" Once upon a time, in a small village lived a braahman by name
of vaaman and his wife satya. They were both very dhaarmik
and abided by the four puru-shaarth of life and the varna-dharma
of braahman. They had a happy life together with adequate health and
wealth. However, they were suffering from the dukh of being childless
and longed for a child to carry on the lineage of the family gotra.
One day naarad-muni came to visit vaaman and satya
with his famous chanting of jap of naaraayan...naaraayan....narayan.
The couple received Naarad-muni as their guest as per the tradition and
stipulations of shaastra. After performing pujaa of naaradji,
vaaman shared his pain of being childless with naaradji.
Upon hearing the misfortune of vaaman and satya, naaradji
said: "braahman! Go to the jungle located south of here. In this
jungle there are lots of bili-patra trees. Covered under a pile of bili-patra
leaves are the murtio of shiv-paarvati lying
unworshipped for a long time. Go and find these murtio and consecrating
them with a bath reinstall them as per the shaastra. Then both of
you perform pujaa with devotion, adoration and with your chitt
fully focused on umaa-mahesh.. The guileless and kindhearted sadaa-shiv
(shiv-dev) will certainly share your pain and fulfill your
mano-kaamnaa (wish from your anta-karan) you have expressed to me
because of your bhakti full of intense love, affection, inclination and
shraddhaa towards shiv-paarvati.
naaradji went on his way after advising vaaman and satya
in this manner.
The next day vaaman and satya headed to the jungle with all
the necessary items for performing the re-installation of the shiv-paarvati
murtio and performing pujaa as suggested by naarad-muni.
They started searching for the shiv-paarvati murtio under bili-patra
trees. After a long search they found the murtio hidden under a pile of
bili-patra leaves as described by naaradji. vaaman and satya
felt enormously happy upon realizing the truth in naarad-muni's advice.
vaaman started clearing the space under the tree and around the tree
trunk for the installation of the murtio. satya went to fetch
water from the nearby pond. satya sprinkled the water over the land
cleaned up by vaaman. Then vaaman gave a bath to the murtio and
installed the murtio on a paatalo (a wooden seat-platform used
for sitting and worshipping purposes) placed against the tree trunk. vaaman
performed the murti-sthaapnaa as per the shaastra and then
performed pujaa with all the vidhio stipulated by the shaastra
including offering of bili-patra. Then vaaman and satya
prayed to umaa-mahesh and expressed their wishes for a son.
vaaman and satya were determined to propitiate shiv-paarvati
and obtain a boon for a son. So they build a hut at that place to live their
and perform daily pujaa, bhakti and tapas till umaa-mahesh
were propitiated. They offered their pujaa, aarti and aaraadhnaa
to shiv-paarvati every day in the morning and evening.
Thus vaaman and satya performed aaraadhnaa for five
years but shiv-bhagvaan did not propitiate. Both of them were perplexed
at this and started wondering if this bhakti will not bear fruits.
vaaman used to daily collect bili-patra for the pujaa of mahaa-dev
(shiv-dev) and the flowers that grew nearby. Today he wished to offer
various other flowers that grew in the forest to mahaa-dev during the pujaa.
He went out in the forest and harvested a lot of flowers in a chhaabdi
( a shallow basket woven with bamboo leaves). While he was returning with
harvested flowers he stepped on a snake lying hidden under a pile of leaves.
The snake bit him in the leg. vaaman fell on the ground with a painful
cry saying "hei mahaa-dev". Slowly the poison started
spreading throughout his whole body and after a while vaaman died.
vaaman' s wish and desire of his mind remained in his mind.
vaaman used to harvest flowers and bili-patra from nearby his
hut daily for his pujaa. But today vaaman had gone out in the
forest to harvest various other flowers and thus had died of a snake-bite. On
the other side, vaaman' s wife was anxiously waiting for her husband
just like a chaatak waits eagerly for rain to satisfy its thirst. A chaatak
is a bird with a hole in its throat so that it can only drink water from the
falling rain. As vaaman had not returned after a long time from
harvesting the flowers in the forest, his wife Satya started worrying
and ultimately went out to search for him.
