Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 26 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 26

The pleasure of God is attained through charity and virtuous conduct in the abandonment of the Udyapan Vrat rules. This sin-destroying and auspicious fast bestows liberation.

Now, the abandonment of the rules of the fast behind Udyapan is described. Valmiki Muni said - For the destruction of all sins and for the pleasure of Garudadhwaja Bhagavan, the abandonment of the vow rules that have been adopted is described according to the prescribed method.

O King! A person who observes the Naktavrata should feed Brahmins at the end and donate gold while living on whatever is received without asking. One who observes the rule of fasting on Amavasya should donate a cow along with Dakshina. And one who bathes with Amla water should donate curd or milk.

O King! If you have made a rule about fruits, then donate fruits. If you have made a rule about oil, that is, if you have given up oil, then donate ghee at the end, and if you have made a rule about ghee, then donate milk.

O King! In the rule of grains, donate wheat and Shali rice.

O King! If you have made a rule of sleeping on the ground, then donate a bed with a cotton-filled mattress and a canopy, along with a pillow etc. that gives you comfort; that person is dear to God. The person who eats in a leaf should feed Brahmins and donate ghee and sugar.

In Maunavrata, donate a bell along with gold and sesame seeds. Feed a Brahmin couple with ghee-mixed substances.
O King! A wise person who wears nails and hair should donate a mirror. If you have given up shoes, then donate shoes. In the abandonment of salt, donate various types of juices. If you have given up lamps, then donate a lamp along with a vessel.

The person who observes the rules with devotion in Adhik Maas always resides in Vaikuntha. Donate a lamp by placing ghee and a gold wick in a copper vessel. Donate even a moment for the fulfillment of the vow. One who lives in solitude should donate eight pots. Those pots should be of gold or clay, and they should be given with clothes and pieces of gold. And at the end of the month, donate 30 (thirty) modaks along with an umbrella and shoes, and donate a bull capable of carrying a load. If these things are not available or if one is unable to do as prescribed, O King! The word of the Brahmins is said to give success to all vows, that is, the vow is completed upon receiving auspicious results from the Brahmins. One who consumes one grain in Malmas attains the supreme state by becoming four-armed. There is nothing more sacred than Ekanna in this world.

By consuming one grain, sages have attained perfection and attained supreme liberation. The person who eats at night in Adhik Maas becomes a king. That person attains all desires, there is no doubt about it. The gods eat in the forenoon, and the sages eat at noon. The ancestors eat in the afternoon. Therefore, the fourth prahar is said to be the time for eating for oneself.
O King! The person who transcends all times and eats in the fourth prahar, O Lord of the people! His sins like Brahmahatya are destroyed. O Lord of the earth! The person who eats at night becomes entitled to more virtuous fruits than all virtues, and that person obtains the fruit of performing Ashwamedha Yagya every day.

In the Purushottam Maas dear to God, give up Urad. That person who gives up Urad is freed from all sins and goes to Vishnu Loka. The sinful Brahmin who grinds sesame seeds in a machine, O King! That Brahmin resides in Raurava hell for as many years as the number of sesame seeds, then goes to the Chandala Yoni and is afflicted with leprosy.

The person who fasts on the Ekadashi Tithi of Shukla and Krishna Paksha, that person, becoming four-armed, sits on Garuda and goes to Vaikuntha Loka, and he is worshiped by the gods and served by the Apsaras.

The person who observes a fast for the pleasure of Lord Vishnu goes to heaven.
O King! Always hold a handful of Kusha with devotion, do not abandon the Kushamushti. The person who cleanses stool, urine, phlegm, and blood with Kusha goes to the worm-infested womb in excrement. Kusha is said to be extremely sacred, and actions without Kusha are said to be futile because Brahma resides in the root part of Kusha, and Janardana resides in the middle part. Mahadev resides in the front part of Kusha, therefore cleanse with Kusha.

A Shudra should not uproot Kusha from the ground and should not drink the milk of a Kapila cow. O King! Do not eat in a Palash leaf, do not pronounce the Pranava mantra, do not eat the remnants of the Yagya. A Shudra should not sit on a Kusha seat, should not wear the Janeu, and should not perform Vedic rituals. If he abandons the rules and does whatever he pleases, that Shudra drowns in hell along with his ancestors. He remains in hell until fourteen Indras, then goes to the Yoni of a rooster, pig, and monkey. Therefore, a Shudra should always abandon Pranava. O King! A Shudra is destroyed by saluting Brahmins.

O Maharaj! By doing this much, the vow is said to be complete. Otherwise, by not giving Dakshina to Brahmins, people become entitled to hell. By obstructing the vow, one becomes blind and leprous.

O King! The best of men go to heaven by the words of the Brahmins, the gods of the earth. O King! Therefore, a wise man who desires welfare should not violate the words of those Brahmins.

I have spoken this secret of Dharma, which is excellent, brings welfare, destroys sins, gives excellent fruits, pleases Madhava Bhagavan, and pleases the mind, recite it daily. O King! The one who always hears or reads it goes to the excellent world where Yogeshwar Hari Bhagavan resides.

Thus ends the twenty-sixth chapter in the Purushottam Maas Mahatmya in the Sri Brihannaradiya Purana ॥26॥