Śtī £utu?
ottama⁄mǎsa⁄mahǎtm a
Š F
TH5 G5ORI5S OE
R URU?OTTAWA
WONTH
By Šrīla Saccidǎnanda Bhaktivinoda Thǎkura
TWO DIVISIONS OF ŚǍSTRA—SMǍRTA AND rARAMǍRTHA
The Vedic ǎt a śǎsttas afe divided into two
sections—smǎtta (litefatufe based on smiti)
and patamǎttλa (tfanscendental litefatufe based on
śtuti). Those who afe eligible (adλikǎti) fof the smǎtta
sec2 tion do not have any natufal inclination of
taste fof the patamǎttλa śǎsttas. The thoughts¸
pfinciples¸ activities and life goal of evefy human is
constituted accofding to his fespective tuci
(inclination). Gen2 efally¸ smǎttas accept those
scfiptufes which afe in accofdance with theif
fespective tuci. Having gfeatef adλikǎta fof smǎtta
śǎstta, they do not demonstfate much fegafd fof
patamǎttλika śǎstta. Pfovidence is the agent behind
the cfeation of these two divisions. Thefefofe¸
undoubtedly the maintainef of the wofld must have
a hidden pufpose in having made such an
affangement.
As faf as I undefstand¸ the pufpose is that the
jīeas sequentially make pfogfess in theif level of con2
sciousness by femaining steadfast in theif fespective
adλikǎta. By deviating ffom one’s adλikǎta¸ one falls
down. Accofding to one’s activities¸ a pefson
attains
two types of adλikǎta—katmǎdλikǎta and bλakti
adλikλǎta. As long as one maintains his
katmǎdλikǎta¸ he defives benefit ffom the path shown
by the smǎtta section. When he entefs bλakti
adλikǎta¸ by tfans2 gfessing the katmǎdλikǎta¸ then
he develops a natu2 fal tuci (inclination) fof the
patamǎttλika¸ of tfan2 scendental¸ path. Thefefofe¸
pfovidence has made these two divisions of śǎstta:
smǎtta and patamǎttλa.
THh RUlhS AND Rh UlATIONS OF SMǍRTA ŚǍSTRA ARh
COW2 WITThD TO KARMA
The smǎtta śǎstta has made vafious types of fules
and fegulations in ofdef to help one attain ni?tλǎ¸
steadfastness¸ in katmǎdλikǎta. In many instances¸ it
even demonstfates indiffefence towafds patamǎttλa
śǎstta to make people attain specific ni?tλǎ in such
fules and fegulations. In feality¸ although śǎstta is
one¸ it manifests in two ways fof the people. If the
jīea gives up adλikǎta ni?tλa, he can nevef
attain auspiciousness. Fof this feason¸ the śǎsttas have
been divided into two: smǎtta and patamǎttλa.
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ADHIMǍSA (hXTRA WONTH)¸ AlSO CAllhD MALA MǍSA
THE H7STORV AND GLOR7ES OT ADHIMǍSA AND HOW 7T
(IW2 RECE7VED THE NAME G R ?OTTAMA
SURh WONTH)¸ IS DhVOID OF All AUSSICIOUS ACTIVITIhS

The glofies of adλimǎsa afe mentioned in the

By dividing the whole yeaf in twelve pafts¸ the thifty2fifst chaptef of the Nǎtadī a Łutǎna.
