Purushottam Maas Katha: Adhyaya 28 | पुरुषोत्तम मास कथा: अध्याय 28

Shri Narayan said - Chitragupta, hearing the words of Dharmaraj, spoke to his warriors - This miser was first consumed by extreme greed for a long time, then started stealing. Therefore, he should first attain a ghost body, then go into a monkey body, then we will give him many hellish tortures.

O warriors! This is the best order in the house of Dharmaraj. Having received orders from Chitragupta in this way, the fearsome warriors quickly did the same according to Chitragupta's orders and, beating that Brahmin, first put him in a ghost body and placed him in a fruitless forest. Having attained the ghost form, that Brahmin, extremely distressed by hunger and thirst, started wandering in that deserted dense forest.

After suffering the pain of being in the ghost form, he went into the monkey form due to stealing fruits. There, on the beautiful Kalanjora mountain of the Jambu Khand, which is full of beautiful cool water and shade, and fruits and flowers, is an excellent Kund made by Indra. Like Mansarovar, it is a sacred, served by virtuous people, destroyer of sins, and rare even for the gods, and is famous by the name 'Mrigatirtha'. By performing Shraddha in it, the ancestors go to salvation.

There, the gods, fearing the demons, constantly and fearlessly bathed, becoming deer. Therefore, scholars call that Kund Mrigatirtha. Having attained human form, this Brahmin first attained the monkey form due to the sin of stealing fruits.
Narad Muni said - How did that wicked monkey, full of sins, live in the beautiful Mrigatirtha, which purifies the three worlds? O Lord! O ascetic! Cut the doubt in my mind. Because for gurus like you, nothing is ever hidden about their disciples.

Sootji said - O Brahmins! Being inspired by Narad Muni in this way, the extremely pleased ascetic Narayan Bhagwan, honoring Narad Muni, said.

Shri Narayan said - There was a great Vaishya named Chitrakundal. His wife, named Taraka, was devoted to the vow of chastity. Both of them observed the sacred Shri Purushottam Maas Vrat with devotion. When Shri Purushottam Maas passed while they were observing the Shri Purushottam Maas Vrat. On the arrival of the last day, Chitrakundal, along with his wife, joyfully and faithfully performed the Udyapan. To perform the Purushottam Maas Udyapan Vidhi, he called Brahmins who knew the Vedas and Vedangas, were virtuous, and had wives.
O Narad! The miser Kadarya also came there out of greed for wealth. Upon the completion of the Udyapan Vidhi, Chitrakundal pleased those Brahmins with their wives with very large donations.

When all those Brahmins were pleased, he gave a large Dakshina. All the other Brahmins, pleased with the given large Dakshina, went home, but the extremely greedy Kadarya stood crying in front of that Vaishya Chitrakundal. And, humbly bowing with humility, he spoke in a choked voice - O Chitrakundal! O Vaishesh! O Sun of devotion to Bhagwan! You have performed the Purushottam Maas Vrat well according to the Vidhi. No one has ever done it like this anywhere on the earth. You are blessed, you are completely fortunate that you have served Purushottam Bhagwan with supreme devotion. Your father is blessed and your chaste mother is blessed. Both of whom gave birth to a son like you, who is dear to Hari. This Purushottam Maas is more blessed than blessed. By serving it, a man attains the fruits of this world and the next.

O Vishampate! I am amazed to see your worship. Alas! You have done a great job, there is no doubt about it. You gave a lot of wealth to other Brahmins with joy. O Bhurida! Why don't you give to me, who is unlucky? On hearing Kadarya's words in this way, Chitrakundal Vaishya gave wealth to Kadarya. Kadarya took the wealth and happily buried it in the ground.

There, Kadarya saw the great worship of Shri Purushottam and praised Purushottam Maas out of greed for wealth. Due to the greatness of seeing the worship and the praise of Purushottam Bhagwan, and even though he was greedy for wealth, he came to Mrigatirtha.

Sootji said - By seeing, praising, and being greedy for wealth, the wicked monkey got the service of the best pilgrimage site. O Brahmins! What to say about the merit of a couple who are devoted to seeing and praising Purushottam Dev with faith and respect?

Narad Muni said - O Brahman! What is the reason for his living in the forest adorned with beautiful trees, with beautiful cool water, and with a delightful dense shade? Please tell me that.

Shri Narayan said - O Narad! O sinless one! You listen, I will tell you who wants to listen. There is some reason in this, by hearing which sins are destroyed. When Ramachandraji, the son of Dasharatha, the giver of all meanings and fruits, built a bridge in the sea and destroyed the wicked Ravana. Those Ramachandraji killed all the demons except Vibhishana, did not spare anyone. After testing in fire, he accepted Sita. Brahma, Shankar, Indra, and other gods, pleased with the killing of Ravana, said that O Ram! You ask for a boon. On saying this, Ramachandra, who gives fearlessness to his devotees, said - O gods! If you want to give a boon at this time, then listen.

