Varada Chaturthi Vrat Katha

King Dasharatha said to Muni Vishishtha, "O Guru! Please describe the Siddhi-bestowing greatness of the Varada Chaturthi that falls in the Malamas (intercalary month)."

Vasishtha Muni said, "O King! For your satisfaction, I describe an ancient story related to the Chaturthi date. This greatness is extremely glorious and fulfills all desires. O King! Listen carefully –

O King! In ancient times, King Sushena ruled religiously in Andhra Pradesh. He resided in the city of Champaka Nagar. King Sushena was well-versed in the use of various weapons. He ruled according to policy and religion, due to which his fame spread throughout the world. The King had earned fame for his generosity and he observed various types of fasts, etc. He conquered the entire earth with his prowess, which is why all the kings served him.

After some time, venomous snakes attacked King Sushena's kingdom. Extremely dangerous poisonous snakes roamed everywhere in the kingdom and bit people. Many people died due to snake bites. Those people could not leave their kingdom, so some were forced to live in forests and some in their homes.

King Sushena also became very anxious and frightened by this condition of his subjects. To pacify the Nagas (serpents), all the people practiced the Naga Panchami Vrat and performed fasts and rituals with devotion. But even after performing the Naga Panchami Vrat, the wrath of the very terrible snakes did not subside. Even after bathing and worshipping in various holy places, those snakes did not calm down. The more measures were taken to pacify those snakes, the more severe the outbreak of those cruel Nagas became in that kingdom. The number of those snakes was increasing progressively and they were crawling here and there throughout the kingdom.

Then, to resolve this grave crisis, the King went to his Guru, Rishi Jaimini. Rishi Jaimini honored him by providing a seat, etc. His Guru Jaimini politely asked the King – 'O King! What is the reason for your arrival here?'

King Sushena said – 'O Master! Countless snakes have appeared in my kingdom, due to which many people have died. Therefore, O Great Sage! My subjects are forced to displace from the kingdom due to the outbreak of those dangerous venomous snakes. We took various measures, performed the Naga Panchami Vrat ritual as well, but those terrible snakes did not calm down. Therefore, O Blessed One! We have come to your refuge to resolve this grave crisis. O Lord! What should we do to pacify these venomous snakes? O Brahmin! If you do not provide us a solution to this problem, I will give up my body at your feet.'

Jaimini Muni said to King Sushena – 'O Sinner! The fast of Chaturthi has ended in your kingdom, due to which this calamity has come upon your kingdom. Due to the disappearance of the Chaturthi Vrat, you all will suffer the hardships of hell in the end. This Shukla Paksha Chaturthi is the provider of the four goals of life – Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha, that is why this Chaturthi is called Varada. The Krishna Paksha Chaturthi is called Sankashti because it destroys troubles. If this fast is not performed at the beginning of all works, then all deeds will become meaningless and man will be devoid of the four goals. Therefore, Chaturthi Vrat must be observed.' Saying this, the great sage described the greatness of Chaturthi Vrat.

Hearing the greatness, King Sushena said to Jaimini Muni – 'O Guru! What is this excellent fast of Lord Ganesha like? Therefore, please describe His form, I will continuously worship that Lord Ganesha.'

Jaimini Muni said – 'O King! Describing the form of Lord Ganesha is impossible. That Dhundhi is endowed with the title of the first-to-be-worshipped. Now I describe in essence, you listen. In ancient times, to obtain Yogashanti, I went to the refuge of Maharishi Vedavyas ji. What Vedavyas ji, the form of Lord Narayana himself, told me to satisfy my curiosity, I am now describing the same before you.

This entire world endowed with body and soul is the indicator of the letter Gakara, i.e., "Ga" means all creatures endowed with body and soul, and the Brahman indicator is Nakara which is of the form of union and separation, i.e., formless Brahman. Therefore, "Ga" means the manifest world and "Na" means the formless Brahman, i.e., Atma and Paramatma. Ganesha is the master of both and because of residing in the mind, He is called Chintamani.' Saying this, Jaimini Muni formally provided the six-letter mantra of Ganesha to King Sushena.

Thereafter, taking the permission of Muni Jaimini, the King went to his kingdom. First, the month of Malamas arrives there, which is also called Adhik Maas. In Malamas, the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi of Lord Ganesha named Varada arrived and the King observed the Shukla Chaturthi fast with devotion. Subsequently, all the people of the state observed the Chaturthi fast with full rituals. The King diligently made this glorious fast famous throughout the entire world and all the people started performing that fast faithfully."

Vasishtha ji says – "O King Dasharatha! Due to the merit of that fast, all the snakes left the kingdom. All people became endowed with happiness-fortune, progeny, and health. Influenced by the miracle of Ganesha ji, King Sushena started worshipping Lord Ganesha day and night. He became absorbed in His spiritual practice formally with the six-letter mantra of Ganesha ji. Subsequently, King Sushena gave his throne to his son and himself went to the forest with his wife to meditate on Ganesha and chant. In the end, along with the King, all the fasters became inhabitants of Swananda and merged into Brahman by the merit of the fast. Nothing is difficult due to the influence of this fast.

O best of Kings! Hear the description of another meritorious greatness related to this fast. This greatness of Chaturthi Vrat is the provider of everything. O King! A very cruel and lustful Kshatriya used to live in Hastinapur. Since childhood, he used to be engaged in unrighteous behavior.

In greed for wealth, he killed his father and started committing theft entirely. That unrighteous person used to commit such sins daily. Due to increasing greed for wealth and frequenting prostitutes, he killed many people in the forest. But once that wicked person was bitten by a poisonous snake in the forest. Overwhelmed by the pain of the snake bite, he went home. The snake's poison spread throughout his body and he fell. Due to being unconscious from the snake bite, he remained without food that day and was deprived of consuming food and water. By chance, that day was the Shukla Paksha Chaturthi date of Malamas. Unknowingly, he observed the Chaturthi Vrat. Subsequently, on the Panchami date, that sinner died in that dense forest. Due to the influence of the fast performed in ignorance, that wicked person went to Swanandakpura and attained liberation after obtaining the vision of Lord Ganesha there.

In this way, many people enjoyed all worldly pleasures by the merit of this fast and became of the form of Brahman. The person who recites or hears this greatness of Chaturthi Vrat in the Shukla Paksha of Malamas, easily attains all the merit."

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