Pradyumna Chaturthi Vrat Katha

King Dasaratha said to Rishi Vasishtha, "O Sage! My heart is delighted by hearing the greatness of the Vaishakha Shukla Chaturthi fast from your holy mouth. O Best among Sages! Please be kind enough to now describe the fast of the Jyeshtha Shukla Chaturthi."

Vasishtha Muni said, "O King! In the city named Sheshapur in Andhra Pradesh, there was an extremely virtuous king whose name was Kardama. That king was a knower of various weapons and ruled with ethics and justice. King Kardama's rule extended to the entire world up to the sea. Due to his religious conduct, King Kardama became incomparable on the earth.

In the course of time, by divine coincidence, King Kardama became afflicted with a terrible disease named Prameha (urinary disorder). Prameha is also called Sujak (gonorrhea). Due to this disease, a very intense burning sensation like fire began in the king's body. The Prameha disease brought the king to such a state that he became unable even to pass urine. His entire body was burning terrifyingly and the king was wailing, being anxious due to that pain. Even after various skilled physicians (Vaidyas) performed various types of treatments, there was no benefit in the king's disease.

Upon the increase in the pain of the disease, the king gave up his kingdom and went to the forest along with his wife. While wandering in the forest filled with fierce animals like lions and tigers, the king began to consider that death alone is proper instead of this pain. While the king was wandering in the forest thinking thus, at that very time, the best among sages Rishi Bharadwaja arrived there. Obtaining the vision of Bharadwaja Rishi, the king saluted him respectfully and stood with folded hands for his worship. But at that very time, suddenly due to pain in the urinary tract, the king fell on the ground and began to wail.

Seeing this miserable state of the king, the best among sages Bharadwaja ji, through his penance power, knew the cause of the king's sorrow and said, 'O King of Kings! Kardama! Listen to my beneficial words. Your kingdom has become devoid of the Chaturthi fast, due to which you have become endowed with a great sin. Therefore, you observe the Chaturthi fast with devotion along with the entire subjects. By the meritorious fruit of that fast, you will surely become sorrow-less.'

Hearing the sage's words, the king, while bowing, asked him, 'O Sage! What is the procedure for this fast? How is it performed? Please describe the method of the Chaturthi fast.'

Bharadwaja Rishi said, 'The Chaturthi of the Krishna Paksha is called Sankashta and the Chaturthi of the Shukla Paksha is considered the provider of Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. By performing this fast at the beginning of all fasts, a human will obtain the four Purusharthas, otherwise being devoid of them, he will suffer hell.' Saying thus, the sage described the greatness produced by the Jyeshtha Chaturthi fast, by hearing which the king became pleased.

Subsequently, the king, while saluting the sage, expressed the curiosity to know the form of Lord Ganesha. Then Rishi Bharadwaja said, 'O King! Even the Vedas, etc., are unable to describe the form of Lord Ganesha; yet I describe the essence which provides happiness. In former times, being absorbed in meditation, I performed difficult penance due to which the entire moving and non-moving world came under me. Thereafter, I obtained inner knowledge. Subsequently, after calming the senses and suppressing them, I became established in the Avadhuta (Aughad) path. After that, being an inhabitant of Swananda, I obtained peace. From that peace, differentiations were produced, due to which I again became peace-less and sorrowful.

At that very time, Maharishi Raivata appeared there. After bowing to and worshipping Raivata Muni, I provided him a seat and, requesting, said, 'O Great Sage! You are the teacher/guru even of the best of yogis; my life has become blessed by your vision. O Lord! Provide me the knowledge of yogic peace, through which I may be established in peace.'

Raivata Muni said, 'In the word Ganesha, the letter Ga is self-knowable, i.e., worthy to be known by one's own soul, and the letter Na is called the union (yoga) of the soul. The master of these two is Lord Ganesha, who has been called the master of Brahman. Therefore, O Honor-giver! You meditate on Lord Ganesha; only then will you obtain peace, otherwise you will remain deluded for a hundred years. O High-souled One! In former times, by hearing this great knowledge from the holy mouth of Lord Vishnu, I had obtained peace, and now I am practicing the Ganapatya religion.'

Saying this, Raivata Rishi provided the success-bestowing one-letter mantra of Lord Shri Ganesha to me and also described its procedure and Nyasa. Accepting the mantra, I worshipped him and, accepting the worship, he disappeared. Subsequently, I began to worship Lord Ganesha with a single-minded heart. By the grace of Ganesha ji, I obtained peace; yet I remained absorbed in His meditation. After performing day-and-night worship continuously for ten years, the obstacle-remover Lord Ganesha appeared directly before me. Having the vision of Ganesha ji, I performed His worship and saluted Him with His hymn consisting of eight names from the Samaveda. Subsequently, making me a Ganapatya, He went to Swanandaloka, and I began to remain daily absorbed in His devotion.'

Saying this, Bharadwaja Rishi provided the eight-letter Mahamanu mantra to King Kardama according to the procedure and disappeared from there. Thereafter, King Kardama, going to his residence, happily worshipped Lord Ganesha. First the Chaturthi date of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Jyeshtha arrived. On the day of Chaturthi, the king completed the fast formally with the citizens.

O King Maharaja Dasaratha! King Kardama proclaimed that, 'The Chaturthi of the Shukla Paksha is the provider of boons and the Chaturthi of the Krishna Paksha is the remover of troubles; therefore, any human who does not observe the fast on these dates will be exiled from the kingdom and will be a partaker of punishment.' Subsequently, humans began to follow this fast on the entire world.

Due to performing the fast himself and making the subjects do it, the king's Prameha disease was pacified and his pain was completely ended. Being influenced by the glory of Ganesha ji, the king handed over his kingdom to his son and himself began to worship Lord Ganesha while residing in a garden along with his wife. Finally, while worshipping Ganesha, he merged into Brahman. Subsequently, all humans of the kingdom, upon the arrival of their end time, were merged into Brahman.'

Rishi Vasishtha said, 'O King of Kings Dasaratha! Now listen to another success-bestowing story related to this fast. In the Gauda country, a very sinful Antyaja (low-caste person) resided. That Antyaja was a greedy of wealth, a woman-lusty, and an evildoer. He used to kill humans traveling in the forest and loot their wealth, etc. Not only this, seeing any woman of any varna alone in the forest, he would commit misdeeds with her by force. He daily performed various types of sinful deeds. Once that sinner attacked some Brahmin. Becoming terrified, the Brahmin began to run while calling people in a loud voice for help. Hearing that Brahmin's call, five men arrived there. Those five non-helped that sinful Antyaja by striking him with weapons (they incapacitated him).

That day was the Chaturthi date of the Shukla Paksha of the month of Jyeshtha. Due to the pain of weapon-strikes, he remained completely without food on the day of Chaturthi and could not consume food or water. Therefore, in ignorance alone, the Chaturthi fast was completed by him. Due to the pain of the strike and staying without food, that sinner died on the Panchami date. By the merit of performing the Chaturthi fast in ignorance alone, that wicked unrighteous Antyaja also became Brahmabhuta.

O King! When an unrighteous Chandala, being ignorant, can become Brahmabhuta by the influence of performing the fast, then whoever observes this fast with devotion will surely merge into Brahman and himself become Brahman. There are many such examples of how many sinful humans, after enjoying worldly happiness by the influence of this fast, became inhabitants of Swananda. It is also impossible to describe them. The glory of this fast is infinite; for this reason, its greatness has been described. The human who reads and hears the greatness of the Jyeshtha Shukla Chaturthi fast obtains the desired fruit.'

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