“Merciful Purusottama month acts like a

desire tree to fulfill a devotee's desire.”

–The Sages of Naimisaranya-
 "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 Krsna during
Purusottama month, all miseries are destroyed, one
attains all kinds of perfection and fulfills all his desires.”
– Durvasa Muni
 Purusottama Month Pastime
Once while the Pandavas were exiled, Lord Krsna went to visit
them in the forest. Being pleased with their love and devotion,
he narrated the history of Purusottama Month
 By the arrangement of the Providence an extra month came
into this world. However, it was considered to be an
extremely inauspicious time to perform any religious
activities.

The personality of this month, being so rejected by everyone

became grief stricken and decided to approach the Lord to explain
the sorrowful situation. It fell at the Lord’s lotus feet saying “My
Lord you are an ocean of mercy. I have no other shelter than you.
Please protect me. Please show me your mercy!”
Saying these words, the extra month [adhik maas] began to cry
and sat down before the Supreme Lord in a dejected mood. The
all merciful Lord Krsna said, “Do not lament, I shall give you
protection from all of your miseries. Please stop crying. It is not
proper to lament after taking shelter of My lotus feet.”

"I shall make you just like Me in quality, fame, opulence,

realization, success, and in giving benediction to the devotees.
This month will become equally potent to Me. I am bestowing all
of My divine qualities in this abused month. Named after Me,
this month will be famous as Purusottama month in this
world" – Lord Krsna (Padma Purana)
 How to Observe Purusottama Month
• Wake up before sunrise and attend • Read about Krishna (SB, BG./
Mangal Artik others)

• Perform Tulsi Puja & Parikrama • Participate in Preaching Programs

• Chant Japa • Offering 1-16 Items of Worship

(Upacaras)
• Chant Extra Rounds
• Attend / Organize Home Programs
• Take Ganga Bath
• Participate in Harinams
• Offer Flowers to Lord Krsna
• Distribute Books
• Offering Tulasi/ Manjaris
• Perform Vaisnava Seva
• Participate in Sandhya / other
Artiks • Perform Temple Seva

• Offering Lamp • Attend / Organize Bhajans /Sangas

• Attend Srimad Bhagavatam Class

 Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura recommends devotees to
observe Purusottama Month according to their
individual capacity
 The Special Months
Purusottama, Vaisak and Damodara (Kartika) months are special
occasions manifested particularly to give mercy to non-devotees

These items for honoring Purusottama month are directly taken

from the Puranas and according to Srila Prabhupada’s directives
regarding attracting newcomers to Krishna Consciousness
(preaching, Harinams, book distribution, etc.) during this kind of
special months.

Srila Prabhupada explains the purpose of such months in a letter

to H.H. Jayapataka Swami (at that time a Brahmacari) on January
30, 1969 (Next slide).
“My Dear Jayapataka,

…You have asked about the specialness of the month of

Karttika, and the answer is that it is a special inducement for
persons who are not in Krsna consciousness to perform some
devotional service. For persons who are doing nothing in Krsna
consciousness, it is an indirect inducement to take to
devotional service in earnest seriousness, every moment is
Karttika. In this connection, there is a good example that
sometimes a store gives a special concession to attract new
customers…”
(Continued…)

But for those who are already

customers there is no need of a
special sale. They will purchase at any
cost if they know the important value
of the goods. Similarly, those who are
pure devotees do not aspire for any
concession, and out of spontaneous
love try to engage themselves in
devotional service twenty-four hours
each day, three hundred and sixty
five days every year, without any
stoppage…”
Weekly Checklist for Purusottama Month
Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Weekly Totals
Week One

