Vishnu Thursday Vrat Katha

It is an example of ancient times, an extremely righteous, glorious, and charitable king ruled in Bharatvarsha. He used to help the poor and Brahmins daily by doing charity etc. according to the rules. This thing was not liked by his queen, she neither gave charity to the poor, nor did she worship God and also tried to stop the king from giving charity.

One day the king had gone to the forest for hunting. The queen was alone in the palace. At that time, Brihaspati Dev, a partial incarnation of Lord Vishnu, arrived at the royal palace in the guise of a sage for alms and began to beg for alms at the door. The queen refused to give alms to the sage and said - "O Sage! I have become very distressed by this charity and merit. My husband also keeps squandering all the wealth and property in charity and Dakshina. My wish is that all our wealth and glory should be destroyed so that I don't have to do this charity and merit."

The Lord in the form of a sage said - "Devi, you are very strange. In this world, all human beings desire wealth, property, and children etc. Son and Lakshmi should be in the house of even a sinner. If you have more wealth, then give food to the hungry, establish water-booths for the thirsty, get inns built for travelers. Get those poor girls married who cannot get married on their own. There are many such religious meritorious works by doing which your fame will shine in this world and the other world." But the sage's advice had no effect on the queen. She said - "Maharaj, you don't explain anything to me. I have no desire for such wealth which I keep distributing here and there and take care of it."

The sage replied - "If this is your wish, then Tathastu (so be it)! You do the acts described by me as a result of which this wish of yours will definitely be fulfilled. Plaster the house on Thursday and wash your hair with yellow clay and take a bath, ask the washerman to wash the clothes by putting them in the furnace, tell the king to perform shaving (Kshaurakarma) and consume Tamasic food. By doing this, all your wealth will be destroyed." Saying this, the Lord who came in the form of a sage disappeared from there. Following the words of the sage, only three Thursdays had passed for the queen, that all her wealth and property were destroyed. Even a single time's meal became scarce in the royal family.

One day the king said to the queen - "O Queen! You wait here, I am going to another country to arrange for livelihood, because everyone here is familiar with me. Therefore, I cannot do any small or low work." Saying this, the king went abroad. There he started cutting wood from the forest and selling them in the city. In this way, he was spending his life as a woodcutter. There, after the king's departure abroad, the queen and her maid started living more miserably.

Once such a difficult situation arose that the queen and the maid did not receive food for seven days. Distressed by this, the queen said to her maid - "O Maid! My elder sister resides in the nearby city. She is very wealthy. You go to her and bring some help so that we may have some livelihood." The maid went to the queen's sister. That day was Thursday and the queen's sister was listening to the Brihaspativara Vrat Katha at that time. The maid gave the message of her queen to the queen's sister, but the queen's sister did not give any answer. When the maid did not get any answer from the queen's sister, she became very sad and also felt extreme anger. The maid came back and informed the queen about the whole matter. Hearing about her sister's behavior from the maid's mouth, the queen started cursing her fate.

There, the queen's sister thought that - "My sister's maid had come, but I could not talk to her, she must have been very sad because of this." After finishing the story listening and worship, she came to her sister's house and said to her - "O sister! At the time when your maid came to my house, I was observing the Thursday fast. But as long as the story goes on, one neither gets up nor speaks anything, that's why I didn't speak. Tell sister! Why had your maid come?" The queen said - "Sister! What to hide from you, there is not even a single grain of food in our house." Saying this, a stream of tears started flowing from the queen's eyes. She narrated the entire account of being hungry for the last seven days including the maid in detail to her sister. The queen's sister said - "See sister! Lord Brihaspati fulfills everyone's wishes. Observe carefully once, possibly there may be grain in your house."

At first the queen did not believe it but on her sister's repeated insistence when she sent her maid to the storehouse, she actually found a pitcher full of grain. Seeing this, the maid was extremely surprised. The maid said to the queen - "O Queen! When we don't get food we fast anyway, therefore why not find out the procedure of the fast and story from her, so that we can also fast." Hearing this, the queen asked her sister about the Thursday fast.

The queen's sister, describing the fast, said - "In the Thursday fast, worship Lord Vishnu in the root of the banana tree with gram dal and raisins and light a lamp, thereafter read or listen to the Vrat Katha and consume only yellow food. After the Brihaspativara Vrat Katha, one should perform Aarti with devotion. Thereafter, distribute Prasad and consume it. This pleases Brihaspati Dev. Brihaspati Dev himself is a partial incarnation of Lord Vishnu, therefore his worship is as fruitful as Vishnu worship. The person who observes this fast with faith obtains wealth, son, health, and salvation. By observing this fast with devotion, all sins are destroyed and Vishnuloka is obtained." After describing the fast and worship procedure, the queen's sister returned to her house.

