First of all I pay my innumerable humble prostrated obeisances to the lotus feet of my most revered Gurudeva Nityaleela Pravishta Om Vishnupada Ashtottara-shata (108) Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj the Absolute Counterpart of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and His Grace Incarnate. I pray for his causeless mercy to bestow me the capability to sing the glories of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and His personal associates to purify my mind and to get one pointed exclusive devotion to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. I pay my innumerable obeisances to my respected Siksha gurus and pray for their causeless mercy to bestow me the strength to sing the glories of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and to His entourage to purify my mind and to get exclusive devotion to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. I pay my due respects to all who are present.

We are observing Purushottam-vrata here in India. After a long time, I got the opportunity to observe Purushottam-vrata in Kolkata, by the Lord's desire. Whatever is done by the Supreme Lord is for the eternal benefit of all. Daily I am holding discourses in the Sankirtan Bhavan (ground floor on the temple hall) and on Sundays, the devotees organize a video conference program. That is also the desire of the Supreme Lord. If anybody says anything can be done without the will of the Supreme Lord, then He will lose his position. Even a leaf of a tree cannot move, already we have heard, without His approval. He is controlling everything. As He is All Good, whatever is done by His will is for the eternal benefit only.

Now, if you can know the glory of observing Purushottam-vrata, then we can give our attention to it. You can have a liking. Without knowing the glory no one will have any interest or any desire to spend the time to hear about Purushottam-vrata. So first we have to know the glory, the utility and the benefits of observing Purushottam-vrata. Our most revered Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has written about it. He is the personal associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabu had sent him and also his son or disciple, whatever you say, our Param Guru-pada-padma Nityaleela Pravishta Om Vishnupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur. He is also the personal associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Because after the disappearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His Personal Associates darkness descended in this horizon. Books were there, Scriptures were there. Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat, Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Gita everything was there, all the writings of Goswamis were there, but nobody was able to understand the implication of the scriptures. So many pseudo sects cropped up marring the dignity of the message of divine love of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw the miserable state, that nobody could understand His message. So out of compassion He sent His own persons in this world. They are not ordinary persons. They are the personal associates; Kamalamani Manjari and Nayanamani Manjari. They have descended as per the desire of Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur has written about the utility of observing Purushottam-vrata. He has divided the Vedic Aryan scriptures into two categories smārta and paramārtha. Smārta means, (the ordinary meaning is karma-kāṇḍa) where they prescribe ritualistic performance etc. to get the non-eternal benefits of this world. Paramārtha means devotion, pure devotion. We have to understand both. I shall speak shortly about this. In the smārta (karma-kāṇḍa) division, they are prescribing some ritualistic performances like by doing this you get this sort of worldly benefit in this world or in the higher world. But when your fortune is finished you will fall down from there. These heavens are within this Brahmanda, the material cosmos. Ordinary people are interested in getting material benefits and to fulfill their material desires.

The lunar month is based on Tithi. Holy functions are held on lunar days. After 32 months 2 years 8 months there is an intercalary month, an additional month. It is to be inserted to harmonize the calendar with the solar year. It is the 13th month. This additional month, the lunar month, according to the karma-kāṇḍis is unholy. They are not prescribing any kind of ritualistic performances for this month. Leaving aside the karmis, gyānis and the yogis the devotionally inclined spiritualists consider that the highest spiritual bliss is pure devotion and they do not regard this month as unholy. This month is the highest and the holiest month amongst all the other months. You will find the glories of this month in Brihad Naradiya Puran. Krishna Himself has said,

yasmāt kṣaram atīto 'ham
akṣarād api cottamaḥ
ato 'smi loke vede ca
prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 15.18)

“I am beyond the comprehension of the conditioned souls of this world. I am supremely superior to formless Brahman and paramātmā. So I am designated as Purushottam.”

The Purushottam month is the highest. Why should we be lazy for performing devotion in this month? What benefit will you get by that? If we think that as this month is the unholy month, we should not do any kind of spiritual activities and engage our mind in evil thoughts and while doing so if we die then where will we go?

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 8.6)

“At the time of death whatever you think of, you will be born in that species.”

What benefit will you get? So spiritualists, especially those who are preaching pure devotion, say, you have to perform devotion to Lord Hari in this month. This month is one with the Supreme Lord, more glorious than Kartika and any other months. He is Supreme. You will get the highest benefit. When you understand the utility of the Purushottam-vrata, then you will give your attention. Our Guruvargas have introduced this. The aim is to get the highest objective, paramārtha, not the mundane benefits. By getting whom we get all, by knowing whom we know all. He is Parambrahma Supreme Lord. This is paramārtha. We have to observe the Purushottam-vrata with this objective.