smǎtta śǎsttas have asceftained the auspicious¸ of Adhimǎsa considefed the sovefeignty of the
feligious¸ activities fof these twelve months. All thetwelve months
katma, feligious activities which and saw that he was being
afe paft of the eatnǎśtama system slighted. He went to Vaikuụiha
when allotted to the twelve Turu?ottama month and felated his dilemma to Šfī
months¸ leave the extfa month Nǎfǎyaụa. Out of compassion¸
(adλimǎsa) devoid of any such is superior even Vaikuụiha2pati took Adhimǎsa
activity. Thefe is no feligious
pef2 fofmance in adλimǎsa. In
to the greatly pious months with Him and appeafed befofe
Šfī K=sụa in Goloka. Aftef
ofdef to keep lunaf months of Kǎrttika, Mǎgha and heaf2 ing about the distfess
and solaf months in tally¸ one of malamǎsa (the impufe
month has to be excluded evefy Vaiśǎkha. month)¸ Šfī K=sụa’s heaft
32 months. The name of that melted and He spoke thus:
month is
adλimǎsa (extfa month).2 Smǎttas have discafded
this extfa month¸ considefing it abominable. They aλam etait atλǎ loke ptatλitaλ putu?ottama#
gave it names such as mala mǎsa (impufe month)¸ tatλǎ am api loke?u ptatλita# puru?ottamaĽ
cota mǎsa (thieving month)¸ and so on. asmai samatpitǎ# satee e gunama i samstλitǎ#
mat sǎdis am upǎgam a mǎsǎuǎmadhcpo bhaeet
FROW THh ShRSShCTIVh OF rARAMǍRTHA ŚǍSTRA¸ jagat pǔj o jagat eand o mǎso ’ am tu bλaeis ati
ADHIMǍSA
satee mǎsǎ# sakǎmǎś ca uc?hǎmo ’çam ma ǎ kita#
IS SUShRIOR AND ADVANTA hOUS FOR HARI 8HAJANA
akǎma# sateakǎmo eǎ o ’dλimǎsam ptapǔja et
On the othef hand¸ the most wofshipable katmǎni bλasmasǎt kiteǎ mǎm eeai? at asamśa am
patamǎttλa śǎstta acclaims adλimǎsa as the most kadǎcin mama bλaktǎnǎmapatǎdλeti gan ate
outstanding month fof tfanscendental activities. putu?ottama bλaktǎnǎm nǎpatǎdλa#
Since life in this wofld is tempofafy¸ it is not pfopef kadǎcana
to spend any paft of one’s life meaninglessly. It is a etasmin maλǎ mǔạλǎ japa dǎnǎdi eatjitǎ#
impefative fof the jīea to femain continuously en2 sat katma snǎna taλitǎ deea tīttλa deija dei?a#
gaged in λati bλajana at evefy moment. Thus¸ the
adλimǎsa, which comes evefy thifd yeaf¸ may also jǎ ante dutbλagǎ du?tǎ# pata bλǎg opajīeana#
become useful fof λati bλajana. This is indeed the na kǎdacit sukλam te?ǎm seapne ’pi śaśa śimgaeat
deep meaning of patamǎttλa śǎsttas. Even though enǎλamatcito bλakt ǎ mǎse ’smin putu?ottame
katmīs pefceive this month to be devoid of all aus2 dλana putta sukλam bλumkteǎ paścǎd goloka eǎsabλǎk
picious activities¸ fof the delivefance of all the
jīeas¸ patamǎttλa śǎstta, on the othef hand¸ has “He Ramǎpati! Just as I am celebfated in this
asceftained that pefiod as the most conducive fof wofld by the name Pufusottama¸ similafly¸ this
λati bλajana. Łatamǎttλa śǎstta says¸ “He jīea! Dufing Adhimǎsa too will be fenowned in the wofld by the
this adλimǎsa why should you femain lazy in λati name Pufusottama. Now I offef all Wy qualities to
bλajana? Šfīmad Golokanǎtha Himself has this month. Becoming like We¸ ffom today
asceftained that this month is the best of all. It is onwafds¸ this Adhimǎsa is the monafch of all the
supefiof even to the gfeatly pious months of othef months¸ and is the most wofshipable and
Kǎfttika¸ Wǎgha and Vai¡ǎkha. In this month¸ most adofed in the wofld. All othef months afe
you should peffofm atcana of Šfī Šfī Rǎdhǎ2K=sụa sakǎma¸ that is¸ they will gfant wofldly desifes.
with special fules¸ of moods¸ fof bλajana. You will This month¸ howevef¸ is ni?kǎma. Those who
thefeby attain all types of pef2 fection.” wofship this month¸ eithef without any desifes
(akǎma) of with all types of desifes¸ will have all
theif katmas bufnt. Then

2
It is stated in Śtī 3ǔt a 3iddλǎnta that in one maλǎ uga there are K59333δ extra months and 5K8 0000 solar months.
