After Achaman, apply Tilak with Gopi Chandan clay. That Tilak should be Urdhva Pundra, straight, beautiful, in the shape of a staff, one should wear it like that. Whether it is Urdhva Pundra or Tripundra, make a hole in the middle of it. In Urdhva Pundra, Hari Bhagwan himself resides with Lakshmi. In Tripundra, the direct Shankar Bhagwan always resides with Parvati. A Pundra without a hole is said to be like a dog's foot by scholars.

White Tilak is the giver of knowledge, red Tilak is said to enchant people, yellow is said to give all wealth. Do not apply a Tilak different from this.

Wear conch, chakra, mace, lotus etc. with Gopi Chandan clay. This is said to destroy all sins and is an integral part of worship. The person in whose body the signs of the weapons of Lord Shankha Chakradi are seen, should not be considered a human being. That is the body of God. The sins of the one who always wears the signs of conch, chakra etc. become virtuous. What can Yamraj do even if the one whose body is marked with the weapons of Narayan commits crores of sins?

Perform Pranayama and do Sandhyavandan. Perform the morning Sandhya methodically while the Nakshatra is still present. Chant the Gayatri Mantra until the Sun God is seen and get up with the mantras of Suryopasthan and perform Upasthan by tying Anjakali.

In the evening, put your foot on the earth and salute. Fulfill the deficiency, if any, with this mantra.
Yasy Smritya Cha Namoktyam Tapoyajnakriyadishu।
Nyoonam Sampoornatam Yati Sadyo Vande Tamachyutam॥

The Dwija (Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya) who performs Sandhya with faith, there is nothing unattainable for him in the three worlds.

The act to be done in the beginning of the day (morning) has been said! After performing the daily morning rituals in this way, one should worship Hari Bhagwan.

In a cleaned pure place, being in a state of discipline and being silent and pure, make a round or square mandala with cow dung and make an Ashtadal Kamal with rice for the accomplishment of the vow. Then establish a strong and new holeless pure Kalash of gold, silver, copper or clay on that mandala and fill that Kalash with auspicious water brought from pure pilgrimage sites.

Vishnu resides well in the mouth of the Kalash, Rudra Bhagwan in the throat. Brahma Ji resides in its root, the Matrigans are said to be in the middle part. All the oceans and the Vasundhara with seven islands, Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharva Veda are situated in the womb, with grammar etc. Establish the Kalash in this way and invoke the pilgrimage sites in it, Ganga, Godavari, Kaveri and Saraswati should come for my peace and for the destruction of sins.

Then, after worshiping that Kalash with mantra recitation, fragrance, Akshat, Naivedya and flowers etc. that occur at that time, establish a copper vessel wrapped in yellow cloth on it. Establish the idol of Hari with Radha on that vessel.

Make an idol of Lord Purushottam of gold with Radha and worship that idol with devotion and according to the prescribed method.

Purushottam is the deity of Purushottam Maas. One should worship him on the arrival of Purushottam Maas. Who in this world, who is mortal, does not worship him who rescues those who are drowning in this ocean of the world?

Villages are found again, wealth is found again, sons are found again, houses are found again, auspicious and inauspicious deeds are found again, but the body is not found again and again. That body is protected for the sake of Dharma and Dharma is protected for the sake of knowledge and liberation becomes easy with knowledge. Therefore, one should do Dharma. The fruit of the body-like tree is said to be Sanatan Dharma, the body that is devoid of Dharma is fruitless like a barren tree.

Neither mother nor wife-son etc. are said to be for help, nor father, nor brother, nor wealth are said to be. Only Dharma is said to be its main cause.

Old age is frightening like a lioness and diseases are painful like enemies. Like water falling from a broken vessel, age is decreasing every day. Like the waves of water, Lakshmi is fickle, youth is withering in a moment like a flower, the worldly pleasures of the world are all meaningless like the royal happiness of a dream. Wealth is fickle, the mind is fickle and the happiness that occurs in the world is fickle. Knowing this, one should become detached from the world and be engaged in the means of Dharma.

Just as a frog, even after half of its body has been swallowed by a snake, still desires to eat a fly, in the same way, a creature afflicted by time loves to inflict pain on others and to steal the wealth of others. What happiness does a man whose age is afflicted by death rejoice? All pleasures are useless like an animal being taken to the slaughterhouse for slaughter.

When the mind is inclined to do Dharma, it is not easy to get wealth at that time, when there is wealth, the mind is not eager to do Dharma at that time. When both mind and wealth are present, suitable recipients are not found at that time. Therefore, mind, wealth, worthy recipient, at the time when these three are related. The one who does Dharma without thinking at that time is said to be intelligent. There are thousands of Dharmas that occur with the expenditure of more wealth, in Purushottam Maas, great Dharma occurs with little wealth. Remembering Vishnu Bhagwan in bathing, charity and story, even if such a good Dharma is done, it protects from great fear.

Just as Ganga is the pilgrimage site, Kamdev is the archer, knowledge is wealth and virtue is beauty, in the same way, Purushottam Maas is the direct Purushottam, the best of all months. Although this Purushottam Maas was initially very reprehensible in all works and sacrifices, yet by the grace of God, it became famous on earth by the name of direct God.

Just as the feet of all creatures are absorbed in the feet of an elephant, in the same way all Dharmas and arts are absorbed in all Purushottam.

Just as other rivers cannot be compared to the Ganga. All other trees cannot be said to be like the Kalpavriksha. Other gems cannot be found on earth like Chintamani. Another cow cannot be like Kamdhenu, other men cannot be like the king. All the scriptures are not like the Vedas, in the same way, all the virtuous times cannot be like the virtuous time of this Purushottam Maas.

The deity of Purushottam Maas is Lord Purushottam. Therefore, one should worship Lord Purushottam with devotion and faith. One should call an Acharya who knows the scriptures, is skilled, pure, Vaishnav, truthful and Vipra and worship Purushottam through him.

One who desires to cross this world-like ocean, which is full of big fishes in the form of delusion, lust, anger, greed, arrogance, envy etc. that occur in the inner self, should worship Lord Purushottam, the original deity, well in this Bharatvarsh.

Thus ends the twentieth chapter in the Purushottam Maas Mahatmya in the Shri Brihannaradiya Purana ॥20॥