What is to be done in this Purushottam-vrata? Valmiki Muni, the writer of the holy biography of Ramachandra, has given rules and regulations for this Purushottam-vrata. He has given the instruction that you have to go through Srimad Bhagavat positively every day. You have to worship Saligram and Radha Krishna, offer lamp to the deities, to read about the glories of Purushottam and to recite the prayers like Jagannathastakam, Choragraganya-astakam etc. written by devotees so that Krishna is satisfied.

But as by the eligibility of those who perform it Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given three categories, known as: 'svaniṣtha' 'pariniṣthita' and 'nirapekṣa.'

Svaniṣtha refers to those persons who have inclinations with varṇāśrama-dharma and are still striving for material temporary benefits. Being covered by the illusory potency—sattva, (mode of goodness) rajo (mode of passion) and tamo guna (mode of ignorance) they nevertheless follow some rituals.

Another section, superior in quality yet less in number is called pariniṣthita. Pariniṣthita refers to those who are not striving for any material benefits and are correctly following the prescriptions as given by the respective ācāryās of one of the four vaiṣṇava schools on how to observe Purushottam a-vrata (in a similar way as Kartika-vrata).

The highest form of observance is called nirapekṣa. Nirapekṣa refers to those possessing one-pointed devotion to Sri Krishna. They concentrate on worshiping the Supreme Lord by hearing, chanting and remembering the name, form, pastimes and qualities of Sri Krishna day and night for spiritual benefit only. Reasoning correctly that any tendency for material benefit will certainly divert their minds, they observe this vrata by hearing about Krishna, chanting the mahāmantra and taking prasādam. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura recommends, we follow this path.

Kaundilya Muni has instructed to perform jāpa of one mantra, Radha-Krishna mantra.

govardhana dharam vande
gopālam gopa rūpiṇam
gokulotsavam īśanam
govindam gopikā priyam

This you have to perform silently at least twelve times. If you can do more than twelve times then it will be more beneficial.

There are many vaiṣṇava sampradāya, mainly four. Sampradāya you understand as communities, not sectarian. This is the perfection of language. What is the meaning of Sampradaya? Divine knowledge (gyāna) is given through a right preceptorial channel, it is descending, and the sanctity is retained there. The river Ganges flows in the course, if you go there and take a dip into it then you get benefit, ablution in the Ganges. If you go to any other river and do ablution will you get the same benefit? No, you will not get it because that river is not Ganges, like that. There are four sampradāya.

sampradaya vihina ye mantras te nishphala matah
atah kalau bhavisyanti catvaraha sampradayinah
sri-brahma-rudra-sanakah vaiṣṇavah ksiti–pavanaha
(Padma Purāṇa)

Vedvyasa Muni has said. All the divine knowledge is descending through the four sampradāya. If the mantra you get is not coming from the four channels, preceptorial, right channel, then the mantra will have no effect. You may chant it for millions and millions of years but you will not get any spiritual benefit because there is no life in that. Life will come from the Supreme Lord. There is no equal to Him or more than Him. Supreme Lord is one. So to get the Supreme Lord, to attain Him, the path is one and is by His Will. There can be many paths, one may say. If you will take illustration of this Kolkata or London or any place there are thousands of ways to come to London. Supreme Lord is infinite. So there should be infinite paths to come. No, No, No. This analogy is defective. This Kolkata, you will find by analysis that, in Kolkata there are five material elements, earth, water, fire, air and sky. This body is made of material elements, but the subtle body (sūkṣma-deha), mind, intelligence and perverted ego is superior to the material body and inside the ātmā is there. And for that reason everybody, every conscious being wants to remain in this world eternally. He wants to know and wants to have happiness, why? In his form he is sac-cid-ānanda. He is anu sac-cid-ānanda not vibhu, not Supreme sac-cid-ānanda but a particle of sac-cid-ānanda. So he has got the desire to live eternally, he does not want to die. No living being wants to die. But it appears that he will die. If he is not eternal, how can he have the desire to live eternally? If he is devoid of knowledge, how can he desire to get knowledge, how can he be curious to know? If he is devoid of happiness how can he desire for happiness? Sac-cid-ānanda ātmā is there inside. So that ātmā, anu-ātmā is coming from vibhu-ātmā. Nothing can be the cause of something. Something is the cause of something. Devoid of ātmā cannot produce ātmā.

yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante
yena jātāni jīvanti
yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti
tad vijijṣasasva tad eva brahma
(Taittiriya Upanishad 3.1.1)

