Shiva Monday Vrat Katha

Once upon a time, in a certain city, there lived an extremely wealthy merchant or "Seth." He was a devoted follower of Lord Shiva. By the grace of Lord Shiva, there was no lack of anything in the merchant's house. He was very rich and prosperous. However, despite being endowed with all material comforts, the merchant had one problem that was not being resolved. Due to that problem, all the means of happiness seemed useless to him. The merchant was childless, and because of being childless, he felt a sense of dullness in all his grandeur. He would constantly think that since there was no heir to all this happiness and property, what was its use? With the desire to obtain a son, he used to observe the Monday fast (Somavara Vrat) every week with full rituals and regulations. Every day, he would regularly light a lamp before Lord Shiva in the Shiva temple during the evening. The merchant would daily pray to Lord Shiva - "O Lord of the downtrodden, Master of the orphans! O Lord Shiva! What sin have I committed that I am not attaining the happiness of a son? O Lord! Have mercy on me and grant me a son."

One day, Goddess Parvati, hearing the merchant's pathetic plea, said to Lord Shiva - "Lord! This merchant remains absorbed in your devotion with a pure heart, observes the Monday fast every week, and worships you with full devotion. Therefore, Maharaj! His desire should be fulfilled." Hearing the words of Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva said - "O Goddess! This mortal world is a land of action (Karmabhoomi). Every living being born here has to suffer happiness and sorrow according to their actions (Karma). In this world, no one is free from the fruits of action. The kind of seed a farmer plants, he gets the same kind of fruit. Similarly, in this field of action, everything is obtained according to action. Due to the previously accumulated actions of this merchant, there is no son's happiness in his fate."

Due to affection and mercy towards his devotee, Goddess Parvati again requested Lord Shiva - "O Lord! This merchant is your exclusive devotee and worships you with faith. You always show mercy to your devotees and fulfill all their desires. You are the God of gods. If any of your devotees is in distress, you must surely resolve it. If you yourself do not remove the distress of your devotees, then why would humans worship you and observe fasts?" Hearing the words of Goddess Parvati, Mahadev said - "O Goddess! This merchant remains constantly worried and distressed due to being childless. Apart from this, there is no other distress in his life. Even though there is no son's happiness in his fate, I grant him the boon of a son, but that son will be short-lived. Therefore, the lifespan of that son will be only twelve years, after which he will die. Even though it is not in his fate, I grant him the happiness of a son for those many years." The merchant overhears this conversation between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in the temple. He neither becomes happy nor sad because of this. He continues to observe the fast and worship Lord Shiva regularly as before.

In the course of time, the merchant's wife became pregnant. In the tenth month, an extremely beautiful son was born from her womb. After so many years, the atmosphere in the merchant's family was one of joy and celebration due to the birth of the son. Auspicious songs were being sung all around. But the merchant was inwardly distressed about the son's lifespan being only twelve years. Therefore, he did not express much joy and thought it appropriate to keep the secret of the son being short-lived hidden.

Gradually, time passes, and the merchant's son turns 11 years old. The merchant's wife urges him to marry the son, but the merchant says - "I will not marry him now; first, I will send him to the holy city of Kashi to acquire some knowledge." Having so decided, the merchant invited his brother-in-law, the son's maternal uncle (Mama), and provided him with a lot of wealth etc., and said to him - "Take this son of mine to Kashi for studies and wherever you halt on the way, you must surely organize a Yajna and Brahmin feast as per your capacity." At the merchant's command, both uncle and nephew were going on their way while conducting religious events like Yajna and Brahmin feast. A city came on the way, and the uncle and nephew decided to rest in that city. The daughter of the king of that city was getting married. There was the brilliance of the princess's marriage throughout the city. But the prince of another state who had come to marry that princess was blind in one eye. But the prince's father had not told this secret to the princess's family. His father feared that the princess's family members might cancel the marriage upon seeing the prince. Just then, the prince's father's sight fell on the handsome son of the merchant, and a thought came to his mind - "Why not take this boy as the prince for the 'Dwar-char' etc. rituals? This way, no one will know the prince's secret."