After seven days when Thursday came, the queen and the maid kept the fast. They brought gram and jaggery from the stable. Thereafter, they worshiped the root of the banana tree and Lord Vishnu with jaggery-gram. But both were very sad because there was no yellow food to offer to the Lord. They had followed the fast with devotion, that's why Lord Brihaspati was extremely pleased with them. Therefore, he, assuming the form of an ordinary person, provided beautiful yellow food in two plates to the maid. The maid was very happy to get the food and after offering it to the Lord, she consumed the food along with the queen.

Thereafter, they both started observing the fast and worship on Thursdays. By the grace of Lord Brihaspati, wealth and property began to arrive in their lives again. But as soon as wealth arrived, the queen again started being lazy as before. Seeing the queen being like before, the maid said - "O Maharani! You used to be lazy like this before too, you had trouble keeping wealth, because of which all your wealth and grain were destroyed and now when wealth has been obtained by the grace of Lord Brihaspati, you are again being lazy." Explaining to the queen, the maid says that - "After many troubles, we have obtained this wealth by the grace of the Lord, therefore we should do charity, feed the hungry people and spend wealth in good works, which will increase the fame of your clan, heaven will be obtained and ancestors will be pleased." The maid's words changed the queen's heart and the queen started spending her wealth in good works, due to which their fame began to spread in the entire city.

There, one day the king, being sad because of living like a woodcutter, was sitting under a tree in the forest, distressed by the thought of his miserable condition. It was Thursday, suddenly a sage appeared in that deserted forest. In the guise of a sage, it was Brihaspati Dev himself. He came near the woodcutter and said - "O Woodcutter! Why are you sitting absorbed in thought in this deserted forest?" The woodcutter replied with folded hands and bowing - "O Munivar! You are all-knowing, what should I say about my pain to you." Saying this, the king started crying and while crying he narrated the entire self-agony to the sage.

The Lord in the guise of a sage said - "Your virtuous wife has insulted Lord Brihaspati on Thursday as a result of which he has made this miserable condition of yours. Now you be rest assured and follow my instructions, all your troubles will be removed and the Lord will provide you more property than before. You should do the story on Thursday. Bring gram-raisins of two paise and make its Prasad and prepare Charanamrit by mixing sugar in pure water in a lota. After the completion of the story, distribute Charanamrit and Prasad among all your family members and loved ones and consume it yourself too. By doing this, the Lord will fulfill all your wishes."

Hearing these words from the mouth of the sage, the woodcutter said - "O Bhagwan! I don't get so much money by selling wood that remains after food. I have seen my wife distressed in a dream at night. There is no such means by which I may get her information and she may get mine." The sage said - "O Woodcutter! You don't worry about any matter. On the day of Brihaspati, you go to the city with wood as usual. You will get double money than other days, with the help of which you will have a good meal and the material for Brihaspati Dev's worship will also come. You listen to the story of Brihaspativara Vrat with devotion -

In ancient times, a very poor Brahmin resided. He had no children. His wife was very dirty. She neither bathed nor worshiped any deity because of which the Brahmin was very sad. He tried to explain to his wife in various ways but it had no effect.

In the course of time, by the grace of God, the Brahmani gave birth to a beautiful daughter. That daughter, on growing up, started daily bathing in the morning and worshiping Lord Vishnu and observing the Thursday fast. After finishing the worship, while going to school, the girl used to take barley grains in her fist and used to scatter them on the way. By the maya of God, the grains of barley used to turn into gold and the girl used to pick them up while returning and bring them home. Because of these golden barley, the Brahmin became very wealthy.

One day that girl was winnowing the golden barley in a winnowing basket that then her father said - 'O daughter! For golden barley, the winnowing basket should also be of gold only.' Next day was Thursday, the girl followed the fast and while praying to Lord Brihaspati said - 'If I have performed your worship and fast with full faith and integrity, then provide me a golden winnowing basket.' Brihaspati Dev accepted her prayer. Like every day, that girl was picking golden barley on the way while coming from school, at that time by the grace of Brihaspati Dev she obtained a golden winnowing basket. She brought that golden winnowing basket home and started winnowing barley in it. But her mother had the same conduct.

