PURUSOTTAMA VRATA

 HOW TO OBSERVE PURUSOTTAMA MASA.

Puruṣottama Month will begin on Friday 18th September.  One should observe the fast regulations from Thursday 17th.

To prepare for this important vow, please read the following glorification of the month of Purusottama, the benefits of observing the vow, and the details to be observed. 

The Glories of Sri Purusottama Month

by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

There are two divisions of sastra—smarta and paramartha

The Vedic arya-sastras are divided into two sections—smarta (literature based on smrti) and paramartha (transcendental literature based on sruti). Those who are eligible (adhikari) for the smarta section do not have any natural inclination or taste for the paramartha-sastras. The thoughts, principles, activities and life goal of every human is constituted according to his respective ruci (inclination). Generally, smartas accept those scriptures which are in accordance with their respective ruci. Having greater adhikara for smarta-sastra, they do not demonstrate much regard for paramarthika-sastra. Providence is the agent behind the creation of these two divisions. Therefore, undoubtedly the maintainer of the world must have a hidden purpose in having made such an arrangement."

As far as I understand, the purpose is that the jivas sequentially make progress in their level of consciousness by remaining steadfast in their respective adhikara. By deviating from one’s adhikara, one falls down. According to one’s activities, a person attains two types of adhikara—karma-adhikara and bhakti-adhikhara. As long as one maintains his karma-adhikara, he derives benefit from the path shown by the smarta section. When he enters bhakti-adhikara, by transgressing the karma-adhikara, then he develops a natural ruci (inclination) for the paramarthika, or transcendental, path. Therefore, providence has made these two divisions of sastra: smarta and paramartha.

The rules and regulations of smarta sastra are committed to karma

The smarta sastra has made various types of rules and regulations in order to help one attain nistha, steadfastness, in karma-adhikara. In many instances, it even demonstrates indifference towards paramartha sastra to make people attain specific nistha in such rules and regulations. In reality, although sastra is one, it  manifests in two ways for the people. If the jiva gives up adhikara-nistha, he can never attain auspiciousness. For this reason, the sastras have been divided into two: smarta and paramartha.

Adhimasa (extra month), also called mala masa (impure month), is devoid of all auspicious activities

By dividing the whole year into twelve parts, the smarta-sastras have ascertained the auspicious, or religious, activities for these twelve months. All the karma, religious activities which are part of the varnasrama system, when allotted to the twelve months, leave the extra month (adhimasa) devoid of any such activity. There is no religious performance in adhimasa. In order to keep lunar months and solar months in tally, one month has to be excluded every 32 months. The name of that month is adhimasa (extra month).* Smartas have discarded this extra month, considering it abominable. They gave it names such as mala masa (impure month), cora masa (thieving month), and so on.

___________________

* It is stated in Sri Surya Siddhanta that in one maha-yuga there are 1,593,336 extra months and 51,840,000 solar months. Therefore, there is one extra month after every 32 months, 16 days and 4 hours of the solar calendar.

From the perspective of paramartha-sastra, adhimasa is superior and advantageous for Hari-bhajana:

On the other hand, the most worshipable paramartha-sastra acclaims adhimasa as the most outstanding month for transcendental activities. Since life in this world is temporary, it is not proper to spend any part of one’s life meaninglessly. It is imperative for the jiva to remain continuously engaged in hari-bhajana at every moment. Thus, the adhimasa, which comes every third year, may also become useful for hari-bhajana. This is indeed the deep meaning of paramartha-sastras. Even though karmis perceive this month to be devoid of all auspicious activities, for the deliverance of all the jivas, paramartha sastra, on the other hand,  has ascertained that period as the most conducive for hari-bhajana. Paramartha sastra says, “He jiva! During this adhimasa why should you remain lazy in hari-bhajana? Srimad Golokanatha Himself has ascertained that this month is the best of all. It is superior even to the greatly pious months of Karttika, Magha and Vaisakha. In this month, you should perform arcana of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna with special rules, or moods, for bhajana. You will thereby attain all types of perfection.”

