Gauri Ganesha Chaturthi Vrat Katha

King Dasaratha said to Rishi Vasishtha, "O Great Yogi! I am feeling extreme joy and happiness by hearing the greatness of the Chaturthi fast. Just as there is no satisfaction by drinking nectar, similarly I am not satisfied by hearing the glory of the Chaturthi fast. O Best among Sages! Please be kind enough to describe the excellent greatness of the Magha Shukla Chaturthi, which provides happiness to humans."

Vasishtha Muni said, "O King! On the day of the Chaturthi date of the Shukla Paksha of the Magha month, Lord Ganesha had incarnated in the house of Rishi Kashyapa in a form endowed with Angara (embers/radiance). Now I describe an ancient history related to this fast, by hearing which all happiness is obtained."

Starting the story, Vasishtha Muni says, "In the city of Bhanupuri in the state of Karnataka, a very religious and valorous king ruled. His name was Soma. King Soma always honored deities, Brahmins, and guests and ruled ethically. He was proficient in weapon science and protected the kingdom with bravery and courage. He had conquered the entire world and established his good rule. King Soma also had a religious wife named Yashovati. Yashovati was extremely devoted to her husband, charitable, beautiful, and a follower of religious conduct.

Even with King Soma's excellent rule, once it did not rain in the kingdom for a long time. Due to the lack of rain, the king became very sad. To remove this drought, King Soma went to Shaunaka Muni in the forest. Shaunaka Muni used to live in the forest and remain absorbed in the devotion of Ganesha ji. Reaching the sage's ashram in the great forest, the king performed a prostrated salutation (Sashtanga Pranama) to Shaunaka Rishi and, requesting with folded hands, said to the sage, 'O Best among Sages! By obtaining your vision, my birth, deeds, etc., have all become successful. Millions of salutations to you.'

Upon the king saying this, Rishi Shaunaka said, 'O King! O Blessed One! What is the reason for your arrival in this difficult forest? Tell me your desire without any worry.'

Then King Soma spoke, 'O Sage! In Karnataka, there is a city named Bhanupuri. I am the king there and am ruling religiously. But O Lord! For a long time, it has not been raining in my kingdom. Therefore, I am distressed by this crisis of drought. Although I have protected the kingdom with religion, ethics, and justice, yet I do not know why and because of what sinful yoga, I along with the subjects have obtained this trouble. Therefore, O Great Sage! You are a supreme Yogi-ishwara; please be kind enough to show me any path to remove this sorrow, I am in your refuge.'

Hearing these pathetic words of King Soma, Shaunaka Muni said, 'O King! Listen carefully, a grave great sin has occurred in your kingdom. As a result of that sin, all humans of the kingdom have become diseased and endowed with the defect of infertility (Vandhyata Dosha). Due to that same sin, this calamity of drought has come upon your kingdom. O Degraded King! The Chaturthi fast has ceased in your kingdom, which is performed on every Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha Chaturthi of each month. In the absence of this fast, you will not be able to obtain happiness even for thousands of years. Therefore, O King! Observe this popular fast with effort. Only by the merit of this fast is it possible for rain to occur in your kingdom.'

Saying this, Shaunaka Muni described the greatness of the Chaturthi fast in detail before the king. Hearing the greatness, the king was amazed and spoke to the sage, 'O Brahmin! Please be kind enough to describe the peace-providing form of Lord Ganesha.'

Shaunaka Muni spoke, 'O Best among Kings! In former times, I was performing penance in my ashram with an introverted feeling. While performing penance, I was absorbed in the meditation of Brahman. Subsequently, to show mercy upon me, the root of all yogis, the great yogi Bhrigu Rishi, arrived at my ashram. As soon as I had his vision, I immediately stood up and saluted him and, providing a seat, worshipped him with devotion. Thereafter, with folded hands, I stood before him.

Seeing me standing thus, Mahamuni Bhrigu said, 'O Dear! Is your devotion in yoga? Do you wish to obtain peace? What is your desire? Say it to me. Whatever your wish be, I will provide it to you. In our lineage, you are endowed with all kinds of good qualities, therefore I am pleased with you. Therefore, ask for a desired boon.'

Hearing the words of the repository of penance Bhrigu ji, I happily said, 'O Great Sage! Please provide me the knowledge of complete yoga which bestows yogic peace. By obtaining this knowledge by your grace, I will become completely satisfied.'

