Draupadī in her last life had approached Lord Śiva. She was very desirous of getting a husband. But her father when she was young wasn’t overly worried about getting her married, and then unfortunately when she came to a marriageable age, then he had died. So, being desirous to get married, she approached Durvāsā Muni and asked him, “What can I do?” So then Durvāsā Muni says, “Oh, one very auspicious time is coming. There is one month, special month. And this month is called the Puruṣottama month. So if you follow austerities, chanting and bathing in sacred rivers during this month, then you will get the greatest benefit, whatever you desire will be fulfilled.”
Means, once every three years, because of the nature of the moon’s cycle, then the year becomes short by, I think, thirty-three days. So then they put in an extra month that brings everything back to normal. So this month, most people consider it inauspicious, but actually it is the most auspicious of all the months, even more auspicious than the Kārttika-vrata because this month is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. By following vrata in this month, then the result is, one will go to Goloka Vrindāvana.
So, Durvāsā Muni said, “Simply just chant, you take bath in a holy place, in this way, you know, observe the month.” So, she had never heard of this vrata before.
And this month is called the mala-māsa, it is the extra month. Mala generally means things that are not considered pure. So, in her enthusiasm to get married and find a way to accomplish that, she was not impressed with Durvāsā Muni’s idea. So she got upset and said, “What is this? You are tricking me. You are telling me to do some, this funny little vrata in this month that nobody cares about, and then I’m going to get whatever I want?”
So this Puruṣottama-māsa came, went, and she, instead she went to the Himālayas, and then started doing penances to Lord Śiva. So then, after that time, a long time, then somehow or another she pleased Lord Śiva, and Lord Śiva appeared. So then, when Śiva appeared, he asked, “You called, what do you want? What can I do for you?” So she wanted to ask for a husband. But instead of asking once for a husband, because of her offense to the Puruṣottama-māsa, the month of Puruṣottama, therefore she, in her over-enthusiasm, said five times, “I want a husband, I want a husband, I want a husband, I want a husband, I want a husband.” So, Lord Śiva then very kindly raised his hands in blessing and said, “It shall be so, you shall have five husbands,” he said like this. So then the explanation was, because she didn’t have faith in the process of worshipping the Puruṣottama-māsa, the Puruṣottama-vrata, therefore then this situation happened to her.
So interestingly, then the month of Puruṣottama is coming in about three weeks. So then everyone has the opportunity to, in that month, then remember Kṛṣṇa and absorb themselves more in Kṛṣṇa’s service. And by doing that, then it is very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa.
So, if you are not interested in five husbands, then you should follow this month. And one may think, “Well, five is not so bad,” but we don’t see the Pāṇḍavas around either.


Comments