Siddhivinayaka Chaturthi Vrat Katha

Mudgala Muni said to Prajapati Daksha - "At one time, Maharaja Dasaratha said to the great sage Rishi Vasishtha, 'O Guruvar! O Knower of Vedas! I have heard the legend filled with the significance of both the Chaturthi dates from your holy mouth. However, O Lord! Who performed this excellent fast in ancient times? What kind of success and siddhi were obtained as a result of the fast? And who obtained the direct vision of Lord Shri Ganesha? Please be kind enough to describe these characters of the Chaturthi date fast in detail.'"

Mudgala Muni said - "O Prajapati! On Dasaratha ji's questioning in this manner, now listen carefully to the great legend described by the best of sages, the great yogi Vasishtha ji. Muni Vasishtha said to King Dasaratha that - 'In ancient times, other deities including Lord Shiva had practiced sadhana while observing the excellent fast of both the Chaturthis of Krishna Paksha and Shukla Paksha. Thereafter, Swayambhuva and others, and humans of various varnas followed this holy fast. In ancient times, there was a king named Bharata. He was the son of King Dushyanta. King Bharata was extremely heroic, radiant, and proficient in the science of weaponry. Having conquered the entire earth, he ruled the earth with seven islands religiously. Once, by divine coincidence, a very severe drought occurred in his kingdom due to which grief and fear spread among all the subjects.

Moved by the distress of all the subjects, King Bharata went to the refuge of the peaceful-minded Kanva Muni. Bharata saluted him with devotion, worshipped him, and stood before him with folded hands. Then Kanva Rishi, the favorite of Lord Ganesha, said to King Bharata - 'O King! What is the purpose of your arrival here? Is everything well? Please take a seat.' King Bharata, taking his seat with folded hands, said - 'O Great Sage! O King of Yogis! I am well by your grace, yet I am anxious. O Lord! I have always ruled the earth religiously, everyone in my kingdom follows the Varnashrama dharma, yet sorrow has arisen from sin in the kingdom. A terrible drought has occurred in my kingdom due to which in the absence of rain, mountains, rivers, lakes, etc., and all sentient beings like animals, birds, humans, monkeys, insects, etc., have become lifeless. O Great Yogi! I have come specifically to your refuge. My fortune will surely rise from your sight. Therefore, please be kind enough to tell me that sin due to which there is a lack of rain in my kingdom. I will appease that sin.'

Hearing King Bharata's distress, Rishi Kanva said - 'O King! Grave sin is spread in your kingdom. Due to that sin, this suffering in the form of drought has appeared. O King! Your kingdom will surely be devoid of four-legged animals, because all humans have committed very grave sin. The all-happiness-bestowing and popular fast performed on the Chaturthi of Krishna Paksha and Shukla Paksha has been corrupted in your kingdom.'

Kanva Muni said - 'O King! One who performs the Chaturthi fast does not have these four types of troubles: physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual. That fast which destroys all troubles is the Sankashti Chaturthi Vrat, which I have told to be performed on the Chaturthi day of the Krishna Paksha of every month. That which provides four types of happiness is the Chaturthi of the Shukla Paksha of every month. I have considered it as a granter of boons. All the fasts described in the scriptures are inferior and fruitless without the Chaturthi fast.'

Hearing these words from the mouth of Maharishi Kanva, King Bharata said - 'O Mahatma! Please tell me the greatness of Siddhidaya Ganesha ji, I will always observe this fast.'

Munishvara Kanva said - 'O King! Listen carefully to the greatness which Prajapati Kratu, the son of Lord Brahma, described before me. Once in ancient times, I was sitting absorbed in penance in my ashram. I was performing great penance while being fasting, consuming only air. O King! At that time, Prajapati Kratu, the disciple of Lord Ganesha, worshipworthy by the kings of yogis, arrived at my ashram. Bhaktavatsala Kratu, saluting and worshipping me, said - 'O Great-minded one! Sit on the seat provided by me, son! Whatever your desire is, tell me, I will fulfill your desire.'

Hearing Kratu ji's sweet words, I was extremely happy and taking the seat, I said - 'O Repository of Mercy! I am blessed to have your sight. Yet, please describe to me the yoga that provides peace.'

Mahatma Kratu said - 'O Son! You have asked a proper question about this great excellent yoga. Therefore, O Blessed One! I describe what I have heard from Brahma ji in this regard. In ancient times, O Dear! when I did not get peace while engaged in the path of yoga and preparing the yoga ground, I asked my all-knowing and most worshipworthy father Brahma ji for yoga peace. I asked - 'O Master! What is the Brahman like that provides peace and by what yoga can it be obtained? Please be kind enough to guide me.'

Brahma ji said - 'O Son! Through the service of yoga, consider Lord Ganesha himself, who provides the peace of yoga, as Brahman and renounce whatever is in the mind and speech. They, Brahman i.e., Ganesha ji, are not subjects of mind and speech. It is not possible to know them through mind and speech. It is also impossible to contemplate them with the mind and describe them with speech. That is, those Ganesha are of both types, because they are the subject of mind and speech and are not. This is proved by the word 'Gana'. In the Vedas, Gakara is said to be full of mind and speech and Nakara is said to be devoid of mind and speech. Lord Ganesha is the master of both, whose one name is also Ganapati. Therefore, the union of Gakara and Nakara is proven in the Vedas. O Great-minded one! The Ganesha who can be obtained by a mind endowed with Samadhi should be understood as knowledge with the letter Gakara, and the Ganesha who cannot be obtained by the mind should be considered as Nakara. Therefore, peace will be obtained only by renouncing the mind full of knowledge and ignorance. I have told you this very secret and peace-giving meaning. Therefore, you worship Ganaraja with feeling. O Great-minded one! Receive the one-letter Mahamantra, thereafter you will undoubtedly attain Shri Ganesha through this Dhyana Yoga.'

