Shukrawar Vrat Katha

In Hinduism, Maa Santoshi is worshipped on Friday. According to religious scriptures, this day is considered dedicated to Maa Santoshi. Also, by fasting for Maa Santoshi on this day and reciting her Vrat Katha, Maa Santoshi is pleased and saves her devotees.

Shukrawar Ki Katha

An old woman lived in a village who had seven sons. Six sons were earning members and one son was useless. The old mother would give the leftovers of all six sons to the seventh son. One day the seventh son said to his wife, "Look. My mother loves me so much." She said, "Why not, she feeds you the leftovers of everyone." He said, "I cannot believe it unless I see it with my own eyes." The wife said smilingly, "You will believe it only when you see it?"

After a few days, a big festival came. Seven types of food and Churma laddoos were prepared in the house. To verify what his wife said, he pretended to have a headache, covered his head with a thin cloth went to sleep in the kitchen, and kept watching everything from behind the cloth. The six brothers came to eat. He saw that his mother had laid out beautiful mats for them, served them seven types of food, and kept insisting they eat. When the six brothers got up after eating, the mother picked up the pieces of laddoos from their six plates and made one laddoo. After cleaning the leftovers, the mother called him, "Get up son! Get up! Your brothers have eaten, you also get up and eat." He said, Mother! I don't want to eat. I am going abroad." Mother said, "If you have to go tomorrow, then go today itself." He said, yes yes, I am going. Saying this, he left the house. While leaving, he remembered his wife. She was in the cowshed. Going there, he said, "I don't have anything." Here is the ring, take it and give me some token of yours." She said, "What do I have? This is a hand full of dung.'' Saying this, the wife patted her husband's back with her hand full of dung.

He left. He kept walking and reached a faraway land. There was a money lender's shop. He went there and said, "Seth ji, please hire me." The money lender was in dire need of a servant. The money lender said, "You will get a salary based on your work." He said, "Seth ji, whatever you think is right." He got a job at the money lender's place. He started working there day and night. In a few days, he started doing all the work - the shop's transactions, accounts, selling goods to customers. The money lender had seven servants. All of them started getting dizzy. But he left everyone behind with his dedication, hard work, and honesty. He got the reward for his efforts. The merchant also saw his work and made him a partner in the profits in just three months. By working hard, he became a famous merchant of the city in just twelve years and the money lender left his entire business to him and went abroad.

Here, listen to what happened to his wife. Her in-laws started tormenting her. They made her do household chores and sent her to the forest to collect wood. Meanwhile, the husk from the flour used for making rotis at home was used to make rotis and keep them. Water was given in a broken coconut shell. Days passed like this. One day, when she was going to the forest to collect wood, she saw many women observing Santoshi Mata fast on the way. She stood there and asked, "Sisters, which god's fast do you observe, and what is the result of observing it? What is the method of observing this fast? If you explain to me the method of your fast, I will be very grateful to you." One of the women said, "Listen, this is Santoshi Mata's fast. By observing it, poverty is destroyed, and Lakshmi comes. Worries of the mind are removed. The mind gets happiness and peace. A childless woman gets a son. If her beloved has gone abroad, he returns soon. An unmarried girl gets a groom of her choice, and the ongoing court case ends. There is an end to quarrels and troubles, there is peace of mind, wealth accumulates in the house, there is profit in property and whatever other wish you have in your mind, all of it is fulfilled by the grace of Santoshi Mata. There is no doubt about it."

She started asking, "How is this fast observed? If you tell me this also, it will be a great favor." The woman said, "Buy as much Prasad as you can without any problem, with devotion and love. Buy jaggery and gram, from five and a quarter paise to five and a quarter annas or even more as per your strength and devotion. Every Friday, keep fasting and tell and listen to the story. Do not break any time in between. Follow the rules continuously. If you do not find anyone to listen to, then light a ghee lamp, keep a vessel of water in front of it, and tell the story, but do not break the rules. Follow the rules until the work is accomplished and when the work is accomplished, do the Udyaapan of the fast. goddess gives full results in three months. Even if someone's planets are bad, the goddess makes them favorable in a year.

