Glories of Purushottama Month from Padma Purana - Part 3

 Suta Gosvami then told the sages of Naimisaranya, “Oh sages, now I am going to tell you another famous history in glorification of Purushottama month. It involves Maharaja Hadadhanva of the famous sun dynasty. Long, long ago, there was a religious king named Citradhanva, who was the ruler of Haihaya State. He had a very qualified son named Hadadhanva. Hadadhanva was famous and loved all over the world because of his good qualities like faithfulness and strict adherence to religious principles. At an early age, Hadadhanva became a learned scholar by pleasing his Guru. He studied all the Vedas, including all the Angas and Upanisads. After pleasing his Guru and paying him daksina, Hadadhanva returned back to his father's palace. His father Citradhanva was very old and so he decided to go to the forest and live a renounced life to please Shri Hari. Then Hadadhanva became the king of Haihaya State. In due time, Hadadhanva achieved a beautiful daughter named Guna Sundari, he also had four other famous sons named Chitrabaka, Chitrabha, Maniman, and Chitra-Kundala.

Once this Hadadhanva began to think of all his material opulences. He could understand that by the influence of previous pious activities he had achieved an undisturbed kingdom, a chaste and beautiful queen, dutiful sons, etc. Thinking in this way, the next day the king went to the forest on horseback along with his army to hunt. In this forest, a deer that was being attacked by the arrows of the king ran for shelter in another neighboring forest and the king followed her.

After following the deer for a long way, the king became very tired and thirsty. He began to look for water and, a little in the distance, he saw a beautiful pond full of clean sweet water. He rode there, got down from the horse's back, and tied it to a nearby banyan tree. After quenching his thirst, he took rest under the banyan tree. While the king was relaxing in this way, a beautiful parrot that was sitting on the tree started to speak to him. The parrot recited a verse again and again, which meant as follows:

“O, deluded by your material opulences, you are not even considering the real goal and achievement of human life! How then can you cross the material ocean, the cycle of birth and death?”

After hearing these words from the mouth of the parrot again and again, King Hadadhanva considered the advice very seriously. He started thinking that this parrot may be the great sage Sukadeva Gosvami himself showing compassion towards him. In the meantime, his army reached that place and the parrot disappeared. However, the king continued to ponder upon the words of the parrot.

When King Hadadhanva was thinking seriously about these words, the great sage Valmiki came to his palace. The king immediately got up from his seat and paid his obeisances to him. Valmiki asked, “O king, why do you look so morose? Please tell me everything about your dilemma, I shall try my best to solve your problems.” Feeling some consolation from the sage's words, King Hadadhanva explained the verse spoken to him by the parrot in the forest. After listening to the king, the great sage Valmiki said, “O king, in your previous life you were born in a brahmana family on the bank of the River Tamraparni in the state of Dravida. Your good name was Sudeva. You were a religious, truthful, and self-satisfied brahmana. Your wife was Gautami, the daughter of Gautam Rishi. When you were in grihasta ashrama, you followed all the religious principles, but despite all these merits, you had no child. One day, you expressed your unhappiness to your wife. You told her, “O beloved one, our human birth is fruitless because we don't have a son who will deliver us from hell. Therefore, I have decided to die immediately.” Hearing your words, your wife advised you to worship Lord Jagannatha.

She said to you, “O dear husband, please don't speak like this. You are a Vaishnava, so you should be more patient in dealing with such situations. If you desire a son, then just worship Lord Jagannatha and ask Him for a son as a benediction." Following her advice, you performed great austerities on the bank of the River Tamraparni for four thousand years. The demigods became fearful seeing your austerities, but seeing your strong faith and devotion, Lord Hari appeared before you riding His carrier Garuda. Seeing the Lord in His four-handed form, you became very happy and paid your full obeisances at His lotus feet.

The great sage Valmiki continued, “O king, after offering his prayers, Sudeva brahmana sat down on the floor in front of Lord Hari. Hearing his prayers, Lord Hari said, “O Sudeva, you have done great austerities to satisfy Me and I am satisfied. Please ask some boons of Me - whatever you want.” Sudeva brahmana said, “O Lord, if You are pleased upon me, then please give me a qualified son.” Hearing the brahmana's words, Lord Hari told him, “O Sudeva, by reading your forehead I can understand that because of your prarabdha karma you are not supposed to have a son for the next seven births. Therefore, please ask for some other boon.” Hearing these words from Lord Hari, the brahmana immediately fell unconscious. He fell down on the ground like a dry old tree. Seeing the condition of her husband, Gautami, the wife of Sudeva also started crying loudly.