Maharishi Bhrigu said, 'O Dear Shaunaka! Know the peaceful yoga and worship the Brahmanayaka Ganesha according to the rules. By doing so, you will surely obtain peace. O Dear! The mind (Chitta) is of five types, and Chintamani is situated there. O Son! Knowing that alone, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, etc., became Brahmabhuta. Whatever knowledge occurs from the Chitta or mind, delusion is inclined in it. Therefore, giving up the Chitta which produces delusion, you yourself become Chintamani. This Chitta is made of mind and speech and is also devoid of mind and speech. Giving up such Chitta, you become happy.' Saying this, the great yogi Bhrigu provided me the following mantra and disappeared.'

Gananaam tvaa gam havaamahe kavim kavinaamupashravastamam. Jyestharaajam brahmanaam brahmanaspata aa nah shrinvannutibhih sida saadanam.

Now Shaunaka Muni said to King Soma, 'O King! From the time Maharishi Bhrigu gave the instruction to meditate and worship Shri Ganesha while trying to control the Chitta, since that time I have been saluting Lord Ganesha through yoga and only by the grace of Ganapati do I worship Him. Subsequently, Lord Ganesha appeared to provide me a boon and he made me a Ganapatya. That is, from that moment I accepted the Ganapatya religion.'

Describing the account in this way, Shaunaka Muni provided the Manumantra 'Gananaam tvaa gam havaamahe' to King Soma. Subsequently, King Soma saluted Shaunaka Muni and, taking his permission, came to his kingdom. Thereafter, on the arrival of the Magha month Shukla Paksha Chaturthi, the king performed an excellent ritual of the Chaturthi fast with the entire subjects.

O King! Dasaratha! Thereafter, King Soma and his subjects observed the fast on the Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha Chaturthi of the Magha month on the entire earth. By the merit of the fast, rain began to fall in that kingdom, by which all humans were delighted and began to worship Ganesha ji. Such devotion and love for Ganesha ji were produced in the heart of King Soma that he got a magnificent Ganesha temple constructed. The king invested excessive wealth in that temple and established a valuable idol of Ganesha ji and began the daily worship of Ganesha ji named Varada. The king ruled excellently along with sons, grandsons, etc. The entire subjects became endowed with happiness and joy, and everyone's disease and childlessness were also removed. King Soma worshipped Lord Ganesha while following the royal duty faithfully, and at the end time, along with the subjects, he had the vision of Ganesha ji in Swananda and became Brahmabhuta.'

Rishi Vasishtha says to King Dasaratha, "O King! In this way I have described the ancient history of the Magha Shukla Chaturthi; now you listen to another great character related to this fast.

In the city named Kaundina, an Antyaja (low-caste person) lower even than a Shudra resided. His name was Bhanu and he was a grave sinner and a wicked soul. Bhanu used to remain daily involved in sinful deeds like adultery, drinking, and gambling. That greedy person would also loot the wealth of travelers after killing them on the path. O King! That wicked person became so degraded that he would kill any living being without cause. He even started killing Brahmins due to idleness/lack of work. In this way, that Antyaja had become extremely merciless.

Once, by divine coincidence, he was wandering in the forest. That day was Magha Shukla Chaturthi. While wandering in the forest, he began to roam in the middle of mountain ranges. By coincidence, he did not receive any type of food or water in the forest. Agitated by hunger and thirst, that sinner sat down at one place in the forest. Waking up early in the morning, he came to his house and, agitated by thirst, he quickly drank water. But as soon as he accepted water, he had vomiting (Vamana).

O King! Due to the vomiting of water, that sinful soul died. Subsequently, the messengers of Ganesha ji took Bhanu near Him. As soon as he had the vision of Lord Ganesha, he became sin-free and wise, and he attained sayujya (union) with Ganesha ji. O King! By the merit of the Chaturthi fast being completed in ignorance alone, the great sinner Bhanu born in the Antyaja caste also became Brahmabhuta. The Chaturthi date of the Shukla Paksha of the Magha month is considered extremely meritorious. I am incapable of describing its greatness. O King! In this way, by the influence of the Chaturthi fast, many humans became Brahmabhuta, i.e., merged into Brahman. Success is obtained by hearing or reading the greatness of the Magha Shukla Paksha Chaturthi fast."

|| Thus ends the Magha Shukla Chaturthi Mahatmya described in Shri Mudgala Purana ||