Gauri Vrat Katha
Gauri Vrat Puja Vidhi:
- Wake up early in the Brahma Muhurta on Tuesday of Shravan month.
- After finishing your daily chores, wear clean, washed, or new clothes and observe the fast.
- Take a picture or idol of Maa Mangala Gauri (Parvati Ji).
- Then take a pledge to observe the fast with the following mantra.
- ‘Mam Putra-Pautrasaubhagyavriddhaye Shrimangala Gauriprityartham Panchvarshaparyantam Mangala Gauri Vratamaham Karishye.’
- Meaning: I take a pledge to observe this fast for the good fortune of my husband, sons, and grandsons and to receive the blessings of Mangala Gauri.
- After that, the picture or idol of Mangala Gauri is placed on a stool by spreading a white and then red cloth.
- Light a ghee lamp (made of flour) in front of the idol. The lamp should be such that 16 wicks can be put in it.
- Then chant ‘Kunkumaaguruliptangaa Sarvaabharanabhushitam’. Neelkanthpriya Gauri Vandeham Mangalahvayam.’
- While reciting this mantra, perform Shodashopachar Puja of Mata Mangala Gauri.
- After worshipping the Mata, offer her 16 garlands, cloves, betel nut, cardamom, fruits, betel leaf, laddu, Suhaag material, 16 bangles, and sweets (all items should be in the number of 16). Apart from this, they offer 5 types of dry fruits, 7 types of grains (which include wheat, urad, moong, gram, barley, rice, and lentils), etc.
- After the worship, the story of Mangala Gauri is heard.
- In this fast, food is consumed only once a day, and Maa Parvati is worshipped throughout the day.
- Those who perform this simple fast that pleases Shivapriya Parvati get the happiness of unbroken Suhaag and son.
Mangala Gauri Vrat Katha:
A moneylender and his spouse used to reside in a tiny village. The moneylender and his wife were unhappy since they were childless, despite being wealthy and having all they needed in their home. Their constant concern was not having a kid.
When a saint showed up at the moneylender’s residence one day, the man welcomed him and explained his situation. The moneylender’s wife was encouraged by the saint to observe the Mangala Gauri fast on Tuesday in Sawan. In addition, he gave comprehensive details regarding the worship style. After that, on the first Tuesday of the month of Sawan, the moneylender’s wife began keeping the Gauri Mangala devotion fast. She then began to follow the protocol and observe the fast every Tuesday. She kept that fast for several months as a result. One day, Goddess Parvati, appreciating his dedication, requested that Lord Shiva grant the moneylender and his spouse a kid.
That night, a heavenly force entered the moneylender’s dream and told him, “You will have the happiness of having a child if you pluck a mango from that tree and feed it to your wife.” Lord Ganesha’s image was sitting beneath a mango tree.
The moneylender went in search of the mango tree after telling his wife about his dream when he woke up the following morning. The moneylender looked for a long time before finding the mango tree with Lord Ganesha’s idol sitting on it. He began tossing rocks at the tree in an attempt to remove the mangos.
By hurling stones, one mango cracked and fell, but unintentionally, one of the stones struck the Lord Ganesha idol. Lord Ganesha became enraged at this and made an appearance, cursing the moneylender and exclaiming, “O selfish man!” Because of your self-centeredness, you have wounded me. By the grace of Goddess Parvati, you will become parents to a kid, but he will pass away at age 21.
The moneylender returned home after becoming extremely alarmed upon hearing this. He gave his wife that fruit and kept the occurrence a secret from others. With the help of Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva, the moneylender and his wife eventually had a son. Their happiness had no bounds, but the moneylender was also concerned that his son would not live long.
Before long, the child turned twenty and began assisting his father in the family business. The moneylender and his son began eating together one day while they were on their way home, sitting beneath a tree’s shade near the edge of a pond. Then, while washing clothes, two girls by the names of Kamala and Mangala arrived and struck up a conversation. Mangala was informed by Kamala that she had made the decision to observe the Mangala Gauri fast every Tuesday during the month of Sawan. She also insisted that Mangala observe the Mother Parvati fast. Mother Parvati is pleased, and you continue to receive her blessings. This also results in the desired groom and continuous good luck. After listening to Kamala’s remarks, Mangala too decided to keep this fast.
On the other hand, the moneylender heard the entire conversation between the two girls and thought in his mind that this girl observes the Mangala Gauri fast; this will give her unbroken good fortune. She will prove to be a suitable bride for my son. Thinking so, he took the proposal of their marriage to the girl’s father.
Due to the moneylender’s reputation and honor in the village, Kamala’s father gets his daughter married to the moneylender’s son. Even after marriage, Kamala continues to observe the Mangala Gauri fast as per the rules.
Pleased with her devotion, Mother Parvati appears to her in her dream one day and says, “I am very pleased with your devotion, so I give you the boon of unbroken good fortune. But your husband has a short life, so on Tuesday next month a snake will come to take your husband’s life. You keep sweet milk in a cup for him. Also keep an empty pot near him. The snake will drink the milk and go into the pot, and then you cover the pot with a cloth.
On the next Tuesday, Kamala obeyed Goddess Parvati and put sweet milk in a cup and also kept a pot nearby. The snake came and drank the milk and went and sat in the pot. Kamala tied a cloth to the pot and kept it in the forest. By the grace of Goddess Parvati, Kamala’s husband’s life was saved. In this way, the moneylender’s son was freed from the curse due to the virtue of Mangala Gauri Vrat. When Kamala told everyone in the house about this miracle, everyone was surprised. After this, the moneylender and his wife blessed their son and daughter-in-law and the whole family started living happily.
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