All the jīvās are coming from Brahman (Supreme Lord). They are in Brahman, they are by Brahman and they will ultimately go to Brahman. For that reason, when aṇu-cetana i.e. when the real self (ātmā) leaves this body then that body has no value. The dead body is not considered to be a person. As long as ātmā is there inside the body he is considered to be a person. Ātmā can get paramātmā. How? Ātmā has got relative independence. Because it is cetana, it has thinking, feeling and willing. The Supreme Lord is in-charge of that relative independence. He can forcibly take away the relative independence but if He does so then ātmā will be reduced to a non-entity (matter), unconscious. So Supreme Lord does not do it forcibly. He comes, He speaks about this while residing in the heart, you go in this way or you go in that way. He Himself descends, and He Himself sends His own persons so that willfully we surrender. That person will consequently surrender willfully, not forcibly. One can use relative independence in a good or bad way. That relative independence is there. If you do bad deeds you will get bad results. Results are controlled by the Supreme Lord, 'karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana'. You can do good and bad actions, but you have got no hold over the consequences. The fruits are controlled by the Supreme Lord. So you are not to bother about other persons in this world. Do not blame others, others have got no capacity to control the fruits. I am reaping the fruits of my own actions, others are just instrumental. Always remember the pity sayings of Suniti Devi to Dhruva. Don't forget that. When Suniti devi found her son wishes to worship Krishna, she gave warning to Dhruva. “Don't blame your stepmother for being rebuked by her, she is not the cause. You must have done this to somebody else in your previous birth. Bhagavan is impartial, you see, you can relate to it. In this birth or any other births you did something and as a reaction you have to get it back. Your stepmother has become instrumental, she is not the cause. By having a hostile mentality towards your stepmother you will not get Krishna. First you clear your heart completely otherwise with a hostile mentality towards anyone in this world you cannot worship Sri Hari, 'padmapalāṣa-lochan-hari'. She advised Dhruva like this. Dhruva had the qualification of accepting all the teachings of his mother in total. He followed the instructions of his mother and he got the grace of the Supreme Lord. He was protecting Dhruva in the jungle and He Himself made all the arrangements for him. We atheists have got no belief. God is the protector. If God protects, nobody can kill you. If God kills then nobody can protect you. All the ferocious animals were coming and Dhruva by embracing them asked, “Are you my Supreme Lord Sri Hari?” The ferocious animals did not cause any harm to Dhruva because God reigns and controls. God is residing within all. When God is satisfied, everyone else is satisfied. But while doing Harinam he did not go to his father or to his stepmother or to anyone else and said, “Please do not be dissatisfied with me, please be gracious to me.” Just by uttering the name of Sri Hari or doing Harinam, Hari is satisfied and everyone else is satisfied. Uttanapada was crying, that stepmother who rebuked Dhruva, she was also crying, thinking about little Dhruva; everyone else in the kingdom was crying. Their mind was completely changed. Then the Supreme Lord saw that Uttanapada was having a severe separation grief for the little boy, Dhruva. He was saying “Being henpecked, attached to the young queen, I did this wrong. My small son must have been killed by ferocious animals or out of starvation my son must have died. I am the greatest sinner”. He was feeling bad. At that time Narada Muni went to the kingdom of Uttanapada and advised him nicely. Narada Muni said, “You became a great dogged person. When your son came to sit on your lap then you behaved badly with him and now you think your son must have died in the lap of the hills?” Why are you thinking so much? God is protecting your son. Don't think about Dhruva. He is all right, I am assuring you. Do not worry at all. He is there in the forest worshiping Krishna and Krishna is protecting him and I am coming from there”. In this way Narada Muni consoled Uttanapada. Later, Narada Muni gave mantra to Dhruva and said, “You have to take the mantra, if you want to attain Narayana” and he reminded Dhruva about the same instruction of his mother. This we have to remember, 'māmaṅgalaṁ tāta pareṣu maṁsthā bhuṅkte jano yat para-duḥkhadas tat'. Do not blame others for your afflictions, miseries, etc. You are reaping the fruits of your own actions. Others may be instrumental. If you blame others with a hostile mentality and if you perform worship, you will never get Bhagavan. Never. What is the use of this? For that reason, here, there is a gradual procedure.

Four sampradāya are there. You have already heard that Ramanuja, Madhvacharya, Vishuswami and Nimbaditya, in Padma Purana you get, descending from the Supreme Lord; and through Sri Lakshmi Devi, Ramanuja, through Brahma, Madhvacharya, through Chaturshan, Nimbarka, through Rudra, Vishnuswami, descending in this Kaliyuga. The divine knowledge is descending through the right preceptorial channel and that pure knowledge is retained there. You have to get a mantra from that channel because there is a connection with the Supreme Lord. Now the four sampradāya are there. Sampradāya does not mean sectarian, Sampradāya means divine knowledge is retained intact and is coming through a right channel, preceptorial channel. Sampradāya means 'samyaka pradatta gyāna', that is the meaning. Ordinary people in Bengal understand it as sampradāyic, a sect. It is not the meaning.