It is a matter of one day that the girl was winnowing barley in the golden winnowing basket. At that time, the prince of that city passed by there. Seeing the beauty of this girl and her winnowing golden barley in a golden winnowing basket, the prince became infatuated with her and after coming to his palace, he lay down sadly giving up food and water. When the king received this information, he along with his Chief Minister went to him and said that - 'O son! What is your trouble? Has someone insulted you or is this your condition because of some other reason? Whatever it is, say clearly, I will do the same work in which your happiness will be.'

Hearing his father's words, the prince said - 'Father! By your grace I have no trouble, no one has insulted me, but I want to marry that girl who was winnowing barley in a golden winnowing basket.' Hearing this, the king was surprised and said - 'O son! You find such a girl yourself. I will definitely get you married to her.' The prince told the king about that girl. Thereafter, the Chief Minister went to that girl's house and informed the Brahmin about the whole matter. The Brahmin gave his consent for the marriage of his daughter with the prince. Subsequently, the marriage of the Brahmin's daughter with the prince was solemnized with full rituals.

As soon as the girl left from her house, poverty started residing in that Brahmin's house as before. Even grain for food became rare. One day, being sad, the Brahmin went to meet his daughter. The daughter saw the sad state of the father and found out the well-being of her mother. On being asked by the daughter, the Brahmin described the status quo. The girl sent off her father after providing various types of wealth and grain. With the help of that wealth, some time was spent happily but after some days again the same situation occurred.

The Brahmin again went and told everything to his daughter. Hearing the father's agony, the girl said - 'O father! You bring mother here. I will tell her such a method by which your poverty will be destroyed forever.' The Brahmin arrived with his wife. The girl said to mother - 'O mother! You wake up early in the morning in Brahmamuhurta and worship Lord Vishnu and fast every Thursday. By doing this your destitution will go away.' But her mother did not follow even a single thing and after waking up in the morning, she consumed the leftovers of her daughter's children.

Because of this, her daughter also felt extreme anger and she, after taking out all the goods from the room at night, locked her mother in it. In the morning she took her out and after getting her bathed etc. made her do the recitation by the influence of which her mother's intellect became pure and she started following the fast every Thursday. By the merit of this fast, that girl's parents became very wealthy and blessed with a son. By the grace of Lord Vishnu and Brihaspati Dev, after enjoying various kinds of happiness in this world, they attained heaven in the end. In this way, the Brihaspativara Vrat Katha is completed."

Saying this, the sage disappeared from there. Gradually as time passed, again the same Thursday came. The woodcutter, after cutting wood from the forest, went to sell them in the city, he received more money on that day than other days. With that money the king brought gram-jaggery etc. and with faith and devotion performed the Thursday fast. As a result of the fast, all his troubles ended. But on the next Thursday he forgot to fast because of which Lord Brihaspati became angry. On that day, the king of that city organized a grand Yajna and made this announcement in the whole city that - "No person will cook food in his house, nor will kindle fire. All the subjects will come to eat food at my place. Whoever violates this command will be given death penalty."

According to the king's command, all the people of the city went to eat food but the woodcutter got delayed in reaching. That's why the king took him to his palace to feed him food. In the palace, the woodcutter and the king were consuming food that the queen's sight fell on that peg on which her necklace was hanging. The queen did not see the necklace there. The queen thought that - "This person has stolen my necklace." At the same time, ordering the soldiers, she put him in prison. In prison, the woodcutter, being very distressed, started thinking that - "What deeds must I have done in my previous birth because of which I have received this sorrow."

The woodcutter, with a distracted mind, started remembering the sage met in the forest. At that same time, Brihaspati Dev immediately appeared in the form of a sage and seeing his state began to say - "O fool! You have not done the story of Brihaspati Dev because of which you have received this trouble. Now be rest assured, on Thursday, four paise will be found lying at the gate of the prison. With them you perform the worship of Brihaspati Dev, all your crises will be solved." On Thursday he found four paise lying. The woodcutter recited the story as a result of which on that same night Brihaspati Dev, appearing in the king of that city's dream, said - "O King! The person whom you have imprisoned is innocent. He is a glorious king. Therefore, release him. The queen's necklace is hanging on that same peg. If you don't do this, I will destroy your kingdom."

In the morning the king woke up and saw that the necklace is on the peg only. Seeing this, the king called the woodcutter and asked for forgiveness and sent off the woodcutter after providing suitable beautiful clothes and jewelry. According to the command of Brihaspati Dev, the woodcutter started towards his city. When he reached near his city, he was very surprised. More gardens, lakes, wells, inns and temples etc. than before had been built in the city. The king asked - "Whose garden and inn are these?" All the people of the city started saying that - "This all belongs to the queen and her maid." Hearing this, the king was also surprised and also felt anger.