Udyaapan should be done only after the work is accomplished, not in between. In Udyaapan, make Khaja of two and a half seers of flour and kheer and gram saag accordingly. Feed eight children. As far as you can find brothers-in-law, elder brothers, brothers, and family boys, take them, if you do not find them, call the boys of relatives and neighbors. Feed them, give them Dakshina as much as you can, and complete the rule of the goddess. Make sure no one in the house eats sour things that day. Hearing this she left from there. On the way she sold the load of wood and with that money she bought jaggery and gram and prepared for the fast of the Goddess. On the way, she went to the temple of Santoshi Mata and started rolling at the feet of the Goddess. She started pleading, 'goddess! I am poor, a complete fool. I do not know anything about the fasting rules. I am very sad. O goddess! Remove my sorrow, I am in your refuge.'

Goddess felt pity. One Friday passed and on the second Friday itself, a letter from her husband arrived and on the third Friday the money sent by him arrived. Seeing this, the sister-in-law started frowning, "So much money has come after so many days. What is the greatness in this?" The boys started taunting, "Now Aunty has started getting letters, money has started coming, now Aunty's respect will increase, now Aunty will not even say anything if called." The poor lady would say simply, "Bhaiya, if letters come, money comes, it is good for all of us." Saying this, with tears in her eyes, she went to Santoshi Mata's temple, fell at the feet of the goddess, and started crying, "Goddess, I did not ask you for money. What do I need money for? I need my husband. I want to see and serve my master." 

Then the goddess said happily, "Go, daughter! Your master will come soon." Hearing this, she came home and started working, crazy with joy. Santoshi Maa started thinking, 'I have told this innocent daughter that your husband will come soon, but from where will he come? He does not remember you even in his dreams. I will have to go and remind him of this. Santoshi Mata explained to the old woman's son in a dream, 'Son! Your wife is suffering.' He said, 'Yes mother! I also know this, but what should I do, how can I go there? and I do not see any way to go. You only should show me the way to go there.'

the goddess said, "After bathing in the morning, take the name of Santoshi Mata, light a lamp of ghee, bow down, and go and sit at the shop. Soon your transactions will be settled, the deposited goods will be sold, and by evening you will have a pile of money. He woke up very early the next day. He told his friends and acquaintances what the goddess had said in the dream. They all started making fun of him after listening to him. They started saying that sometimes even the things in dreams come true. An old man was very wise. He said, 'Look, brother! Listen to me, instead of telling the truth or lying like this, do as the god has said. What do you lose?" Listening to the old man, after bathing he bowed down to Santoshi Mata. Then he lit a lamp of ghee and went to the shop. By evening he had a pile of money. He was surprised. Taking the name of Santoshi Mata in his mind, feeling happy, he started buying jewelry, clothes, and other things for going home. After finishing all the work, he left for his home.

On the other hand, his wife went to the forest to collect wood. While returning, she got tired and sat down to rest at the Santoshi Mata temple. This was her daily place of stay. Seeing the dust flying, she asked the goddess, "O Mata! Why is this dust flying?" The goddess said, "O daughter, your husband is coming. Now do this, make three bundles of wood. Place one on the bank of the river, the second at my temple, and the third on your head. Your husband will be attracted to the bundle of wood. He will stop there, make breakfast and water, and then go to meet his mother. You take the bundle of wood and go and put a bundle in the middle of the square and shout three times - take it, mother-in-law. Take the bundle of wood, give roti to the husk, and give water to the coconut shell! Who is the guest today?" Hearing Santoshi Maa's words, she said 'good mother' and happily made three bundles of wood. One was placed on the bank of the river and the other at the Mata's temple. Meanwhile, the traveler reached there. Seeing the dry wood, he felt like resting there, cooking food and eating it, then going to the village.

