Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 23 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 23

King Chitrabahu, in his previous birth, was Shudra Manigreeva, who attained merit by serving Brahmin Ugradev. His devoted wife was righteous, which led to his good fortune.

King Dridhadhanva said - O best among sages! O compassionate one to the poor! What is the fruit of donating a lamp in Shri Purushottam Maas? Please tell me.

Shrinarayan said - Upon King Dridhadhanva asking this, the best among sages, Valmiki Muni, being extremely pleased, said with a smile to the humble and very polite King Dridhadhanva.

Valmiki Muni said - O king, whose prowess is like a lion among kings! Listen to the story that destroys sins, by listening to which five types of great sins are destroyed.

In the fortunate city, there was a king named Chitrabahu, who was famous, very intelligent, and extremely powerful. He was forgiving, knowledgeable of all religions, possessed of good character, beauty, and compassion, a devotee of Brahmins, a devotee of God, eager to listen to stories, always loving his wife, blessed with animals and sons, possessed of a four-fold army, and as wealthy as Kuber. His wife named Chandrakala was knowledgeable in sixty-four arts, devoted to her husband, greatly fortunate, and devoted to God. With her, the young Chitrabahu began to enjoy the earth. He knew no other deity besides Shri Krishna.

One day, King Chitrabahu, seeing the best of sages, Agastya Muni, approaching from afar, prostrated himself on the ground and worshiped him according to the proper rituals. He offered him a seat with devotion and sat before the best of sages. Humbly bowing, he said to the best of sages.
The king said - Today my birth is successful, today my day is successful. Today my kingdom is successful, today my home is successful, as you, a servant of Shri Krishna Chandra, have come to my home today. By being seen by you, I am freed from the accumulation of sins. I offer you the entire kingdom with elephants, horses, and chariots...

..O best of sages! You are a Vaishnav, and there is nothing that cannot be given to you. Even a small offering to a Vaishnav is like Mount Meru. The day one does not give even a cowrie's worth of vegetables or excellent food to a Vaishnav Brahmin, that day is futile, so say the knowers of the Vedas. All twice-born who are devotees of Vishnu are worthy of worship; they should be honored with speech, mind, and action. So said to me Garg, Gautam, and Sumantu Rishi...

..The light of the stars remains only until sunrise. Other Brahmins are spoken of only until a Vaishnav Brahmin arrives.

Agastya Muni said - O Chitrabahu! O great one! O king, you are blessed at this time, and all these subjects are blessed who you protect the Vaishnavs. One should not live in a kingdom that does not belong to a Vaishnav. It is better to live in an empty forest, but it is not good to live in the kingdom of a non-Vaishnav.

Just as a body without eyes, a woman without a husband, and an uneducated Brahmin are contemptible, so is a country without Vaishnavs contemptible. Just as an elephant without tusks, a bird without wings, and a Dashamividdha Dwadashi (Ekadashi) are said to be, so is a country without Vaishnavs. Just as an evening prayer without Kusha grass, a Tarpan without sesame seeds, and serving a deity for livelihood are, so is a country without Vaishnavs said to be. Just as a widow woman wearing her hair, a vow without bathing, and a Shudra going to a Brahmin woman are, so is a nation without Vaishnavs contemptible.

He who takes refuge in the feet of Shri Krishna Chandra is said to be a king by virtuous men; his nation always prospers, and his subjects are happy.

O king! Because I have seen you, my sight has been successful. By talking to you, a devotee of God, my speech has been successful today. O king! You should rule this kingdom by my command. I have established you in this kingdom. May you be well, I will leave.

Shrinarayan said - Saying this, as the best of sages, Agastya, who desired to leave, was being bid farewell, the devoted wife of King Chitrabahu bowed to him with great devotion.

Agastya Muni said - O auspicious one! May you always be fortunate and serve your husband with devotion. May your devotion to Shri Gopijan's beloved Shri Krishna Chandra always be firm. Giving this blessing, as Agastya Rishi was being bowed to with reverence and hands folded in prayer, King Chitrabahu spoke again.

Chitrabahu said - O best of Brahmins! How did I attain this abundant wealth? How did I attain a kingdom without thorns? How did my wife become so devoted to her husband? And what merit did I perform? O best of Brahmins! Please tell me all this. I have come to your refuge. O great sage! You know everything like a mirror in your hand.

Shrinarayan said - Upon King Chitrabahu saying this, the best of sages, Agastya, with a focused mind, spoke to the best of kings, Chitrabahu.

Agastya Muni said - O king! I have seen the story of your previous birth. I will tell you that ancient story along with its history.