At the time when the queen received this information that the king is coming, then she said to the maid that - "O maid! See in what miserable condition the king had left us. Seeing this condition of ours, he may not return, therefore you stand at the door. According to the command, the maid stood at the door and on the king's arrival brought him inside with her." At that time, the king asked his queen in anger that - "How have you obtained this wealth?" Then she said - "We have obtained all this wealth by the effect of this fast of Brihaspati Dev." The king decided that after seven days anyway everyone worships Brihaspati Dev but I will follow the fast daily and recite the story three times a day. Now gram dal remained tied in the king's dupatta every moment and he used to recite the story three times a day.

One day a thought of meeting his sister came to the king's mind. Deciding thus on a meeting with the sister, the king, riding on a horse, set out towards his sister's house. On the way he saw some people taking a dead body for the last journey, stopping them the king began to say - "O brothers! Listen to my Brihaspativara Vrat Katha." They all said in an angry voice - "On one hand our loved one has died and he is concerned with telling his story." But some persons said - "Alright tell, we will listen to your story too." The king took out the dal and as soon as the story was half-finished the dead body started moving and by the time the story was completed, the person, saying Ram-Ram, stood up. The king moved forward from there.

Further on the way he found a farmer plowing the field. The king said to him - "O brother! You listen to my Thursday story." The farmer said - "In as much time as I listen to your story, in that much time I will plow the field four times, go tell your story to someone else." In this way the king started moving forward. As soon as the king departed from there, the farmer's bullocks fainted and fell down and a sharp pain started in the farmer's stomach. At that time that farmer's mother brought food, when she saw this she found out the whole description from her son. When the son narrated the entire case then the old woman ran to that horseman and said to him that - "I will listen to your story, you tell your story only after coming to my field." The king went to the old woman's field and told the story, on hearing which those bullocks stood up and the farmer's stomach pain also calmed down.

The king reached his sister's house. The sister welcomed and received the brother with love. Next morning the king woke up and he saw that all people are eating food. The king said to his sister - "Is there any such person who has not eaten food and he may listen to my Brihaspativara Vrat Katha." Sister said - "O brother! This country is such that first people eat food here, thereafter do any other work. If there is any such person in the neighborhood, I go and find out." Saying this much she went to search but she did not find any such person who had not eaten food. Finally she went to a potter's house whose son was sick. She found out that no one has eaten food at their place for three days. The queen requested the potter to listen to her brother's story on which the potter agreed. The king went and told the Brihaspativara Vrat Katha to that potter by listening to which his son became well, now the king started being praised.

One day the king said to his sister that - "O sister! We will go to our house. You also get ready." The king's sister asked her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law said - "Yes go, but don't take your sons because your brother has no children." The sister said to her brother - "O brother! I will go but no child will go." The king said - "When no child will go, then what will you do?"

With a sad heart the king returned to his city. The king said to his queen - "We are childless. It is not even a religion to see our face." Out of distress, the king did not even consume food. The queen said - "O Lord! Brihaspati Dev has provided us all happiness and good fortune then he will definitely provide us the happiness of a child too." On that same night, Brihaspati Dev, appearing in the king's dream, said - "O King. You be rest assured, your queen is pregnant." Hearing these words from the divine mouth of the Lord, the king was extremely pleased. When the time came, the queen gave birth to a beautiful son.

On obtaining a son, the king said - "O queen! A woman can remain without food, but cannot remain without saying. Therefore, when my sister comes here then you don't say anything to her." The queen, hearing, said yes. When the king's sister received this good news, she was extremely pleased and went to her brother's place with congratulations. The queen, seeing the king's sister, said - "When the brother was bringing you with him then you ignored and today without being called you have come running, you haven't come riding a horse, you have come riding a donkey." The king's sister said - "Sister-in-law, if I had not said in that way then how would you have obtained a child?" Thereafter they all, giving up differences, started spending life happily.

This is the glory of Brihaspati Dev, he accomplishes all wishes of his devotees. Just as the queen and king sang the praise of his story with faith then all their wishes were fulfilled by the grace of Brihaspati Dev, in the same way, whoever observes the Thursday fast with faith and devotion and reads or listens to the story, Brihaspati Dev fulfills all his wishes.

॥ Thus ends the Shri Vishnu Brihaspativara Vrat Katha ॥