Valmiki Muni has prescribed how to observe this Purushottam-vrata. As per the direction of Brahma Madhwa Gaudiya Sampradāya acharyas, you can do it. That is called Pariniṣṭhitā. As per Valmiki Muni's advice we are also doing something and also as per ours, like Kartika-vrata we are not taking mustard oil, sesame oil and some vegetables which are forbidden during Kartika month. For Purushottam month, we are taking groundnut oil, as clarified butter is not available here. Whatever rules respective acharyas have instructed to do, you do according to that. This is called Pariniṣṭhitā. Higher than this and highest is aikāntika.

Vedavyasa Muni has expanded the Vedas, wrote Vedanta, eighteen Mahapuranas and also Bhagavad Gita. But he could not get peace, eternal peace. Ultimately he had to submit to his Guru Narada Muni. Narada Muni advised him to sing the glories of Krishna in a proper way which he hasn't done.

Vedavyasa Muni said, “But I have sung the glories of Krishna in Mahabharata as part of Gita.”

Narada Muni replied, “There the ultimate goal is for emancipation and not for His satisfaction. You have to sing the glories of Krishna's Name, Form, Attributes, etc for His satisfaction. If He is satisfied, then you will be satisfied.”

Narada Muni advised four verses and Vedavyasa Muni meditated and saw everything, all the pastimes and etc. and then he wrote Srimad Bhagavat and got eternal peace. So in this Purushottam-vrata it is compulsory to recite or hear Srimad Bhagavat daily. Here in Kolkata, we are holding discourses in the night about the prayers of Brahma (Brahma-stava). Brahma made the pastimes of being enchanted by Krishna; but it is not written (this way) by Vedavyasa Muni. Vedavyasa Muni intentionally did not write that Brahma had got no infatuation because we are to take the teachings from this. If he writes this then the gravity will be lost. He wrote that Brahma was infatuated, he could not understand the glories of Krishna, to give an impression to the neophytes, a novice. Vedavyasa Muni knows everything; he knows that Brahma made the pastimes but it is not good to say this to all. We have to take the teaching that Brahma being the creator of all human beings; he could not understand the pastimes of Krishna. When he took actual shelter of Krishna, Krishna showed His own form. You have to have one-pointed devotion. You are not to be so rigid about all these ritualistic performances. But you have to do śravaṇa (hearing), kīrtan (chanting) and honor prasad daily with one pointed devotion.

śṛṇvataḥ śraddhayā nityaṁ
gṛṇataś ca sva-ceṣṭitam
kālena nātidīrgheṇa
bhagavān viśate hṛdi
(Srimad Bhagavatam 2.8.4)

These two devotional forms are necessary to remember Krishna. Remembering Krishna is the actual purpose of practicing all these devotional forms. But how can you remember?

smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur
vismartavyo na jātucit
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ
(From Padma Purana also quoted in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 22.113)

Always you have to remember Krishna. You should never forget Him. There are some devotional forms mentioned in the scriptures. If there is any action which will remind you of Krishna, it is allowed. There are some prohibitions. If there is something which makes you forget Krishna, even if it is not there in the list, you are not to do that. But Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur is saying without śravaṇa (hearing) and kīrtana (chanting) there cannot be smaraṇa (remembering). Śravaṇa kīrtana adhina he smaraṇam—smaraṇa is possible only by śravaṇa and kīrtana. If you always hear about what others think, always hear gossip, talk about worldly things, will Krishna come to you?

Always 'śṛṇvataḥ śraddhayā nityaṁ'—always, every day you have to hear about the pastimes of Krishna from Suddha Bhakta and after hearing you have to contemplate on it and then you have to repeat. Not like, only when sadhus are coming we will worship. When sadhus are not there, we will not. No. It is wrong. By that we will never be able to achieve the highest goal. To give importance to one-pointed devotion, śravaṇa kīrtan and honoring prasad in a daily basis is a must. When you are taking medicine you have to be very particular about the diet. If the diet is not properly maintained then medicine will not act even in this physical body. This śravaṇa and kīrtan is the best medicine and amongst them kīrtan is the highest medicine and you have to do it every day. Along with medicine (śravaṇa and kīrtan) you have to honor prasad, that which can be offered to the Supreme Lord. We should offer those things to the Lord which can be consumed in this month, same as what we offer during Kartika-vrata. As you live in foreign countries many things (vegetables) might not be widely available like India. Once a devotee was unhappy on listening that we do not offer carrots (Gajar) to the Lord. He said, “What is this? No Carrots? We have got no vegetables. Why carrots should not be offered, why we should not take it?” I said, “As in India many vegetables are available, I do not have any objection.”