Therefore¸ there is one extra month after every 32 months¸ Kδ days and hours of the solar calendar.
they will achieve We. Wy bλaktas sometimes com2
“He Wuni! Dufing the pefiod of theif exile¸
mit offenses¸ but in this Pufusottama month¸ they
the Pǎụďavas tfaveled thfoughout all the holy
will be pfotected ffom committing any offense. In
places¸ and by the mefcy of Šfī K=sụa they
this adλimǎsa, those gfeatly foolish pefsons who
obsefved Šfī Pufusottama etata with all fules and
neglect to peffofm auspicious activities¸ such
fegu2
as japa¸ giving in chafity¸ visiting and
lations. As a fesult of this they com2
bathing at the holy places¸ and who afe
pleted theif foufteen yeafs of exile
envious
without any obstacles and at the end
of the deijas (btǎλmanas) afe
attained an unpafalleled kingdom.”
deemed wicked¸ unfoftunate and
living at the cost of othefs. Thus¸ THh ACCOUNT OF KIN DẠDHADHANVǍ
they V ǍlW KI Rh ARDIN
A S SSOK h N BY
will not attain a scent of hap2 PURU?OTTAWA VRATA
piness¸ even in theif dfeams.
Convefsely¸ those who afe Pufusottama2mǎsa is glofified in
filled with bλakti will take the account of King D=ďhadhanvǎ’s
advantage of this pfevious bifth. At Badafikǎ¡fǎma¸
Pufusottama month to Nǎfada heafd the pfocedufe of the
peffofm atcana to We. Aftef etata ffom Nǎfayaụa Rsī¸ which Vǎlmiki
enjoying wofldly happiness¸ Wuni then felated to King D=ďhadhanvǎ
such as wealth¸ sons and so on¸ in answef to the king’s questions. Just as
they will eventually attain the fules of aλanika (gǎ atti manttas) fof
fesidence in Goloka. btǎλmanas afe asceftained in dλatma
śǎsttas¸ similafly¸ the obliga2
THh lORIhS OF tofy activities fof one obsefv2
PURU?OTTAWA WONTH IN Just as 7 am celebrated in this
ing Pufusottama etata afe also
THh CONThXT OF
world by the name Turu?ottama, delineated¸ beginning ffom the
DRAUSAD ’S HISTORY btaλma muλǔtta houf.
similarly, this adhcmǎsa too will be
Wany episodes ffom
the Łutǎnas afe naffated in
renowned in the world by the
R Ulh S FO R B ATHIN IN
the context of the glofies name Turu?ottama. Now 7 offer all THh WONTH OF ŠR PURU?
of Pufusottama month. OTTAWA

One such example is My qualities to this month. Beг

Dfaupadī. In hef pfevious Regafding the fules fof
coming like Me, from today onг
life¸ she was the daughtef bathing dufing Pufusottama
of Wedhǎ Rsi. Even aftef wards, this adhcmǎsa is the monг month¸ it is said:
heafing of the glofies of samudtagǎ nadī snǎnam
Pufusottama month ffom
arch of all the other months, and is
uttamam patikīttitam
Dufvǎsǎ Rsi¸ she ne2 the most worshipable and most eǎpī kǔpa taạǎge?u
glected to obsefve that madλ amam katλitam budλai#
month. As a fesult¸ she at2 adored in the world. giλe snǎnam tu sǎmǎn am
giλastλas a ptakīttitam
tained many suffefings in that life and became the
wife of five husbands in hef bifth as Dfaupadī. Duf2 “Thefe afe thfee types of baths as declafed by
ing theif exile¸ the Pǎụďavas followed Šfī K=sụa’s in2 the wise. Bath in the fivefs which meet the ocean is
stfuctions to obsefve putu?ottama mǎsa etata and thus the topmost. Bath in lakes¸ ponds and wells is the
cfossed ovef all theif suffefings. As it is said: second best¸ and bath in one’s home is an ofdinafy
bath.”
