Hala Shashthi Vrat Katha

In ancient times, there was a milkmaid (Gwalin) who made a living by selling milk, curd etc. Once she became pregnant and her delivery time was approaching. She started having very intense labor pains. Her milk, curd, butter etc. were kept in the house for sale. The milkmaid thought that if the child was born, her material would not be sold. Therefore, she set out with a pot of curd and butter on her head. While walking on the path, she started having more pain. Nearby she saw some Jharberi (jujube) bushes. She sat behind those bushes. At that place she delivered and gave birth to a beautiful son.

Out of greed to sell milk and curd, that milkmaid wrapped her infant in a cloth and laid him at that place and herself went to sell milk, curd, butter etc. with the pots. It was Halchath (Hala Shashthi) that day and many women in the village had observed the fast. In the Halchath fast, the use of cow's milk, curd etc. is prohibited. Although there was a mixture of both cow and buffalo milk in the milkmaid's milk, curd, butter, she told everyone that it was only of buffalo. That's why all her milk and curd were sold quickly. The milkmaid was very happy with all the material being sold.

There, near the bushes where the milkmaid had hidden her child, a farmer was plowing. Suddenly that farmer's bulls became uncontrolled and ran up to the field's boundary. Those bulls were running here and there when the plow tied to them hit that milkmaid's infant. With the point of that plow, the infant's stomach was torn open. As soon as the farmer heard the sound of the infant's crying, he ran near the bushes and was terrified to see the injured infant. In a state of confusion, that farmer stitched the infant's stomach with the thorns of Jharberi and left from there leaving him there.

After some time when the milkmaid came there to take the infant, she saw that the infant was lying in a dead state. Seeing this horrific scene and the miserable condition of her infant, the milkmaid's heart trembled. She began to think in her mind - "All this is the evil result of my own sin. Today I sold cow's milk and curd to many women observing the Halchath fast, due to which their fast has been broken. As punishment for that, my infant has died." After much lamenting, she decided that - "I should go before all those women again and atone for my sin." Thinking thus, that milkmaid returned to that village again where she had sold milk and curd by telling a lie.

Lamenting, that milkmaid while roaming in every street and neighborhood, started saying to everyone by shouting - "The milk, curd, butter etc. that I sold to you people was of both cow and buffalo, I had lied that it was only of buffalo, please forgive me, your fast has been broken because of me, please forgive me. God took my child away from me as punishment. Please forgive me, I am extremely ashamed, please be kind enough to forgive me."

Hearing the milkmaid's terrible distress, the fasting women, thinking of protecting their religion, granted her forgiveness and provided blessings. After seeking forgiveness from all of them, the milkmaid again went near those Jharberi bushes where her infant was lying dead. But she saw that her son is alive and safe. From that day, that milkmaid took a vow never to tell a lie in life to hide sin and began to observe the Halchath fast with devotion.

In this way, the very popular and prevalent story of Hala Shashthi is completed.