Tradition
of following Purushottam month visiting temples and the puja ritual with bhajans -katha about this month is important and enjoyable to
everyone at our home. Granny and aunts with my mom gets ready for celebration by heart and
I get the opportunity to listen the talk.
Adhik
maas falls in the month when Sankranti (the first day of the month) does not
fall within one month. When there are two Sankrantis within one month then it
becomes the lunar year with one reduced month.This extra month is known by
various names: Adhik Maas, Mal Maas, Purushottam Maas and Malimmacha. This is
the thirteenth month of the lunar calendar. Therefore lunar calendar has 13
months in every 3 years.
There are
several kathas related about the glory of Purushottam Mas in the Narad Puran In
ancient times, the rishis Asit, Deval, Angira, Vamdev and others gathered at
Naimisharanya Kshetra. Soon Sutpurani too arrived, while on a pilgrimage.
Welcoming him, the others requested him to do katha which would imbue
moksha.
Sutji replied, "Once Naradji visited Nar-Narayan rishi's ashram. He humbly prayed, "O Prabhu! What is the way to moksha in this KaliYuga - age of darkness, which is plunging in ever increasing hedonism?"
The rishi replied, "O Muni! If man was to listen to the divine lila of Purushottam Narayan, then even in Kali Yuga, He will grant moksha."
Therefore the riishis listened to the lila in Adhik Mas, henceforth also known as Purushottam Mas.
As
Adhik-mas has no such association with a particular stellar system, it was
associated with the universal deity - Lord Shri Purushottam. As with
everything, the ancient sages understood the need of the masses for a
convincing "story" to make this astrological point stick in the mind
of the ordinary person.
They created a beautiful legend in which Adhik-mas
was disowned by all the stellar deities and no one thought it auspicious.
Feeling orphaned, it went to Lord Shri Vishnu for advise. Being the preserver
of the universe, he was keen to make sure everyone worked happily in the
overall scheme of things. Concerned that the correct revolution of months,
seasons and years - central to the successful working of things - was
maintained, He decided to resolve the matter and took the dis-satisfied month
to Golok and requested Lord Shri Purushottamji to find a resolution.
The Lord is forever compassionate. Being
omnipresent and omnipotent, He permeates all and every thing in the universe.
How can anyone feel orphaned when the universal spirit resided in that person ?
To dispel the inferiority complex of the Adhik-mas, the Lord smiled, sat him
upon His lap and said, "You are mine ! How can you possibly feel orphaned
? I declare that from hence, any good work carried out during your term will
bear enduring fruit and will be of greater value than all works performed at
other times of the year."
Overwhelmed by the Lord's kindness, Adhik-mas bowed
before the Lord and said, "This is a boon beyond my reckoning ! I am
forever grateful for your compassion. But, my Lord, the great men of learning
have declared that during my term on the Earth, no formal ritual work may bear
fruit and so no one will perform great sacrifices or commence on great penances
during my term on the earth. What am I to do ? Though yours, am I to remain as
the only month when all auspicious actions will cease ?"
The Lord is forever full of understanding and could
empathise with Adhik-mas. The Lord of the universe than said, "I bless you
as my own month. Whatever good deeds are done during your reign will outshine
all other works done during all other months. Great works done with devotion
during Adhik-mas will amass such great fruits that even the doors to Golok will
open for the devote. Have no fear, amongst all the months, you shall reign as
the supreme and shall be known by my own name as Purushottam-mas (month of Lord
Shri Purushottam)."
Adhik-mas bowed low before the Lord and returned to
the realm of the mortals with great joy. From that day onwards, everyone looks
forward to the time when Adhik-mas comes around again and people can worship
the Lord with great devotion, hoping to achieve that which would otherwise take
several life times to achieve.
The purpose of Vrat in this
month is to appease deity to achieve and fulfill once desires, to bring the
divine grace and blessing, gaining back lost health and wealth, getting
offspring, divine help and assistance in difficult time in one’s life.
Bhandara are conducted in
Adhik maas in many of the Temples by contributing in such a Annadaan events is
more devotional and blissful. Giving donations in Annadan and Vastra daan in
this month can reduces the malefic effects of Navagrahas.Granny and mom celebrate this ritual visiting temples and enjoys the ritual of being participated Narayan temple to have katha and bhajans regularly.
