Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 25 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 25

In the Purushottam Maas Vrat Vidhi, the method of attaining salvation and happiness through the worship of Lord Vishnu, offering, charity, Brahmin Bhojan (feeding Brahmins), and Jagran (night vigil) is described.

Dridhadhanva said, 'O Brahman! O Sage! Now, please kindly tell me in detail the Udyapan Vidhi (concluding ceremony) for those who observe the Purushottam Maas Vrat.'

Valmiki Muni said, 'For the attainment of the complete fruits of the Purushottam Maas Vrat, I will briefly and clearly describe the Udyapan Vidhi of Shri Purushottam Maas.'

It is said that the Udyapan should be performed on the Chaturdashi (14th day), Navami (9th day), or Ashtami (8th day) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of Purushottam Maas. In this sacred Purushottam Maas, after waking up in the morning and performing the morning rituals with the available worship materials, one should invite thirty Brahmins, who are virtuous, devoted to Vishnu, and accompanied by their wives, with a focused mind.

O King! Or, according to one's ability and wealth, invite seven or five Brahmins. Then, at noon, prepare an excellent Sarvatobhadra Mandala (auspicious diagram) with sixteen seers, or half of that, or half of that, according to one's ability, using Panchadhanya (five grains).

Above the Sarvatobhadra Mandala, four pure, unperforated Kalashas (pots) made of gold, silver, copper, or clay should be placed. For the pleasure of the four Vyuha (manifestations of Vishnu), those Kalashas should be adorned with vines, covered with excellent cloth, and filled with betel leaves in all four directions. Vasudeva, Haldhar, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha Dev should be installed on those four Kalashas respectively.

Bring the Devadevesh Purushottam Bhagavan (Lord Purushottam), along with Radhika, who was installed at the beginning of the Purushottam Maas Vrat, from the Kalash and install them in the center of the Mandala. Make a Vaishnava, who knows the Vedas and Vedangas, the Acharya (priest) and choose four Brahmins for chanting. They should be given two sets of clothes along with rings. The Acharya should be adorned with clothes, ornaments, etc., with a happy heart, and then a cow should be donated as atonement for purification of the body.

Thereafter, worship should be performed with the wife according to the aforementioned method. And the four Brahmins who have been chosen should chant the four Vyuha mantras. And four lamps should be placed in the upper part in the four directions. Then, offerings should be made with coconuts and other fruits in the prescribed order.

Kneeling on the ground, holding Pancharatna (five gems) and readily available good fruits in both hands, with faith and devotion, and with a joyful heart, remembering Shri Hari Bhagavan, offer the Arghya (sacred offering).

The mantra for offering Arghya: 'O Devadeva! O Purushottam! Salutations to you. O Hari! Accept the Arghya offered by me along with Radhika. Salutations to Purushottam Bhagavan, who is dark like a new cloud, has two arms, holds a flute in his hand, wears yellow garments, and is with Radhika.' In this way, with devotion, after saluting Purushottam Bhagavan along with Radhika, offer sesame seeds with the fourth-ending name mantras.

After this, perform Tarpan (offering water) and Marjan (sprinkling water) with their mantras. Then perform Aarti (waving of lamps) of Purushottam Dev along with Radhika. Now the mantra for Neerajan (waving of lights): 'I lovingly perform Neerajan of the Lord of Gods, who has a radiance like the petals of a lotus, who delights Radhika, and who possesses the beauty of millions of Kamadevas (gods of love).'

Now the Dhyan Mantra (meditation mantra): 'Meditate on Purushottam Bhagavan, who is seated on a throne adorned with endless jewels, who is the inner light, the essence, who is surrounded by the women of Vraja who are extremely enchanted by the sound of his flute, therefore he is extremely beautiful in Vrindavan, whose heart shines with Radhika and the Kaustubha gem, who wears a crown and earrings studded with shining jewels, and who wears a new yellow garment.'

Then, after offering flowers to Purushottam Bhagavan along with Radhika, prostrate with your wife. Salutations to Hari Bhagavan along with Radhika, who is dark like a new cloud, wears yellow garments, is imperishable, and has a chest adorned with the Srivatsa mark.

Give a full vessel with gold to the Brahmin. Then, with pleasure, give a large Dakshina (offering) to the Acharya. Please the Acharya and his wife with clothes and ornaments with devotion, then give excellent Dakshina to the Ritviks (priests). A cow that gives milk, along with its calf, clothes, is gentle, and adorned with a bell and ornaments, should be donated. It should be adorned with a copper back, golden horns, and silver hooves, and a vessel of ghee should be given, and similarly, a vessel of sesame seeds should be given.

Donate clothes for the husband and wife to wear for the pleasure of Uma-Maheshwar. Give eight types of positions and a pair of shoes. If you have the ability, considering the fleeting nature of life, donate Shrimad Bhagavat to a Vaishnava Brahmin without delay. Shrimad Bhagavat is the direct and wonderful form of God.