Mangal Arati
Tulasi Puja &
Parikrama
*Japa (__ Rounds)
Extra Rounds

S.B. Class
**Offering 1-16
Items of Worship
***Ganga Bath

Offering Flowers
Offering Tulasi/
Manjaris
Sandhya Artik

Offering Lamp
Reading about
Krishna (BG, etc.)
Continued…

Preaching
_
Programs
Home Programs
Harinams
Books
Distributed
Vaisnava Seva
Temple Seva
Bhajans/Sangas
Purusottama Month Checklist Explanations
The recommendation for devotees during this month (and other
similar ones) is to perform additional services and increase their
chanting, hearing, reading, worship and, according to Srila
Prabhupada, preaching to attract newcomers to the path of Krsna
Consciousness. This merciful Purusottama Month is a very “special
concession to attract new customers”. Since, according to Sastras, it is
many times more beneficial than even Damodara month, it is a great
opportunity to increase one’s spiritual advancement. There are
essential and optional items in the given list.
 Sri Krsna recommends in the
Padma Purana:

• Worshipping Him
• Chanting His holy names
• Studying Srimad Bhagavatam and
Bhagavad-Gita
• Offering ghee lamp (dipa) and
• Giving in charity (best applied to devotees
and by preaching Krsna Consciousness)
 Srila Prabhupada’s Devotional
Program

Several of the items indicated for observing Purusottama Month

are included in the program (for morning and evening) that
Srila Prabhupada prescribed for the devotees in ISKCON
(waking up early, attending aratis, worshipping and
circumambulating Tulasi devi, reading Srimad Bhagavatam,
etc.). Thus by following this program, we are ensured to be
already honoring some of the aspects for this particularly
auspicious month.
 Japa & Extra Rounds

For initiated devotees Srila Prabhupada recommended to chant extra

rounds (above the minimum of 16) during special days such as Ekadasis.

For devotees involved in congregational programs having a system of

gradually increasing their Japa (1, 4, 8, etc. up to 16 once aspiring for
initiation) “extra rounds” means rounds above their established quota.

It is not intended that uninitiated devotes feel forced to chant 16 rounds

without being voluntarily committed to do so.

In any case, to increase the quota of rounds during this month is suggested.
 Ganges Bath
If unable to physically bathe in the waters of Mother
Ganga, invoke her presence by repeating her name at
least three times (“Ganga, Ganga, Ganga”). In this way
Gangadevi would kindly manifest, and the given bath
would be non-different from bathing directly in the
waters of Mother Ganga.
 Items of Worship (Upacaras)
During Purusottama month the worship of Krsna is
particularly recommended. The observant of Purusottama
month can choose from 1 to any number of these 16 items for
their personal worship.

1. Seat (Asana) 6. Special drink 11. Sandalwood paste

2. Welcome (Svagata) (Madhuparka) (Gandha)
3. Lotus feet wash 7. Repeated water for 12. Fragrant flowers
(Padya) sipping (Punar-acamana) (Puspa)
4. Sprinkle water 8. Bathing (Snana) 13. Incense (Dhupa)
(Arghya) 9. Fresh clothing, thread 14. Ghee or camphor
5. Water for sipping and tilaka (Vastra) lamp (Dipa)
(Acamana) 10. Ornaments and 15. Foodstuff (Naivedya)
decorations (Abharana) 16. Respects (Pranams)
 General Recommendations
• Chanting extra rounds, helping guests to be engaged in some
devotional practice and the offering of ghee lamps every day (in
the same fashion of Damodara month) is particularly
encouraged.
• Other specifications found in different sastras may be followed
according to the level of advancement of the practitioner.

• The main encouragement is to especially attract new people by

participating in preaching activities such as book distribution,
home or public programs, Harinams, etc, to do some service for
Krsna as recommended in the Padma Purana.
 Srila Prabhupada Quotes & other references
“...And never neglect to chant your 16 rounds of beads daily, rise
early without fail, attend Mangal Aratik, take bath, and follow the
other regulative principles, and everything will come out very
successfully, you can rest assured of that.”

(Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Bhargava dasa. LA June 13th, 1972)

“…that enthusiastic mood is maintained when everyone is always

without fail chanting 16 rounds daily, rising early for Mangal Aratik,
reading books, preaching.”

(Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Trai dasa, Bombay India December 27th,

1972)
 Srila Prabhupada on the
importance of the Ganges
“…there is the story of Vāmana, who, when He took three
steps, stuck His foot through the covering of this universe.
Water from the Causal Ocean flowed through the hole that
His foot made, and it is said that that water became the
river Ganges. Therefore the Ganges is accepted as the most
sacred water of Viṣṇu…” (From Srila Prabhupada’s
Introduction to Caitanya Caritamrita)
Tulasi Aratik
and Parikrama:

"…Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by

remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing
before, simply by hearing about, or simply by sowing the
tree, there is always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in
touch with the Tulasi tree in the above mentioned ways
lives eternally in the Vaikuntha world." (Srila
Prabhupada’s letter to Radhavallabha dasa. Bombay
January 6, 1972).

“Whoever takes shelter of you has his wishes fulfilled.

Bestowing your mercy on him, you make him a resident
of Vrindavan.”- Krsna Das (Tulasi Arati Song)
 Offering of 1 to 16 items of worship
(Upacaras):

“The offerings of Upacaras are the medium by which you can

express your devotional service. Bhakti, your love is one
Upacara and the best of all Upacaras. If something is offered
with bhakti it is considered as bhakti. If it is offered with the
intention of gaining some fruitive result it is mixed bhakti.”

- H.G. Jananivas Prabhu, Head Pujari of ISKCON Mayapur and

Head of ISKCON Deity Worship Division

For more information on Upacaras please visit

www.deityworship.com
 Vaisnava Seva

Srila Narottama dasa Thakur says, “chadiya vaisanva seva

nistara peyeche keba”: unless one serves a Vaisnava, he
cannot be delivered.”- CC Madhya 1.218 ppt

Lord Siva tells his wife: “My dear Pārvatī, there are
different methods of worship, and out of all such methods
the worship of the Supreme Person is considered to be
the highest. But even higher than the worship of the Lord
is the worship of the Lord’s devotees.” (Padma Purana)
 Temple Seva
“…But those who are not doing, for them it is very difficult.
Kṛṣṇa says... He gives the prescription that satataṁ cintayanto
mām: (BG 9.14) "Always thinking of Me." Man-manā bhava
mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Here is the
chance. You come to the temple, engage in the temple
service. Naturally your mind will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. This
temple is open not for making a force; just to make this
process, niveśita-ātmā, always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought.

(Srila Prabhupada Lecture on SB 1.15.33 – Los Angeles,

December 11, 1973)
 Charity
“As far as charity is concerned, it is plain that charity
should be given to the devotees of Kṛṣṇa who are
engaged in His devotional service to spread the Kṛṣṇa
philosophy, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, throughout the
world. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a benediction to humanity.
Lord Caitanya was appreciated by Rūpa Gosvāmī as the
most munificent man of charity because love of Kṛṣṇa,
which is very difficult to achieve, was distributed freely by
Him. So if one gives some amount of his money to persons
involved in distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that charity,
given to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the greatest
charity in the world.”
 Preaching

The Lord Himself states in the Gita (18.68–69), “For one

who explains this supreme secret to the devotees,
devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end, he will
come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more
dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.”
 Benefits of Observing
Purusottama Vrata
All the holy places in the world come to reside in your
body.

One who observes Purusottama Month with faith and

devotion will go back home, to serve Radha-Govinda
eternally in Goloka Vrndavana at the end of his life.
 How to conclude the Purusottama
Vrata
• Worship Radha-Govinda and chant this mantra:

“O Supreme Lord! O Sanatana! O Purusottama! O Lord Hari! I

offer my obeisances unto You. May You and Your beloved
Srimati Radhika please accept my offerings. I offer my
repeated obeisances unto Radha-Syamasundara, who wears
effulgent yellow garments on His beautiful body.”

• Offer pushpanjali and dandavats to Radhe-Syama.

• Give charity and feed to brahmanas to best of your ability.

 Please contact us at:

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www.iskconcongregation.com
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Chakra Building, office 127-128