The History and Glories of Adhimasa and how it received the name Purusottama:

The glories of adhimasa are mentioned in the thirty-first chapter of the Naradiya Purana. Adhimasa considered the sovereignty of the twelve months and saw that he was being slighted. He went to Vaikuntha and related his dilemma to Sri Narayana. Out of compassion, Vaikuntha-pati took Adhimasa with Him and appeared before Sri Krsna in Goloka. After hearing about the distress of malamasa (the impure month), Sri Krsna’s heart melted and He spoke thus:

aham etair yatha loke prathitah purusottamah

tathayam api lokesu prathitah purusottamah

asmai samarpitah sarve ye gunamayi samsthitah

mat-sadrsyam-upagamya masanamadhipo bhavet

jagat-pujyo jagat-vandyo maso ’yam tu bhavisyati

sarve masah sakamas ca niskamo ’yam maya krtah

akamah sarvakamo va yo ’dhimasam prapujayet

karmani bhasmasat krtva mam evaisyaty asamsayam

kadacin-mama bhaktanamaparadheti ganyate

purusottama-bhaktanam naparadhah kadacana

ya etasmin-maha mudha japa-danadi-varjitah

sat-karma-snana-rahita deva-tirtha-dvija-dvisah

jayante durbhaga dustah para-bhagyopajivanah

na kadacit sukham tesam svapne ’pi sasa-srngavat

yenahamarcito bhaktya mase ’smin purusottame

dhana-putra-sukham bhunktva pascad-goloka-vasabhak

“He Ramapati! Just as I am celebrated in this world by the name Purusottama, similarly, this Adhimasa too will be renowned in the world by the name Purusottama. Now I offer all My qualities to this month. Becoming like Me, from today onwards, this Adhimasa is the monarch of all the other months, and is the most worshipable and most adored in the world. All other months are sakama, that is, they will grant worldly desires. This month, however, is niskama. Those who worship this month, either without any desires (akama) or with all types of desires, will have all their karmas burnt. Then they will achieve Me. My bhaktas sometimes commit offenses, but in this Purusottama month, they will be protected from committing any offense. In this adhimasa, those greatly foolish persons who neglect to perform auspicious activities, such as japa, giving in charity, visiting and bathing at the holy places, and who are envious of the dvijas (brahmanas) are deemed wicked, unfortunate and living at the cost of others. Thus, they will not attain a scent of happiness, even in their dreams. Conversely, those who are filled with bhakti will take advantage of this Purusottama month to perform arcana to Me. After enjoying worldly happiness, such as wealth, sons and so on, they will eventually attain residence in Goloka.”

The Glories of Purusottama Month in the Context of Draupadi’s History:

Many episodes from the Puranas are narrated in the context of the glories of Purusottama month. One such example is Draupadi. In her previous life, she was the daughter of Medha Rsi. Even after hearing of the glories of Purusottama month from Durvasa Rsi, she neglected to observe that month. As a result, she attained many sufferings in that life and became the wife of five husbands in her birth as Draupadi. During their exile, the Pandavas followed Sri Krsna’s instructions to observe purusottama-masa-vrata and thus crossed over all their sufferings. As it is said:

evam sarvesu tirthesu bhramantah pandunandanah

purusottama-masadya-vratam cerur vidhanatah

tadante rajyam atulam avapur gata-kantakam

purne caturdase varse sri krsna-krpaya mune

“He Muni! During the period of their exile, the Pandavas travelled throughout all the holy places, and by the mercy of Sri Krsna they observed Sri Purusottama vrata with all rules and regulations. As a result of this, they completed their fourteen years of exile without any obstacles and at the end attained an unparalleled kingdom.”

The Account of King Drdhadhanva as spoken by Valmiki regarding Purusottama Vrata:

Purusottama-masa is glorified in the account of King Drdhadhanva’s previous birth. At Badarikasrama, Narada heard the procedure of the vrata from Narayana Rsi, which Valmiki Muni then related to King Drdhadhanva in answer to the king’s questions. Just as the rules of ahnika (gayatri mantras)  for brahmanas are ascertained in dharma-sastras, similarly, the obligatory activities for one observing Purusottama vrata are also delineated, beginning from the brahma-muhurta hour.

Rules for bathing in the month of Sri Purusottama

Regarding the rules for bathing during Purusottama month, it is said:

samudraga nadi-snanam-uttamam parikirtitam

vapi-kupa-tadagesu madhyamam kathitam budhaih

grhe snanam tu samanyam grhasthasya prakirtitam

 “There are three types of baths as declared by the wise. Bath in the rivers which meet the ocean is the topmost. Bath in lakes, ponds and wells is the second best, and bath in one’s home is an ordinary bath.”

For one who is observing Sri Purusottama vrata, after taking bath he should observe the following:

sapavitrena hastena kuryad acamana-kriyam

acamya tilakam kuryad-gopi-candana-mrt-snaya

urddhvapundra mrjum saumyam dandakaram prakalpayet

sankha-cakradikam dharyam gopi-candana-mrtsnaya

“After bathing one should perform acamana with clean hands. One should then make paste of gopi-candana clay and wear simple, beautiful, straight urddhvapundra tilaka on his forehead and the marks of conch, disc and so on, on his body.”

