Bhauma Tuesday Vrat Katha

Describing the story of the Bhauma Mangal Vrat, Sootji said to the Rishis - "Once Maharishi Gautama asked Lord Mangal (Mars), who is worshipable in all the worlds - 'O Lohitanga! O Lord! Please describe such a secret and superior fast by doing which all sins are mitigated. By the worship of Lord Mangal, who is equipped with all weapons, mounted on a vehicle, and has a brilliance like gold, various types of happiness and wealth are obtained. Please describe the Bhaumavrat which grants Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha, and all types of happiness and good fortune etc.'

Hearing the words of Maharishi Gautama, Mangal Dev said - 'O best of Rishis! I describe the fast prevalent in the three worlds, please listen with faith -

In ancient times, there was a Brahmin extremely well-versed in the Vedas and a knower of scriptures, whose name was Nandak. He had an extremely virtuous wife named Sunanda. They both had grown old but had no children. For this reason, that Brahmin adopted a Brahmin girl and began to raise her like his own daughter.

That girl had done exclusive devotion and worship of Mangal Dev in her previous birth. The limbs of that girl were radiant like gold. Due to the good deeds of her previous birth, gold used to be produced from the eight parts (Ashtanga) of that girl. Due to that gold, Nandak became extremely wealthy and influential. When the girl turned 10 years old, he married his daughter to a Brahmin named Someshwar with full rituals. But she was not sent away yet.

In the course of time, that girl attained youth. When the proper time came, Nandak sent off his daughter and Someshwar along with various types of wealth-gifts etc. Traveling through the entire day and night, they both reached an extremely dense forest. In the forest, a group of robbers surrounded them and killed Someshwar out of greed for wealth. Hurt by the murder of her husband, that girl also decided to give up her life.

After circumambulating the husband's funeral pyre, she was about to merge herself into that pyre when Lord Mangal appeared there. Mangal Dev said to that Brahmin girl - 'We are extremely pleased with your loyalty and love for your husband, we will fulfill all your desires. Ask for a boon.' That girl said - 'If you are pleased with me, then O Lord! Please grant life back to my husband.' Hearing this, Mangal Dev said - 'Tathastu! (So be it!) Your husband will be immortal like the gods. Ask for whatever other desire you have.'

Hearing this, that Brahmin woman said - 'O son of Earth! O Deveshwar! Please grant this boon that whoever worships and remembers you with red sandalwood and worships you with red flowers on Tuesday morning, they remain safe from all types of ailments and diseases forever. O Lord! Protect the one who worships you on Tuesday from snake, fire, enemy, and separation etc. and grant happiness and wealth.'

Hearing the words of the Brahmin girl, Lord Mangal said - 'Any devotee who, leaving the food of others' houses, performs 21 Bhaumavrat while consuming black grain and, while chanting the Vedic mantras of Mangal Dev, provides Arghya etc. and donates a young bull along with materials and feeds the Brahmins as per capacity and donates gold, they always progress while remaining safe from planetary distress. Even ghosts, Vetals, Dakini-Shakini etc. can do no harm to the devotee who observes this fast.'

Mangal Dev said - 'The description of this fast which grants all types of happiness has been made by us before you. The devotee who observes this fast will remain free from all types of pain. This fast is worthy of being performed by both women and men. As a result of the merit-giving Bhauma Vrat, everyone surely attains liberation and the heaven-world.' After describing the greatness of the fast in this way, Lord Mangal vanished."

॥ Thus ends the Bhauma Mangalavara Vrat Katha ॥