Celebration of Purushottam Month

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.