The Exclusive worship of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna is Obligatory in Purusottama Month:

The worship of Sri Krsna is the obligatory activity of Purusottama month.

purusottama-masasya daivatam purusottamah

tasmat sampujayed bhaktya sraddhaya purusottamam

Valmiki said, “He Drdhadhanva! Purusottama Sri Krsna is the presiding deity of the Purosottama month. Therefore, being filled with bhakti-sraddha, you should worship Purusottama Sri Krsna with sixteen types of paraphernalia every day of this month. As it is said:

sodasopacarais ca pujayet purusottamam

“The worship of the divine couple Sri Sri Radha-Krsna is indeed obligatory in Purusottama masa.”

agaccha deva devesa sri krsna purusottama

radhaya sahitas catra grhana pujanam mama

Activities Forbidden in the Month of Purusottama:

All the rules and regulations regarding Sri Purusottama Vrata, which we have presented above from these sastras, should be followed by religiously devoted persons of all the varnas (castes). The Naradiya Purana concludes by saying that in the holy place of Naimisaranya, Sri Suta Gosvami spoke to the assembled devotees as follows:

bharate janurasadya purusottam-uttamam

na sevante na srnvanti grhasakta naradhamah

gatagatam bhajante ’tra durbhaga janmajanmani

putra-mitra-kalatrapta-viyogad duhkha bhaginah

asmin mase dvija srestha nasacchastrany udaharet

na svapet para-sayayam nalapet vitatham kvacit

parapavadan na krayan na kathancit kadacana

parannanca na bhunjita na kurvita parakriyam

“Even after taking birth in India, those who are the lowest of mankind remain attached to household life and never hear the glories of Sri Purusottama Vrata; nor do they observe it. Such unfortunate persons undergo the suffering of repeated birth and death and the distress inflicted by the separation from sons, friends, wife and other relatives.

“O best of the dvijas! In this Purusottama month, one should not uselessly discuss worldly literature or mundane poetry. One should not sleep on the bed of others nor indulge in discussions of worldly sense enjoyment. One should not criticize others, eat foodstuffs cooked by others, or perform activities prescribed for others.”

The obligatory activities in the Purusottama month:

vittasathyam akurvano danam dadhyad dvijataye

vidyamane dhane sathyam kurvano rauravam vrajet

dine dine dvijendraya dattva bhojanam-uttamam

divasasyastame bhage vrati bhojanam acaret

indradyumnah satadyumno yauvanasvo bhagirathah

purusottamam aradhya yayur bhagavadantikam

tasmat sarva prayatnena samsevya purusottamah

sarva sadhanatah sresthah sarvartha phala-dayakah

govardhana-dharam vande gopalam gopa-rupinam

gokulotsavam-isanam govindam gopika-priyam*

kaundinyena pura proktam imam mantram punah punah

japan-masam nayed bhaktya purusottamam-apnuyat

dhyayen-navaghana-syamam dvibhujam muralidharam

lasat pita-patam ramyam sa-radham purosottamam

dhyayam dhyayam nayen-masam pujayan purusottamam

evam yah kurute bhaktya svabhistam sarvam apnuyat

“Giving up miserliness, one should give in charity to the brahmanas. If a person remains miserly even though he has wealth, his miserliness will be the cause of his going to Raurava (one type of hell). Every day one should feed the Vaisnavas and brahmanas with the best foodstuffs. A person who is following the vows should take his food in the eighth part of the day. Indradyuyamna, Satadyuyamna, Yauvanasva and Bhagiratha attained samipya, close association of Bhagavan by worshipping the Purusottama month. One should perform service to Purusottama with all of one’s endeavors. Such service to Purusottama is superior to all types of sadhana and fulfils all variety of desires. In a previous age, Kaundilya Muni repeatedly chanted the mantra ‘govardhana-dharam vande’. By chanting this mantra with devotion during Sri Purusottama month, one will attain Sri Purusottama Himself. One should devote Purusottama month to constantly meditating upon nava-ghana dvibhuja muralidhara pitambara Sri Krsna with Sri Radha. Those who do this with devotion will have all their cherished desires fulfilled.”

As in the month of Kartika, one should fast from tomatoes, eggplant, sesame, mustard seeds and oil, honey, and urad-dahl.

NItai Gaura Sitanatha premanande hari bol!