Having eaten and rested in this manner, he came to his village. At the same time, his daughter-in-law came with a wooden basket on her head. She threw the basket in the courtyard and called out loudly three times, "Take it, mother-in-law, take the wooden basket, give me roti made of husk, give me water in a coconut shell. Who is the guest who has come today?" Hearing this, the mother-in-law said to forget the troubles she had caused, "Daughter-in-law, why do you say so? It is your master who has come. Sit down, eat sweet rice, and wear clothes and ornaments." Hearing his wife's voice, her husband came out, and seeing the ring on her hand, he became anxious. He asked his mother. "Mother, who is she?" Mother said, “Son, she is your wife.” It has been twelve years since you left, she roams around the whole village like an animal. She does not do any work, she comes four times a day and eats, now on seeing me, she asks for roti made of husk and water in a coconut shell. He said, Mother, I have seen her as well as you, give me the key to the other house, I will stay in that." 'Okay son, as you wish' Saying this the mother placed the bunch of keys in front of the son.

She opened another house and put all the things in it. In a single day, it was as grand as a king's palace. Now what, she started enjoying. The next Friday she told her husband, "I want to do Santoshi Maa's Udyaapan. The husband said, very good, do it happily.

She started preparing for the Udyaapan. She went to ask her brother-in-law's sons for food, and they agreed. But behind her back, the sister-in-law taught her children, "Look! At the time of food, everyone should ask for sour things, so that her Udyaapan is not completed. The boys came to eat. They ate kheer to their heart's content. But as soon as they remembered the matter, they said, "Give us something sour to eat, we don't like eating kheer, we feel disgusted seeing it." The boys stood up. They said, "Bring the money. The innocent daughter-in-law did not know anything, she gave them money. The boys went to the market and bought tamarind with that money and ate it. Seeing this, the goddess became angry with the daughter-in-law. The king's messengers took her husband away. Now everything will be known. When he will eat jail food!" The daughter-in-law could not tolerate these words. She went to Santoshi Mata's temple and said, "Mata! What have you done? Why did you make me laugh and then cry?" The goddess said, "Daughter! You have broken my fast. You have forgotten everything so quickly." Forgive me, goddess." The goddess said, "Does such a mistake happen anywhere?" She said, now there will be no mistake. Now tell me, how will my husband come?" The goddess said, "Daughter. Go, on the way you will find your husband coming. When she came out of the temple, she saw her husband coming along the way. She asked, "Where had you gone?" He said, "The king had asked for the tax for the money I have earned." He had gone to fill the pot." She said happily, "It is good, now let's go home." Then came the next Friday. She said, "I have to do the Udyapan of the Goddess." Her husband said, "Okay, do it." She then went to ask her brother-in-law's sons to eat food. Her sister-in-law taught the sons to ask for sour things first.

The boys sat down to eat but before eating they said, 'We don't like kheer-puri. We feel uneasy. Give us something sour to eat.' She said, 'You won't get anything sour, eat it if you want to.' When they got up and left, she called the sons of the Brahmins and served them food. Instead of Dakshina, she gave them one fruit each. This pleased Santoshi Mata. By the grace of the goddess, after nine months, she got a beautiful son as bright as the moon. She started visiting Santoshi Mata's temple every day with her son. The goddess thought that she would come every day, why don't I go to her house today? Let me see her house. Thinking this, the goddess assumed a terrifying form. Face smeared with jaggery and gram, lips like a skull, flies were buzzing on it. As soon as she stepped on the threshold, her mother-in-law shouted, "Look! A witch is coming boys, drive her away, otherwise, she will eat everyone." The daughter-in-law was watching from the skylight. She became happy, today my mother has come to my house. Saying this, she took the baby off her lap while he was drinking milk. On this, her mother-in-law said in anger, "Oh daughter-in-law, how hasty are you after seeing him, that you threw the child away? Meanwhile, due to the power of the goddess, everywhere boys were seen. She said, "Mother-in-law, the one whose fast I observe is the same Santoshi Mata." Saying this, she quickly opened all the doors of the house. Everyone caught hold of the mother's feet and started pleading. "O goddess, we are fools, ignorant. O goddess! Please forgive our crimes." On saying this repeatedly, Santoshi Mata became pleased. After this, her mother-in-law started saying. O Santoshi Mata. The way you gave the reward to my daughter-in-law, give the same to everyone. May the wish of the one who listens or reads this story be fulfilled.

Conclusion

On Friday, Maa Santoshi is worshipped. During this puja, Maa's Aarti, Puja, and finally Maa's story are heard. If you also want to know the method of worship of the fast of Goddess Santoshi, then you can talk to astrologers.