The king discussed this matter with the merchant's son's uncle and made him agree. Thereafter, the merchant's son was adorned with the prince's clothes and jewelry and was decorated as the groom and taken for the 'Ghudchadi' (horse-riding) ritual. The Ghudchadi and Dwar-char programs were successful, and everyone was very happy to see such a handsome groom. On this, the prince's father thought - "Why not have the marriage performed with this youth as well? Otherwise, if someone gets to know the truth, the secret will be revealed."

He began to repeatedly request the merchant's son and his uncle - "If you also let the Kanyadaan and 'Pheras' (circumambulations) program take place, I will be extremely grateful to you. I will provide you with immense wealth and property, I will always be indebted to you, please have mercy on me." Hearing the father's plea, the uncle and nephew accepted his proposal, and the entire marriage program was completed successfully. But the merchant's son did not think this deception was right from the beginning, so before departing, he wrote on the hem of the princess's stole (Chunari) - "Your marriage has been performed with me, but the prince with whom your departure (Vidaai) will take place is blind in one eye. I am going to Kashi for studies according to my father's command. I am not a prince but a merchant's son." After writing this, the youth departed from there with his uncle. Subsequently, when the princess read the message written on the stole, she refused to depart with the prince, saying - "My marriage has not been performed with him. Therefore, he is not my husband; he has gone to Kashi city for studies." Upon learning the truth, the king did not send his daughter away, and the prince's father took the wedding procession back.

On the other hand, the merchant's son had reached the holy land of Kashi with his uncle. There, the merchant's son became absorbed in studies, and his uncle started performing Yajna and other deeds. When the merchant's son turned twelve years old, he organized a Yajna. Just then, the son said - "Uncle, today my health does not seem very well." The uncle told him to go to the room and rest. The merchant's son went to the room and began to sleep, and after some time, his life came to an end. After much delay, when his uncle came to the room and looked, his nephew had died. He became extremely restless; seeing his nephew dead, he was experiencing immense pain, but he thought - "If I lament now, the Yajna work will remain incomplete." Therefore, he quickly completed the Yajna, respectfully saw off the Brahmins, and began to lament in separation from his nephew.

By divine providence, at that same time, Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva were passing from there. They heard the sound of very intense crying. Moved by that pathetic voice, Mother Parvati said - "Maharaj! Some poor creature is lamenting in distress. Please resolve their distress." When Lord Shiva reached that place along with Goddess Parvati, they saw a boy lying dead there. Recognizing that boy, Mother Parvati said to Lord Shiva - "This is the same merchant's son who was obtained by him as a result of your boon. What happened to him?" Lord Shiva said - "O Goddess! According to the boon, this boy was short-lived; his life was fixed for this much only, so his life has been completed." Requesting Lord Shiva, Mother Parvati said - "O Lord! Please grant this boy more life, otherwise, in his separation, his parents will also give up their lives. Nothing is impossible for you in this world, O Lord." On the repeated insistence of Mother Parvati, Lord Shiva granted life back to that merchant's son. By the grace of Lord Shiva, that boy became healthy and well as before. Thereafter, Shri Shiva-Parvati went towards Mount Kailash.

Subsequently, both uncle and nephew were traveling towards their home while performing Yajna, Havan, and feeding the Brahmins. On the way was the same city where that merchant's son's marriage had taken place. After halting in that city, they both were performing Yajna, at the same time, the king of the city, i.e., the merchant's son's father-in-law, recognized him. The king respectfully took his son-in-law to the palace; there he was welcomed with great enthusiasm. The king sent his daughter with many maids, servants, and wealth along with the merchant's son. When they reached near their city, the uncle said - "I will go ahead first and give information of your arrival so that arrangements for the bride's entry into the house can be made."

The uncle reached home and saw that the merchant was sitting on the roof of the building with his wife. He had taken a vow that - "If our son returns safely, only then will we come down, otherwise we will give up our lives by jumping from here." The uncle immediately gave both of them the auspicious news of the son's arrival. At first, the merchant did not believe it, so the uncle said on oath - "By the grace of Lord Shiva, your dear son and my nephew have returned safely for you with the daughter-in-law of a royal family and various types of wealth."

The merchant and his wife welcomed the son with enthusiasm and learned of his well-being. Thereafter, the merchant family began to spend life joyfully. Similarly, whoever devotedly observes the Monday fast and reads and listens to its story, all their desires are fulfilled, and they receive the immense grace of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati.

॥ Thus ends the Shiva Somavara Vrat Katha ॥