In the beautiful city of Chamatkar Pur, you were born as Manigreeva Kamadhari in the Shudra caste, intent on killing living beings. You were an atheist, of wicked character, one who stole another's wife, ungrateful, ill-mannered, and devoid of etiquette, and this woman who is your wife was also your wife in her previous birth. She was devoted to serving her husband with her actions, mind, and words. She was devoted to her husband, greatly fortunate, loving righteousness, and intelligent; she never had any evil thoughts about you.

Your caste and relatives abandoned you for your sinful deeds, and the king, becoming angry, took away all your best wealth. Then, at that time, whatever remaining wealth was left was also taken by your caste members. Then, at that time, due to the loss of wealth, you had a great desire for wealth. But even after the destruction of wealth, this devoted wife did not abandon you, even with a saddened heart. Thus, being rejected by all people, you went to a deserted forest.

O lord of the earth! Going into the forest, you protected your soul by killing many animals. Thus, while living with your wife, Manigreeva, lifting his bow, went to a forest filled with many snakes and deer, desiring to eat the meat of deer. In the middle of that deserted forest, the great sage named Ugradev became distressed due to losing his sense of direction.

O king! At noon, being extremely afflicted by thirst, he fell there and was on the verge of death. Seeing that distressed Brahmin who had lost his way, you felt compassion. You lifted that Brahmin and took him with you to your hermitage. Both you and your wife served that distressed Brahmin. After a Muhurta, at that time, the great yogi Ugradev regained consciousness and was surprised, wondering how he had come here from there? Who brought him from the middle of that forest?

Shrinarayan said - Manigreeva said to that Brahmin that this is a beautiful pond with cool water fragrant with lotus flowers. O Brahmin! Bathe in that cool water, perform your midday rituals, eat fruits, and drink the beautiful cool water. At this time, I have protected you. Rest comfortably. O best of sages! Arise, and you are worthy of grace.

Agastyaji said - At that time, Ugradev Brahmin, free from fatigue and alert, listened to Manigreeva's words and became overwhelmed with thirst.

O Chitrabahu! Holding Manigreeva's arm, he went and sat on the bank of the pond adorned with a banyan tree. Sitting in the shade of the banyan tree, he rested for a moment, bathed, performed his daily rituals, and worshiped Lord Vasudev. After offering libations to the deities and ancestors, drinking the beautiful cool water, Ugradev Brahmin quickly came and sat at the base of the banyan tree. Manigreeva, along with his wife, bowed to the best of sages, Ugradev, and spoke with humble words, desiring to offer hospitality.

Manigreeva said - O Brahmin! Today you have come to my hermitage to save me. By your sight, my sins have been destroyed.
Saying this to the Brahmin, the pleased Manigreeva said to his wife - O beautiful one! Quickly bring those delicious ripe fruits, those mangoes, do not delay. O auspicious-faced one! And bring whatever roots and tubers there are.

Hearing her husband's words, the wife brings the fruits and tubers and places them before the Brahmin with joy.

Manigreeva then spoke to the best of sages, "O Brahmin! Accept these fruits and bless us, husband and wife."

Ugradev Brahmin said - I do not know you. Who are you? Tell me. A learned Brahmin should not eat the food of an unfamiliar person.

Manigreeva said - O best of the twice-born! I am Manigreeva, of the Shudra caste, abandoned by my relatives, caste members, and kinsmen.

Hearing the words of the Shudra, the pleased Ugradev ate the fruits and then drank the water. Seeing the Brahmin sitting comfortably, Manigreeva, placing the feet of Ugradev Brahmin in his lap and pressing them, spoke again.

Manigreeva said - O best of sages! Where will you go? From where have you come to this deserted, waterless, and wicked forest filled with violent creatures?

Ugradev said - O great one! I am a Brahmin and wish to go to Prayag. At this time, due to not knowing the way, I have come to this terrible forest. In that place, due to fatigue and thirst, I was on the verge of death in a moment. Then you gave me life. O Manigreeva! Tell me, what can I give you? O Manigreeva! For what sorrow have you both, husband and wife, taken refuge in the forest? Tell me that sorrow, I will remove that sorrow.

Agastya Muni said - Hearing the words of Ugradev Brahmin, in front of his wife, after praying to that sage Ugradev, Manigreeva, desiring to cross the ocean of poverty, told the terrible fruit of his karma.

Thus ends the twenty-third chapter of the Purushottam Maas Mahatmya in the Shri Brihannaradiya Purana ॥23॥