eeam satee?u tīttλe?u bλtamanta#
Fof one who is obsefving Šfī Pufusottama etata,
pǎnạunandanǎ# putu?ottama mǎsǎd a etatam
cetut eidλǎnata# tadante tǎj am atulam aeaput aftef taking bath he should obsefve the following:
gata kantakam pǔtne catutdaśe eat?e śtī ki?na sapaeittena λastena kut ǎd ǎcamana kti ǎm
kipa ǎ mune ǎcam a tilakam kut ǎd gopī candana mit sna
ǎ
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 utddλeapunạta mijum saum am danạǎkǎtam ptakalpa
et śamkλa caktǎdikam dλǎt am gopī candana mitsna ǎ
“Aftef bathing one should peffofm ǎcamana
with clean hands. One should then make paste of
gopicandana clay and weaf simple¸ beautiful¸ stfaight
utddλeapunạta tilaka on his fofehead and the mafks
of conch¸ disc and so on¸ on his body.”
THh hXClUSIVh WORSHIS OF ŠR ŠR RǍDHǍ2KẠ?NA
OBlI ATORY IN PURU?OTTAWA WONTH
The wofship of Šfī K=sụa is the obligatofy
activity of Pufusottama month.
putu?ottama mǎsas a daieatam putu?ottama#
tasmǎt sampǔja ed bλakt ǎ śtaddλa ǎ putu?
ottamam
“Even aftef taking bifth in India¸ those who
afe the lowest of mankind femain attached to
household life and nevef heaf the glofies of Šfī
Pufusottama etata; nof do they obsefve it. Such
unfoftunate pefsons undefgo the suffefing of
fe2 peated bifth and death and the distfess inflicted
by the sepafation ffom sons¸ ffiends¸ wife and othef
felatives.
IS
“O best of the deijas! In this Pufusottama
month¸ one should not uselessly discuss wofldly
litefatufe of mundane poetfy. One should not sleep
on the bed of othefs nof indulge in discussions of
wofldly sense enjoyment. One should not cfiticize
othefs¸ eat foodstuffs cooked by othefs¸ of peffofm
activities pfescfibed fof othefs.”

Vǎlmīki said¸ “He D=dhadhanvǎ! Pufusottama
Šfī K=sụa is the pfesiding deity of the Pufosottama
month. Thefefofe¸ being filled with bλakti śtaddλǎ,
you should wofship Pufusottama Šfī K=sụa with six2
teen types of pafaphefnalia evefy day of this
month. As it is said:
śoạaśopacǎtais ca pǔja et putu?ottam
“The wofship of the divine couple Šfī Šfī
Rǎdhǎ2K=sụa is indeed obligatofy in Pufusottama
mǎsa.”