Observing the most pathetic condition of this brahmana couple, Garuda, the carrier of Lord Vishnu, became sympathetic. He also requested Lord Hari to grant them a son. Hearing Garuda's request, Lord Hari empowered him to give such a boon to the brahmana couple. So Garuda started fanning the unconscious Sudeva. Then he told the brahmana couple, “O fortunate ones, following the order of my master Lord Hari, I am giving a boon to you that you will get a son very soon, and he will be as qualified as myself.”

In this way, after giving the boon, Lord Hari disappeared from that place on His carrier Garuda. After some time had passed, Gautami gave birth to a son named Sukadeva. From his very childhood, Sukadeva exhibited wonderful godly qualities and always satisfied his guru and all of his superiors and friends. Once the great sage Devala, who was shining like the sun, came to their ashram. Sudeva and his wife prayed to him and gave him a nice asana on which to comfortably sit. Their son Sukadeva also paid his obeisances to the great sage.

Seeing the face of Sukadeva, Devala Rsi became very happy. But then suddenly he became grave. He spoke to the brahmin couple, “This child Sukadeva has all the good qualities of a great person, but there is one serious disqualification. This boy will drown at the age of twelve.” The sage then left the place, and the brahmana couple became very unhappy. However, remembering the all-merciful Lord Vishnu, they continued on in their day to day life.

One day, their son Sukadeva was taking bath in a nearby tank with his other friends. Following the dictates of unavoidable providence, the boy went into the deep water and drowned. The friends of Sukadeva informed his parents about death of their beloved son. They started crying very loudly, and coming to the tank, they repeatedly kissed their dead son and lamented. Sudeva took the dead body of his son on his lap and started crying, “O son, get up! We are waiting for you. Unless you get up and talk to us, we are both going to give up our lives.” Speaking in this way, the brahmana started chanting the Holy Name of Lord Hari.

When the brahmin couple were lamenting and constantly chanting the Holy Name of the Lord, an untimely rain came along with a heavy wind. The whole world became filled with water, but the brahmana couple were oblivious to externals because of their lamentation for their son. They were constantly chanting the Holy name of the Lord. In this way, a whole month passed away. That month was Purushottama month. Unknowingly, the brahmana couple had worshiped that most sacred month, the month most beloved to Lord Shri Krishna. Being pleased by their austerities, Lord Shri Krishna appeared before them and then the rain immediately stopped. Seeing their Lord, the brahmana couple immediately paid their full obeisances keeping their son aside. Lord Shri Krishna was very, very pleased because they had worshiped Purushottama month [unknowingly]. The Lord said, “O fortunate Sudeva, your son Sukadeva will live with you for twelve thousand years in this material world to give you all pleasure and at the end of that time both of you will return back to Me in Goloka Dhama.”

As soon as Lord Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had finished His words, their son got up. It was just like he had been sleeping for a long time. Seeing their son alive again, the brahmana couple became extremely happy. In the meantime, the demigods started showering flowers from heaven. Then Sukadeva paid his obeisances to his parents and Lord Shri Hari. Garuda, the carrier of the Lord, also became very happy seeing the brahmana couple with their son. All these incidents seemed extraordinary to Sudeva brahmana, and so he asked Lord Shri Krishna why He gave them back their son.

Lord Shri Krishna, who is controlled by His devotees, then spoke to Sudeva, “O fortunate one, don't you know the reason why I am so pleased with you? Both you and your wife observed fasting and worship during the whole of Purushottama month and that month is most dear to Me. When both of you were lamenting for your son by observing full fast and chanting my Holy Name it was the holy Purushottama month. You worshiped Me throughout the entire Purushottama month and that pleased Me very much. Once Lord Brahma was measuring the value of Purushottama month against all the other pious austerities and religious activities mentioned in Vedas. However, the value of Purushottama month is far more valuable than all types of Vedic religious activities.”

Lord Shri Krishna continued, “Any human being who observes My Purushottama month is ever the most fortunate one in all three worlds. At the end of his life, he will return to My abode Goloka.” Saying these words, the Supreme Lord left that place riding His carrier Garuda.

Then Sage Valmiki told King Hadadhanva, “O king, your question has now been answered. The parrot who advised you in the forest was Sukadeva, your beloved son in your previous life. Sukadeva achieved his perfection by the mercy of the Lord, but he was feeling some sympathy for you, his father in his previous life. Seeing you engrossed in a materialistic way of life, he reminded you of your duty to worship Lord Hari in the forthcoming Purushottama month. By such merit you will return back to Godhead.”