In her search at last satya found her husband dead under a tree. She saw a
snake moving around the body and at once knew that her husband had died of the
poison from the snake-bite. satya sat beside her husband's dead body
with a broken and shocked heart and started wailing and lamenting loudly with
a lot of pain.
paarvati-devi in her abode in the dev-lok heard satya's
painful wailing and lamenting. At that instant paarvati-devi manifested
herself in the form of van-devi (forest deity) at that place. satya
saw splendour and luster on the face of the face of van-devi and
immediately realized that this van-devi has visited her out of
reverence to afford salvation to her. Satya did namaskaar
to van-devi and fell at her feet and started to repeatedly appeal her
with humility that her saubhaagya (married status) be preserved intact
by reviving her husband to life.
paarvati-devi, who had come in the form of van-devi,
immediately motioned her hand in a wave form over the dead body of vaaman
and chaitaniya entered the body of the dead braahman vaaman and
he became alive again. As he started to wake up he started to shake himself as
if out of a long sleep. As soon as he saw van-devi, realization of the
entire incidence dawned on him and he fell at van-devi's feet and
performed namaskaar.
maataaji place her hand on vaaman' s bowed head and
gave a boon saying "Hei braahman couple! We were in this forest in
unworshipped state and you two found us and worshipped us with pujaa, aarti
and aaraadhnaa and thus I am very pleased, contended and satiated.
Therefore ask from me a boon of whatever you wish?"
Immediately satya said " maa, (mother) bestow on us the
sukh (bliss and happiness) of a offspring and progeny.
van-devi said " t-thaa-stu (amen = so be it). You
will definitely attain the sukh of an offspring and progeny but to
attain this sukh you will have to do one thing.
satya replied " maa, I will do whatever you will
ask".
van-devi said to satya " If you will perform jayaa-paarvati
vrat then my boon will fructify as per your wish and desire.
satya agreed to perform the vrat. Thereby paarvatiji,
who had manifested in the form of van-devi, informed satya of
the dignity, glory and majesty of the jayaa-paarvati vrat, vidhio to be
performed, the method of celebrating the vrat, the fruits of the vrat
and other related matters of the vrat. paarvatiji added that the
strength, power, glory, grace and effectiveness of this vrat is so
great that the saubhaagya of the woman who performs this vrat
will stay intact, will have offspring and progeny and will pass her life in sukh-shaanti.
Saying thus van-devi disappeared.
vaaman and satya prepared to return home full of joy
and delighted with the boon of a son and the instructions and guidance on
achieving the boon. While returning they took with themselves the murtio
of shiv-paarvati. When they returned to their home they installed the
murtio with full sthaapanaa- vidhio as per shaastra in an pavitra
(auspicious) place in their home. They thereafter offered pujaa, aarti
and aaraadhnaa to shiv-paarvati. every morning and evening and
continued doing bhakti.
When the holy 13th day of ashaadh sud dawned satya commenced
the jayaa-paarvati vrat and performed all stipulated vidhio and
completed the vrat on the 3rd day of ashaadh vad with the
stipulated celebration on the last day. In due course satya became
pregnant and in the following year when she performed the vrat again
she had an exceeding tender, soft and handsome son swinging in the cradle.
Both vaaman and satya attained sukh-shaanti in
all aspects of their lives due to jayaa-paarvati vrat.
This is the strength, power, glory, grace and effectiveness of
the jayaa-paarvati vrat.
jayaa-paarvati vrat is a giver of welfare.
"Hei jayaa-paarvati-maa! As your boon fructified for vaaman
and satya so may your boon fructify for those who perform your
vrat and also for those who listen to this vrat-kathaa.
..........OM SHAANTI SHANTI SHAANTI.....OM TAT SAT.......
