Mas means “Month.” Its name is actually Adhik Masrather than Malmas(मलमास ). Another name for it is Purushottam Mas. A year has 365 Days, 15 Hours, 31 Palas, and 30 Bipalas according to the Solar calendar and 354 Days, 22 Hours, 1 Pala, and 23 Bipalas according to the Lunar Calendar. The Solarand Lunar calendarsdiffer by 10 Days, 53 Hours, 30 Palas, and 7 Bipalas. An ‘Adhik Mas’ is set up to compensate for this gap.
Every Three(3) Years, there is an extra month. It is situated between Kartik and Falgun. The extra month results in a year with 13 Months rather than 12. The Surya Sankranti is used to determine the additional month. The extra month is the month when Surya Sankranti does not take place.
The Puranas claim that
In Hindu Mythology, each Zodiac sign and month typically has a corresponding lord, but the Adhikai Month (Mal Month) does not. Consequently, auspicious activities are deemed prohibited during this period. The Puranas narrate that Adhikai Month, being without an owner, was called Malmas, leading to its negative perception. The sorrowful Malmas sought help from Lord Vishnu to alleviate its plight.
In Goloka, Lord Krishnaconsoled Malmas, declaring him as Purushottama and bestowing upon him divine qualities. He emphasized that from then on, Malmas would be recognized as Purushottamaand that his arrival in three years would increase the merit for those performing good deeds with devotion during this auspicious time. This month was designated as highly favorable for religious activities, with promises of great merit for those who bath, worship, perform sacrifices, and donate money.
In Hindu scriptures, Adhikari is deemed a sacred month dedicated to Lord Krishna (Vishnu), during which fasting, bathing in holy rivers, and pilgrimages are believed to yield great merit. Socially, it is customary for newly married couples to stay with the bride’s family, likely due to taboos surrounding sexual intercourse during this sacred time.
During the month of Malamas, there are numerous things that are advised against doing:
Here are a few of them: It is not considered auspicious to visit a god you have never seen before or a pilgrimage place you have never been to before the start of Adhikamas this month.
-Building temples and performing rituals for any deity during the month of Malamas is also prohibited by scripture.
-Rituals conducted with specific wishes, such as Ekaha, Saptaha, Navaha, Laksham, Kotihom, Shrautayaga, Smartayaga, etc., are believed not to be performed in the Adhikamas. Nonetheless, it is believed that one can achieve salvation by performing the Purushottam Mahatmya throughout this month.
-Entering a house, lighting a lamp, or listening to Puranas are examples of tasks that should not be done out of desire. Nonetheless, carrying out such actions without any desire is not hindered. This is supposed to get one more merit.
What should newlyweds avoid doing when they are menstruating?
-A husband’s life expectancy will drop if he and his wife have sex before they have been married for a full year. Older couples are not free from this.
-In this case, a pregnancy that develops after sexual activity will not result in a healthy birth. The life expectancy will be brief even if the pregnancy goes through and the infant is born.
-During the month of Malamas, it is customary for a married couple to avoid living in the same home and drinking water from the same tap.