The Vaishnava who gives it to a learned Brahmin liberates crores of families and, riding on an airplane served by Apsaras (celestial nymphs), goes to Goloka, which is rare for Yogis.

Thousands of Kanyadan (giving away daughters in marriage), hundreds of Vajapeya Yagyas (sacrifices), donations of fields with grains, and the eight great donations such as Tuladan, etc., and the donation of Vedas, cannot equal even the sixteenth part of the donation of Shrimad Bhagavat. Therefore, Shrimad Bhagavat should be placed on a golden throne, adorned with clothes and ornaments, and given to a Vaishnava Brahmin according to the prescribed method. Thirty (30) Malpuas (sweet pancakes) should be placed in thirty bronze containers and given to the Brahmins.

O Lord of the Earth! For every hole in each Malpua, one resides in Vaikuntha Loka for that many years. One goes to the Nirguna Goloka, which is rare for Yogis. Having gone to that eternal Jyotirdham Goloka, one does not return. A bronze container of two and a half seers is said to be appropriate. A poor person should donate a container according to their ability to fulfill the Vrat. Or, for the pleasure of Purushottam Bhagavan, the raw materials for Malpua, along with fruits, should be placed in a container and given.

O King! The invited Brahmins and their wives should be given the offering near Purushottam Bhagavan with a resolution.

Now we write the prayer, 'O Shri Krishna! O Sustainer of the Universe! O Giver of Joy to the Universe! That is, O Giver of Joy to the world! Quickly fulfill all my desires in this world and the next.' In this way, after praying to Govinda Bhagavan, remembering Purushottam Bhagavan with joy, feed the virtuous Brahmins along with their wives.

Remembering Hari in the form of a Brahmin and Radhika in the form of a Brahmin woman, worship them with devotion with Gandhakshat (sandalwood paste and rice) and offer them a meal of ghee and rice pudding. The one who is observing the Vrat should resolve to offer the food items according to the prescribed method. Grapes, bananas, various types of mangoes, ghee-fried, beautiful Urad Dal Vadas (lentil fritters), sugar and ghee-made Ghevar, Feni, Khand-made Mandak, melon, cucumber vegetable, ginger, beautiful lemon, mango, and various types of different vegetables.

In this way, after serving the four types of food with six tastes, scented with fragrant substances, speaking in a gentle voice, 'This is delicious, it has been prepared for you, please eat with pleasure. O Brahman! O Lord! Ask for whatever seems good to you in these cooked dishes.'

'I am blessed, today I have become worthy of the grace of the Brahmins, my birth has been successful,' saying this, feed the Brahmins with joy and give them betel leaves and Dakshina. Cardamom, cloves, camphor, Nagarpana, musk, mace, catechu, and lime. All these substances should be mixed and given as betel leaves, which are dear to God. Therefore, betel leaves should be given with respect only when they are equipped with these items.

One who gives betel leaves to the best of Brahmins in this way enjoys wealth and happiness in this world and becomes an enjoyer of nectar in the afterlife. Pleasing the Brahmins along with their wives, give Modak (sweet dumplings) in their hands, and adorn the Brahmin women with clothes and ornaments according to the prescribed method and give them flutes. Escort those Brahmins to the boundary and then bid them farewell.

mantrahīnaṃ kriyāhīnaṃ bhaktihīnaṃ janārdana॥ yatpūjitaṃ mayā deva paripūrṇa tadastu me॥1॥

And with this mantra, after offering forgiveness to Purushottam Bhagavan,

yasya smṛtyā ca nāmoktyā tapoyajñakriyādiṣu॥ nyūnaṃ sampūrṇatāṃ yāti sadyo vande tamacyutam‌॥1॥

After saluting Janardan Bhagavan with this mantra, whatever deficiency remains, may it be fully fruitful by the grace of Achyuta Bhagavan, saying this, one should wander around happily. After dividing the food into appropriate portions and giving it to the beings, being free from falsehood, not criticizing the food, one should eat with the family members.

On the day of Amavasya (new moon), one should stay awake at night. One should worship Purushottam Bhagavan along with Radhika in a golden idol. At the end of the worship, the Vrati (one who observes the Vrat) along with his wife, being pleased, should salute and bid farewell to Purushottam Dev along with Radhika. Then the Acharya should be given the idol along with the offered items. One should give Annudan (donation of food) as appropriate according to one's wish. By whatever means one performs this Vrat and gives charity according to one's wealth with excellent devotion, neither the woman nor the man who performs this Vrat will attain sorrow, poverty, and misfortune in birth after birth.

Those who perform this Vrat, after attaining various types of desires in this world, ascend a beautiful airplane and go to the best Vaikuntha Loka.

Shri Narayan said, 'In this way, the man who performs the Purushottam Maas Vrat, which is dear to Shri Krishna Bhagavan, with due respect, enjoys the pleasures of this world and, being freed from the heap of sins, goes to Goloka with his ancestors.'

iti śrībṛhannāradīyapurāṇe puruṣottamamāsamāhātmye pañcaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ॥25॥