Jaya Parvati Vrat Katha

Goddess Shri Mahalakshmi says - "O Lord, salutations to you! O Master of Vows! O Lord! You are the creator of growth and decay in the universe. Please describe the best vow among all vows. Who performed that vow first and how did it become prevalent in the mortal world, please describe it. O Master of the World! Please describe it in detail."

Lord Shri Vishnu said - "O Goddess! I describe the story of Goddess Parvati. By merely listening to this story, a being is freed from all sins. Please listen with faith.

During the Krita Yuga, there was a very delightful place named Kaundinya Nagar. In that city lived a Brahmin who was a knower of the Vedas, truthful, virtuous, well-behaved, and devoted to religion, whose name was Vaman. He had a wife endowed with all virtues named Satya. There was all kinds of happiness, wealth, and prosperity in their home, but as a result of the deeds of previous births, they had no children in their home. In the worry of the happiness of having offspring, they both had become very weak.

One day, fortunately, Devarshi Narada arrived at their home. Vaman along with his wife offered Arghya to Narada ji, washed his feet etc., and requested with folded hands - 'O Devarshi! You are the foremost among all the wise and best among the sages, please be kind to me, a lowly person, and tell me a way to remove this sorrow of mine. O best of sages! Which is that vow, worship, donation, or pilgrimage by which I may obtain a child. O ocean of mercy! Please provide me the means to obtain a child.'

Hearing Vaman's pathetic prayer, Narada ji's heart melted and he said - 'O best of Brahmins! You be worry-free, I assure you that you will surely obtain a child. In the southern direction of this forest, amidst a cluster of Bilva trees, Lord Shiva along with Goddess Parvati is present in the form of a Linga. You serve and worship them with faith, he will be pleased soon and provide you the happiness of having offspring. Because by worshipping the un-worshipped Shivalinga, a person obtains offspring.' Saying this much, the best of sages Narada went to heaven.

With the desire for a child, that Brahmin couple reached the forest. According to Devarshi Narada's words, they saw an ancient Shivalinga amidst a cluster of Bilva trees in the forest. That Shivalinga was covered with dry Bilva leaves from all sides. Vaman and his wife Satya performed Abhishek with water and Panchamrit and worshipped Lord Shiva with Bilva leaves. Vaman began to perform Shiva-worship daily as per the rules. In this way, he worshipped Lord Shiva along with Mother Parvati with faith for five years.

One day Vaman, like every day, went to collect flowers for Shiva-worship. While he was plucking flowers while remembering Shiva ji, at that same time a dangerous snake bit him. Due to the effect of the snakebite, Vaman immediately collapsed. In that forest filled with many lions and tigers, that Brahmin was lying unconscious. Even after waiting for three Muhurtas when Vaman did not return home, his wife began to think in her mind - 'It has been very late, why hasn't my master returned from the forest with flowers yet?' Her heart became distressed with the apprehension of some mishap and she reached that same forest crying.

Seeing her husband lying on the ground in the forest, she also fainted. When her fainting spell broke, she began to call out to the deity of the forest in a pathetic voice. At that same time, Goddess Parvati appeared there. Seeing that Brahmani lamenting, Mother Parvati made that Brahmin drink nectar with her lotus-hands. Just as a person immersed in sleep suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night, in the same way, that Brahmin also came to life. That Brahmin couple humbly held Mother Parvati's lotus-feet and worshipped her with full devotion.

Pleased with their pure devotion, Mother Parvati said - 'O observer of good vows! I am extremely pleased with your worship. You ask for a boon, I will fulfill all your desires.' The Brahmani said - 'O Mother! Million-million thanks to you! By your grace, my desire has been fulfilled, my husband's life has returned. Apart from this, there is only one pain in my heart that I have no child.'

Mother Parvati said - 'You follow my vow named Jaya with full ritual procedure. O virtuous one! This vow is best and holy in all three worlds. In the world, it is famous as Jaya Parvati Vrat. O daughter! This vow is performed in the month of Ashadha. This vow should be followed with faith and firmness for five days by tasteless food without salt. Starting from Ashadha Shukla Trayodashi till the Tritiya of Krishna Paksha, this vow should be performed for five days. Therefore, the vow should be started in the Shukla Paksha and completed in the Krishna Paksha. The vow should be performed with Jowar (a special kind of grain) for five years. Thereafter, the vow should be performed with salt-less barley (Yav) for five years. Then the vow should be performed with sweet rice for five years. Ultimately, the vow should be performed with Moong (mung beans) for five years. In this way, after performing the vow for twenty years, the ritual completion (Udyapana) should be done.

For Udyapana, on the Tritiya Tithi, people should donate clothes and ornaments to men and women and feed the married women (Suhagin). From one year before the completion of twenty years, according to one's capacity, five sets of garments and food should be given. The food should be endowed with various types of tastes. For the increase of good fortune, food endowed with Ghee and sugar (Khand) should be given to a married woman. Every year according to one's capacity, Kumkum and kohl (Kajjal) should be donated. By staying awake at night during the vow, inexhaustible merit is obtained. By abandoning the vow, a woman becomes a widow for births after births and, suffering various types of troubles, remains unfortunate. By devotion to the husband, satisfaction, and by performing excellent donations and vows, she attains eternal good fortune.'

In this way, describing the जया (Jaya) vow in detail, Mother Parvati disappeared. Thereafter, Vaman and Satya returned to their home happily. They followed the Jaya Parvati Vrat according to the above procedure, by the merit-influence of which they obtained a virtuous son-gem. Both husband and wife obtained the happiness of having offspring and Satya obtained eternal good fortune. After enjoying various types of pleasures on earth, in the end, they both went to Shivaloka. One who performs this vow with feeling, obtaining the proximity of Lord Shiva, becomes established in Shivaloka. Merely by listening to this story according to the rules, a being is freed from all sins." Thus ends the Jaya Parvati Vrat described in the Bhavishyottara Purana.

॥Thus ends the Shri Jaya Parvati Vrat Katha॥