Purushottama....

PURUSHOTTAM MONTH  / ADHIKA MASA
18th August 2012– 17th September 2012

Why is it Called Purushottam Month?
a) Lord Sri Krishna is Purusottama, and it is the Lord's favorite month.
b) As Krsna is the supreme among all incarnations, Purusottama is the
supreme among all months.
c) It is the holiest month, far superior to the pious months of Magha,
Vaisakha and Karttika.
d) Purusottama month is worshiped all over the universe by devotees, sages,
demigods and even Laksmi Devi Herself.

Why is it called Adhika Masa ("the extra month")?
1. It is an extra month of the year as per the Lunar Calendar.
2. The Vedic calendar is a lunar calendar and is based on the cycles of the
Moon.
3. Also because Sri Krsna has placed all His potencies, mercy, blessings in
this month.

Do you know why it is also called the "Mala Masa" ("the polluted month")?
Because the performers of karma-kanda  cannot get any material fruitive
results from their worship during this month, they call it so. Only works
of devotion (Krsna-bhakti) give results in Purusottama month.


GLORIES OF PURUSHOTTAM MONTH
from Padma and Skanda Puranas

1) Lord Sri Krsna: "Purusottama month has all the power I have to bless its
observer. One who follows Purusottama vrata will destroy all his past
sinful reactions. Without performing Purusottama vrata, one cannot perform
pure devotional service. The value of Purusottama month is far more
valuable than all other types of austerities and religious activities
mentioned in the Vedas. Anyone who observes Purusottama vrata will return
to my abode, Goloka, at the end of his life".
2) Durvasa Muni: "Just by bathing in a holy river during Purusottama month,
one becomes sinless. The glory of all other months is not equal to
one-sixteenth of the glory of the Purusottama month. By bathing in a holy
place, giving charity and chanting the Holy Name of Krsna during
Purusottama month, all miseries are destroyed, one attains all kinds of
perfection and fulfills all his desires".
3) One Purushottama vrata equals a thousand Kartika vratas.
4) Valmiki Muni: "By observing Purusottama vrata, one attains more benefit
than performing one hundred horse sacrifices. All holy places live within
the body of a Purusottama month vrati. Anyone who faithfully performs
Purusottama vrata will go to Goloka Vrndavana".
5) Residence in the holy dhama in Purusottama month yields 1000 times the
benefit.
6) Naimisaranya Sages: "Merciful Purusottama month acts like a desire tree
to fulfill a devotee's desire".
7) If one sincerely worships Radha and Krsna in Purusottama month, he will
attain everything.
8) One who observes Purusottama vrata, will burn up the reactions of all
his bad karma and attain the direct service of Radha and Krsna.
9) Purusottama month is the best month for all spiritual advancement
because Krsna overlooks all the aparadhas.

How to follow the Purushottama Vrata?
1) Keep celibacy for one month. (Sleep on the floor - optional).
2) Bathe daily before sunrise (best in a holy place, or at least 3 days in
a month).
3) Chant Hare Krsna Mahamantra and meditate on Krsna's forms, qualities and
pastimes. Daily chant extra rounds: 24, 32, or 64 rounds.
4) Daily offer ghee lamp to Radha-Krsna Deities or picture. 33 lamps daily
or at least 1 day in the month.
5) Daily offer aratika and perform parikrama around Tulasi Devi.
6) Daily perform parikrama around the temple (4 times).
7) Daily offer Radha-Krsna Deities or picture roses, lotus flowers and
100,000 Tulasi leaves or as many as you can.
8) Daily read Srimad Bhagavatam, especially Lord Brahma's prayers to
Krishna (Canto 10, Chapter 14), and Bhagavad-gita (Chapter 15).
9) Recommended to daily chant Sri Jagannathastakam, Sri
Cauragraganya-purusastakam, Sri Nanda-Nandanastakam, Jaya Radha Madhava,
and other Radha-Krsna bhajanas and prayers.
10) Take a vow to remain peaceful and truthful throughout the month.
11) Be careful not to blaspheme any devotees, brahmanas, saints, cows,
sastras or people who follow this vrata.
12) Try your best to please Radha and Krsna by performing devotional
austerities according to your abilities.
13) Eat on leaf plates sitting on the floor (optional).
14) No cutting of hair or nails (optional).
15) No cooking in oil or rubbing of oil on your body.
16) No eating or rubbing of mustard oil.
17) Diets: Best to eat once a day after sunset or noon the following diets:
     i) only milk
     ii) only fruits (no milk, no vegetables)
     iii) no grains (selected vegetables, fruits, nuts, milk)
     iv) selected foods (all categories as per caturmasya standards).
18) Hari-bhakti-vilasa: "During Purusottama month, one should remember Lord
Krsna and then donate thirty three milk cakes cooked in ghee to grhastha
brahmanas, who are well versed in sastras. Failing to do so, one loses all
the piety he accumulated in the previous year."
19) Recitation of the following mantra of Kaundinya Muni is recommended:
govardhana-dharam vande, gopalam gopa-rupinam
gokulotsavam isanam, govindam gopika-priyam
20) Daily offer 33 dandavats to Bhagavan Sri Krsna or the Vaisnavas.
21) Bhaktivinoda Thakura: Perform the Nirapeksa Vrata, which means 30 days
of concentrated, one-pointed worship and service to Radha-Govinda by
hearing, chanting, remembering Their divine names, forms, qualities,
pastimes. All day and night, hear about Bhagavan Sri Krsna, chant the Hare
Krsna Mahamantra, take only mahaprasada.

Breaking Purusottama Vrata
1) Bathe in brahma-muhurta time, worship Radha-Syamasundara Deities or
picture, and pray thus: "O Supreme Lord, O Sanatana, O Purusottama, O Lord
Hari! I offer my obeisances unto you. May you and your beloved Radhika,
please accept my offerings. I offer my repeated obeisances unto
Syamasundara, who wears effulgent yellow garments on His beautiful body.
2) Offer puspanjali and obeisances to Radha-Syamasundara Deities or picture.
3) Feed and give charity to 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 brahmanas to the best of your
ability (e.g., new clothes, two pairs of shoes, money). The best charity is
to give a Srimad Bhagavatam to a qualified grhastha vaisnava brahmana. This
act will deliver all your ancestors to the spiritual world and award them
the association of Lord Purusottama!

Narada Muni: "Purusottama month is the best of all months, vratas and
austerities. Just by faithfully hearing the glories of Purusottama month,
one attains krsna-bhakti and immediately nullifies his sinful reactions.
One who performs Purusottama vrata properly will attain unlimited sukrti
and go to the spiritual world".

Hare Krishna-- How to observe Purushottama Month