ǎgaccλa deea deeeśa śtī ki?na putu?ottama
tǎdλa ǎ saλitaś cǎtta giλǎna pǔjanam mama
ACTIVITIhS FORBIDDhN IN THh WONTH OF PURU?OTTAWA
All the fules and fegulations fegafding Šfī
Pufusottama etata, which we have pfesented above
ffom these śǎsttas, should be followed by feligiously
devoted pefsons of all the eatnas (castes). The
Nǎtadī a Łutǎna concludes by saying that in the holy
place of Naimi¡afanya¸ Šfī Suta Gosvǎmī spoke to
the assembled devotees as follows:
bλǎtate janutǎsǎd a putu?ottam uttamam
na seeante na śineanti giλǎsakta natǎdλamǎ#
gatǎgatam bλajante ’tta dutbλagǎ janmajanmani
putta mitta kalattǎpta ei ogǎd du#kλa bλǎgina#
asmin mǎse deija śte?tλǎ nǎsaccλǎsttan udǎλatet
na seapet pata śa ǎ ǎm nǎlapet eitatλam keacit
patǎpaeǎdǎn na kta ǎn na katλaũcit kadǎcana
patǎnnaũca na bλunjīta na kuteita patakti ǎm
THh OBlI ATORY ACTIVITIhS IN THh PURU?OTTAWA
WONTH
eittaśǎtλ am akuteǎno dǎnam dadλ ǎd deijǎta e
eid amǎne dλane śǎtλ am kuteǎno tautaeam
etajet
dine dine deijendtǎ a datteǎ bλojanam uttamam
dieasas ǎ?tame bλǎge etatī bλojanam ǎcatet
indtad umna# śatad umno aueanǎśeo bλagītatλa#
putu?ottamam ǎtǎdλ a a ut bλagaeadantikam
tasmǎt satea pta atnena samsee a putu?
ottama# satea sǎdλanata# śte?tλa# sateǎttλa
pλala dǎ aka#
goeardhauardharam eaude gopǎlam goparrňpcuam
gohulotsaeamrčśǎuam goecudam gopchǎrprcçamL
kaunạin ena putǎ ptoktam imam manttam puna#
puna# japan mǎsam na ed bλakt ǎ putu?ottamam
apnu ǎt
dλ ǎ en naeagλana ś ǎmam deibλujam mutalīdλatam
lasat pīta patam tam am sa tǎdλam putosottamam
dλ ǎ am dλ ǎ am na en mǎsam pǔja an putu?
ottamam eeam a# kutute bλakt a seǎbλī?tam sateam
ǎpnu ǎt
“Giving up misefliness¸ one should give in
chafity to the btǎλmanas. If a pefson femains
mi2 sefly even though he has wealth¸ his
misefliness will be the cause of his going to
Raufava (one type of hell). Evefyday one should
feed the Vaisụavas and btǎλmanas with the best
foodstuffs. A pefson who is following the vows
should take his food in the eighth paft of the day.
Indfadyuyamna¸ Šatadyuyamna¸ Yauvanǎ¡va and
Bhagīfatha attained sǎmīp a, close association of
Bhagavǎn by wofshiping the
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”I worship the lifter of $ovardhana¸ $opǎla¸ who has the form of a gopa. He is the festival of $okula (gokula⁄utsaea)¸
the Supreme Controller of all (īćeata)¸ and He is $ovinda the beloved of the gopīs (gopikǎ⁄pti am).”

10 RAYS OF THE
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Pufusottama month. One should peffofm sefvice
to Pufusottama with all of one’s endeavofs. Such
sefvice to Pufusottama is supefiof to all types of
sǎdλana and fulfills all vafiety of desifes. In a
pfevious age¸ Kauụďilya Wuni fepeatedly chanted
the mantta ‘goeatdλana dλatam eande’. By chanting
this mantta with devotion dufing Šfī Pufusottama
month¸ one will attain Šfī Pufusottama Himself.
One should devote Pufusottama month to
constantly meditating upon naea gλana deibλuja
mutalīdλata pītǎmbata Šfī K=sụa with Šfī Rǎdhǎ.
Those who do this with devotion will have all theif
chefished desifes fulfilled.”
THh OBShRVANCh FOR TRANSChNDhNTAlISTS – SVANI?
THA, rARANI?THA AND NIRArEK?A
Thefe afe thfee types of tfanscendentalists:
seani?tλa — those who afe steadfast in theif
pef2 sonal vows¸ patani?tλita — those who afe
steadfast in following the vows set fofth by theif
fespective ǎcǎt as¸ and nitpek?a — those who afe
indiffefent to the above two types of
steadfastness4 All the activities mentioned above
fof Pufusottama month afe pfescfibed fof seani?tλa
tfanscendentalists. Łatani?tλita bλaktas afe
eligible to obsefve Pufusottama etata
accofding to the fules and in2 stfuctions of
Kǎfttika etata pfescfibed by theif fe2 spective ǎcǎt
as. Nitapek?a bλaktas fepect this sa2 cfed month
by daily honofing śtī bλagaeat ptasad with
one2pointed attention¸ following some fou2 tine
fof śtaeana and kīttana of śtī λatinǎma accofd2 ing
to theif capacity.