Saying this, Brahma ji provided the Mahamantra formally. O Dear! Saluting him, I became absorbed in yoga and situated my mind in the feeling of Lord Ganesha and reached Chintamani. Thereafter I became a perfect yogi, and became worshipworthy even by the yogis and became absorbed in His meditation with the desire for Ganesha devotion.

Thereafter, Vighnapati Ganesha gave me direct sight. I praised and worshipped Ganesha ji and He provided me His excellent devotion. From that very moment, I became a follower of Lord Ganesha's path, i.e., Ganapatya, and became adorable by all. For this reason, you worship Lord Ganesha with the desire for yoga.'

Kanva said, saying this, Great Yogi Kratu provided me with the one-letter mantra and providing the mantra according to justice, he disappeared. Thereafter, I attained peace by performing Ganesha sadhana according to Munishvara Kratu's direction, yet I worship Him with an exclusive mind. Therefore, O best of kings Bharata! You also constantly meditate on the obstacle-destroying Ganapati along with the Chaturthi fast, as a result of which you also will become Brahmabhuta.'

Afterwards, Mahamuni Kanva provided the one-letter mantra to King Bharata. After receiving the mantra, saluting Kanva Muni, King Bharata departed towards his city. At that time, the Bhadri Chaturthi date of the Shukla Paksha arrived. Rajarshi Bharata observed the Chaturthi fast with devotion along with the subjects of the state. The King made a proclamation throughout the entire state that the person who does not keep the fast on the Chaturthi of Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha and does not act according to the fast, will be liable to punishment. Under the influence of this proclamation, all people started observing the fast, as a result of which it started raining in their kingdom. Due to the influence of that divine rain, all people became healthy, stout, and free from diseases and started worshipping Lord Ganesha. King Bharata also started meditating on Shri Ganesha with an exclusive mind and became dear to the Ganapatya.

After some time, King Bharata dedicated his entire kingdom to his son and himself went to the forest. In the end, King Bharata became merged in Brahman, becoming absorbed in the joy of the soul. Due to the merit of Chaturthi yoga, all humans of the mortal world obtained Swananda.

Vasishtha Muni said to King Dasaratha - 'O King! From that time, by the mere touch of King Bharata, all creatures like humans and animals, birds, insects, etc., as many as there were, became full of merit and inhabitants of Swananda. The virtuous soul King Bharata made all humans meritorious and depicted the entire earth with sacrifices. O King! No other king better in strength, fame, and religion happened like Bharata. Therefore, this is the meritorious fruit of Chaturthi fast sadhana itself. Thus I have described the glory of Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi, which is endowed with all four fruits - Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha and provides the Brahmabhua position. One who hears or recites the greatness of Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi, this fast provides everything to him.

Now I describe an ancient history related to the Chaturthi date of the Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month. O Blessed One! Listen to the great greatness of the Chaturthi fast.

Vasishtha Muni said that - 'O King Dasaratha! A very sinful, leprous, woman-lustful Chandal resided in the city of Dravida. On the Chaturthi date of the Bhado month, he became afflicted with fever and the pain of fever became very intense. His fever became so intense that he was not even able to consume food and water and on the day of Panchami date, he died. Due to giving up the body on Panchami, that Chandal ascended a chariot and went to Swargaloka. The air that touched his body and went to Yamaloka, whichever hell-going creatures that air touched, they all ascended chariots and went to Swanandapur. Having vision of Lord Ganapati there, along with all the creatures, that Chandal also became Brahmabhuta.

If someone fasts on this day even in ignorance, i.e., does not eat food for some reason, then also this fast is considered as providing the fruit. If someone observes this fast according to the rules, on him there is immense grace of Ganesha ji. Therefore, it is impossible to describe the glory of this Chaturthi. Just by observing this fast, the four Purusharthas, i.e., Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha are obtained.'

Mudgala Muni said - "O Prajapati Daksha! Hearing Maharishi Vasishtha's words, King Dasaratha said to him - 'O Lord! Blessed One! If that Chandal had not worshipped by making a clay idol of Lord Ganesha according to the rules, O Master, how did that guilty person become Brahmabhuta?'

Vasishtha Muni said - 'O King! You have asked a proper question. Therefore, now listen to the knowledge that resolves doubt. That wicked Chandal was ignorant of the greatness of the Chaturthi date. Therefore, he neither worshipped nor violated. For this reason, he was free from guilt, because he was devoid of both worship and violation. He was ignorant and did not know anything about the fast, for this reason he obtained Swananda. In this way, many such humans who observe the fast in ignorance itself, they also are inhabitants of Swananda. O King! It is not possible to describe Ganesha ji's greatness even in brief for hundreds of years.'

|| In this way, the Bhadrapad Shukla Chaturthi Mahatmya described in Shri Mudgala Purana is completed ||