Krichchhra Chaturthi Vrat Katha

King Dasaratha said to Rishi Vasishtha, "O Sage! My mind is delighted by hearing the story of Lord Ganesha. Therefore, O Great Sage! Please be kind enough to describe the Margashirsha Shukla Paksha Chaturthi."

Vasishtha Muni said, "O King! Now I describe the ancient history related to the Chaturthi date of the Shukla Paksha of the Margashirsha month. In former times, there was a king in the meritorious and famous city of Kashi. His name was Ajatshatru and he was proficient in all scriptures. King Ajatshatru was a worshipper of deities and Brahmins and a follower of religious conduct. He honored everyone and nourished the subjects according to the मर्यादा of the scriptures.

Once suddenly Devarshi Narada arrived to meet King Ajatshatru. The king saluted Devarshi and honored him and worshipped him with devotion. The king himself began to serve Narada ji's feet and happily spoke to Narada ji, 'O Sage! By obtaining the vision of your holy lotus-feet, my life and my parents have become blessed. O Best of Sages! Please provide me that divine knowledge which bestows yogic peace, by which a human immediately becomes free from worldly sorrows.'

Hearing the king's words, Devarshi Narada, the foremost among Ganapati devotees, happily said to King Ajatshatru, 'O King! You have asked a proper question. Your question is for public welfare and for providing Brahma-knowledge (knowledge of Brahman) to living beings. Therefore, listen; I provide you the knowledge of supreme peace-bestowing yoga. O King! That which I am going to describe is that same Braumbhutatva (state of being Brahman) through which a human becomes Brahman.'

Narada Muni said, 'O King! You meditate and worship with feeling the Ganesha named Brahmanaspati. Subsequently, by the cessation (nirodha) of states of mind (Chittavritti), you will become Chintamani. "I am Ganesha! There is no doubt in this. Why and how is my existence?" There will remain no awareness of any of these. That is, at the time of the nirodha of the states of mind, "I am Ganesha alone and I have no existence of my own." When such a situation occurs, at that time sometimes there will be a situation of union and sometimes separation. Therefore, in both situations of union and separation, you will obtain peace. O Blessed One! That Chaturthi fast of those Gajanana Shri Ganesha is extremely great. Due to this fast being destroyed and its disappearance in your kingdom, you will become a traveler to hell. O King! This fast is considered to provide the four Purusharthas—Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha—and is boon-bestowing. A human performs various types of actions for the success of his desires. But being devoid of the Chaturthi fast, if he performs any other fast, they all become unsuccessful.'

O Best among Kings! Saying this, Devarshi Narada described the greatness related to the Chaturthi date. Subsequently, King Ajatshatru saluted Narada Muni with feeling and requested him to describe Ganesha worship and the fast again. King Ajatshatru said, 'O Devarshi! I have heard the greatness of the master of Brahman, Brahmesha Shri Ganesha. Therefore, O Knower of All! Being merciful, now you describe the procedure for His worship.'

Devarshi Narada said, 'O King! You meditate and worship Dhundhiraja, i.e., Lord Gajanana, according to the one-letter procedure. As a result of that worship, you will obtain direct vision of Lord Ganesha.' Subsequently, along with the worship procedure, Narada ji provided the one-letter mantra of Ganesha ji, "Gam," and disappeared from there. Thereafter, first on the arrival of the Margashirsha (Agahan) Shukla Paksha Chaturthi date, the king completed the Chaturthi fast including formal fasting, worship, and meditation.

Vasishtha Muni said, 'O Maharaja Dasaratha! Not only King Ajatshatru but all humans observed the all-fruit-bestowing Chaturthi fast. Since that very time, the Chaturthi fast became famous and respected in the world. Therefore, those vile men and women who do not observe the fast of the Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha Chaturthi are punishable and great sinners. King Ajatshatru performed the daily worship of Dhundhiraja Ganesha according to rules along with worship with devotion, by the influence of which that king became the master of yogis and accepted by yogis.

After much time had passed, in the course of time, Lord Ganesha appeared directly before King Ajatshatru and asked him to ask for a boon. The king praised and worshipped Lord Gajanana with devotion, being pleased by which Ganesha ji made him a Ganapatya, i.e., His follower and devotee. Subsequently, providing a desired boon to the king, Dhundhiraja Ganesha disappeared. The king again began to worship Ganesha ji with day-and-night feeling. Finally, along with his entire subjects, the king reached Lord Ganapati and, being honored among the yogis, merged into Brahman.'

Vasishtha Muni further says to King Dasaratha, 'In this way the great fast of the Margashirsha month Shukla Paksha was completed. I have described in brief the greatness of the Margashirsha Shukla Chaturthi fast. O King! Within this story, listen to another story which makes everyone free from fear, which is the story of a prostitute becoming Brahmabhuta as a result of the fast.

There is an incident of one time, a prostitute who attracts the minds of all humans had come somewhere in Mithila. Seeing the beauty and charm of that prostitute, all humans used to be deluded. The king honored that prostitute very much and the prostitute also liked that kingdom very much; therefore she began to reside there. Once while going for pilgrimage, some demon's (Rakshasa) sight fell on that prostitute and that demon, after kidnapping the prostitute, happily took her to his residence. The prostitute, becoming terrified, began to wail in a loud voice. The demon tried to please and quiet the prostitute in many ways, but the prostitute continued to wail, being continuously sorrowful. At that very time, the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi arrived.

O King! That prostitute was very sad; therefore due to sorrow, she not only gave up food but also did not consume water. Due to fear, sorrow, and pain, that prostitute died on the Panchami date. After death, the messengers of Lord Ganesha took that prostitute to Swanandakapur and she became Brahmabhuta by the meritorious influence of the fast.

The prostitute had observed this boon-bestowing fast in ignorance, as a result of which she merged into Brahman. Therefore, when by observing the fast in ignorance alone that prostitute merged into Brahman, then what great merit will be obtained by those who observe this fast with faith, devotion, and knowledge. Therefore, the person who observes the fast on the Margashirsha month Shukla Chaturthi will obtain success in every work. All the desires of the human who hears and reads this story will also be fulfilled.'

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