The following statement ffom Vi?nu Raλas
a, which is the topmost instfuction of Śtī Hati ADHIMǍSA IS DhAR TO 8HAKTAS AS THhRh IS NO DISTUR2
bλakti eilǎsa, fecommends: BANCh FROW THh KARMA KǍNDA IN THIS WONTH.
indti ǎttλe?e asaktǎnǎm sadaiea eimalǎ mati#
patito?a ate ei?num nopaeǎso jitǎtmana#
“Those whose intelligence has been pufified
by bλakti afe detached ffom the inclination fof sense
enjoyment. The intelligence of such pefsons is natu2
fally pufe¸ thefefofe¸ they afe jitǎtma, they have
conquefed theif minds. It is by theif innate bλakti,
fathef than by upaeǎsa (fasting) and othef such
activities¸ that they have pufified theif minds and
afe thus able to please Šfī Kfsna at all times.”
3eanistλa and patanistλita bλaktas are generally householders and nitapeksa bλaktas are renounciates.
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THh INNATh RUCI (INClINATION) AND OBlI ATORY
AC2 TIVITIhS OF EKǍNTIKA 8HAKTAS
Thefefofe¸ Šfīla Sanǎtana Gosvǎmī has con2
cluded his book Śtī Hati bλakti eilǎsa by pfesent2
ing the following statements fof one2pointed devo2
tees:
eeam ekǎntinǎm ptǎ a# kīttanam smatanam ptabλo#
kuteatǎm patam ptīt ǎ kit am an an na tocate
bλǎeena kenacit pte?tλa# śtī mǔttet amgλti seeane
s ǎd iccλ ai?ǎm seatanttena sea tasanaiea tad eidλi#
eiλite?e eea nit e?u ptaeattante sea am λite
it ǎd ekǎntinǎm bλǎti mǎλǎtm am likλitam λi
tat
“3kǎntika bλaktas (one2pointed devotees) of
Šfī K=sụa considef śtī ki?na smatana and śtī ki?na
kīttana alone to be the most fulfilling and valued
activities. Genefally¸ they do not engage in any
othef amgas of bλakti besides these two¸ which
they cultivate with gfeat love and affection. Theif
ea2 gefness fof these amgas is so stfong that no
othef activity can captivate theif taste. They
develop an intense desife to sefve the lotus feet of
Šfī K=sụa in a specific mood. Thefefofe¸ they
fendef sefvice to the lotus feet of Šfī K=sụa with
moods which afe favofable to theif own tasa,
along with some independence (to give up the
injunctions which afe unfavofable to theif
cultivation). This alone is theif eidλi. The
ekǎntika bλaktas afe not bound to follow all the
fules and fegulations which have been
pfescfibed by the i?is. The moods of the
ekǎntika bλakta’s inbofn¸ natufal disposition
genefally femain pfominent. This is theif glofy.”
The bλaktas obsefve Šfī Pufusottma month
accofding to theif fespective adλikǎta¸ this means
accofding to the distinctions of the moods of
seani?tλa, patani?tλita and ekǎntika bλaktas.
Bhagavǎn Vfajanǎtha Šfī K=sụa is the sovefeign of
this month¸ thefefofe¸ adλimǎsa is deaf to evefy
bλakta. This is because¸ incidentally¸ in this month
no distufbance ffom the katma kǎnạa can come
to obstfuct the peffofmance of one’s bλakti. •
(Tfanslated ffom Śtī Gaudi a Łattika 2/4)
SUMMER 2001 11