(The story of Parvati ji's penance)
Shravan Krishna-Ganesh Chaturthi Vrat Katha |
In which month does the Shravan Krishna-Ganesh Chaturthi fast fall?
The Shravan Krishna-Ganesh Chaturthi fast falls in the month of July or August.
Description:
This fast is one of the Sankatnashak Ganesh Chaturthi fast. You can observe this fast to fulfill all your wishes. This fast brings happiness and peace to your home. You can also recite Shanti Path during this fast. The fast will be completed after offering water to the moon at night.
Katha:
॥Shri Mahaganadhipataye Namah॥
Once upon a time, the sages asked Kartikeya, "O Skandakumar ji! For the welfare of humans and to remove all their sorrows, tell me some best ways. By doing this effort, a man will get mental strength and in his life Happiness and prosperity will come If you know some solution to this, then tell us.
Swami Kartikeya ji said, O sages! To get rid of the question you have asked, I tell you an auspicious fast, listen to it. For your well-being and for mental peace, you should observe the fast of Sawan Krishna Ganesh Chaturthi. By observing this fast, all the creatures of the earth are free from all suffering. This fast is the one who gives virtue and gives success to humans in all works.
The sages further asked, "O Skandkumar ji! We also wish to know who was the first to observe this fast."
Swami Kartikeya ji told him, "When Goddess Parvati, the daughter of the Himalayas, desired to get Mahadev Shiva as her husband, she had to do penance as per the advice of Narad ji. There was penance that was supposed to be tough. This panicked her. At that time, she worshiped Mahaganesh situated in her heart, got up early in the morning on the day of Chaturthi, made a clay idol, and worshiped it. She decorated Ganesha with scent and flowers, then after fasting for the whole day, in the evening, she went to the brahmins and got their food done. At night, she herself had food after giving extracts to the moon. After that, she asked Ganesh ji for the power to make her penance successful. By the grace of Mahaganesh ji, all her doubts were dispelled and she got mental strength, due to which she could successfully do such a difficult penance.
Before the war of Mahabharata, this type of doubt also arose in the mind of Dharmaraj Yudhishthira, then he asked Shri Krishna ji for the solution and then Krishna ji told him about the Sawan Krishna Ganesh Chaturthi fast. Shri Krishna said that by observing this fast, Parvati ji got married to Shivji and with whom Parvati ji still lives with the grace of Ganesha. That's why O Maharaj Yudhishthir! You also do this powerful fast which will end all your problems. This Chaturthi named 'Sankata' is going to give very beautiful results. With Krishna's understanding, Yudhishthira kept the fast of Sawan Ganesh Chaturthi in the same way, by doing this he got the best knowledge and decided to fight the difficult war of Mahabharata.
By observing this fast, Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha-all these four become easy. Humans get mental strength and by observing this fast in times of crisis, man gets rid of suffering.
In earlier times, Ravana also observed this fast when he was in danger from King Bali. Gautam's wife Ahilya had observed this fast as a result of separation from her husband after suffering from the curse of her husband.
Just as Ganesh ji removes everyone's sorrows and gives them the power to think, in the same way, take care of us too.