The brave monkeys who were killed by the demons here, revive them quickly by showering nectar by our command. Saying 'Tathastu', Brahma, Shankar, Indra, and other gods revived the monkeys by showering nectar. After that, all those victorious monkeys became alive and looked like they had woken up after sleeping for a long time. Ramachandra, along with all the monkeys sitting around, boarded the Pushpak Viman and said with a happy lotus face along with his wife.

Shriramachandraji said - O Sugriva! O Hanuman! O Taratmaja! O Jambavan! You people have done all the work of a friend with the monkeys. You people order those monkeys, so that after receiving your orders from here, the monkeys may go to the forests according to their wishes. Wherever these long-lived monkeys live, the trees there should be full of flowers and fruits, the river should have sweet water, there should be beautiful ponds with cool water, no one should forbid them. By our hope, all the monkeys should go.

That is why, due to the influence of Ramachandra, wherever people of the monkey race live, there are rivers with sweet water and beautiful ponds in the forest. There are many trees full of flowers, leaves, and beautiful fruits, but the happiness and sorrow of past lives, which are caused by the unseen, surely go wherever a creature lives because there is no destruction of karma without experiencing it. Such is the command of the Vedas.

Shri Narayan said - Then there, this greedy monkey, growing like a mountain, started wandering in the forest, afflicted with hunger and thirst. A pain arose in his mouth due to the aggravation of bile, which was his congenital disease. Due to that pain, blood used to flow day and night from the wounds in his mouth. He could not eat anything due to extreme pain and that monkey, due to restlessness, used to break the best fruits from the trees and bring them near his mouth and drop many fruits on the ground. There, the monkey was unable to sit in one place due to pain.

Going from one tree to another, he started considering death as giving happiness. At some time, he fell on the earth and started lamenting, being extremely sad. With his body broken, he started writhing and crying like a fish without water. That monkey, with a limp body and a decaying mouth, became afflicted with hunger and thirst. All his teeth fell out, afflicted with mouth disease. He suffered in this way due to the sins committed in his previous life.

In this way, while the monkey was living without food every day, Shri Purushottam Maas came by divine coincidence. In that Purushottam Maas also, he remained afflicted by cold winds etc. in the same way. At some time, wandering in a dense forest in the Bahul Paksha, the thirsty monkey, even after reaching the Kund, was not able to drink water, being hungry, he also climbed on a tall tree there with agility. While going from one tree to another, a Kund came in between. After many days of fasting, with weakened senses and a dilapidated body, weak, with weakened life, he came to the bank of the Kund. In this way, the monkey spent four days from the tenth date rolling in that Kund in Shri Purushottam Maas. On the arrival of the fifth day, at noon, the monkey, with his body soaked in water in that pilgrimage site, fell lifeless and, abandoning that body, immediately attained a divine body adorned with divine ornaments, which was dark in color like the petals of a blue lotus, beautiful like crores of Kamdevs, wearing a crown studded with shining jewels, with beautiful shining Matsyakundal, wearing a beautiful sacred yellow garment, with a belt studded with jewels at the waist, adorned with beautiful armbands, bangles, rings, and necklaces, with a beautiful face covered with blue, crooked, smooth hair.

At the same time, a Viman came there quickly, accompanied by Vaishnavas, in which there was a great sound of Bheri, Mridang, Patah, Venu, Veena, and the Apsaras were dancing, and the Gandharvas and Kinnars were singing beautifully, seeing that Viman, the divine-bodied monkey was greatly astonished and started saying that how did I, a sinner, get this happiness? This Viman-Sukha is only appropriate for a great virtuous person.

After this, an Apsara was holding a white umbrella like the moon over him. Two Apsaras were happily waving Chamar on both sides of him. Someone is standing with a betel in hand and Apsaras are dancing in front of him. Someone is standing with a Jhari filled with Ganga water, someone is standing in front of him, engaged in singing and playing. Seeing that glory in this way, he became motionless like a picture.

What is this? By what merit have I, a wicked sinner, attained all this, I have no merit by which I can go to the supreme abode of Hari Bhagwan.

Shri Narayan said - While arguing in this way, Kadarya, seeing the divine Viman in front of him, a very large treasure of happiness, was surprised. Later, the Haribhats, knowing the heartfelt intention of that Kadarya, respectfully joined their hands in front of him and bowed at his feet, having abandoned the monkey body, said beautiful words to that Kadarya.

इति श्रीबृहन्नारदीयपुराणे श्रीपुरुषोत्तममासमाहात्म्ये अष्टाविंशोऽध्यायः ॥२८॥