Lord Shiv Ji Vrat Katha || भगवान शिव जी व्रत कथा ||

Lord Shiv Ji Vrat Katha

In Hinduism, fasting on Monday is considered very auspicious. On this day, Baba Bholenath and Mata Parvati are worshiped. There are many lectures on Monday fast in Hindu scriptures. On this day, after waking up early in the morning and finishing daily activities, water is offered to Lord Shiva. Along with offering water, Belpatra is also offered to him. It is said that Lord Shiva loves Belpatra very much. After worshiping Shiva-Gauri, it is necessary to listen to the fast story. Pandits tell that the Monday fast lasts for three pahars, that is, the Monday fast is kept till evening. If someone wants to keep a Monday fast, then he can keep this fast in three ways. There are three types of Monday fasts, Prati Somvar Vrat, Saumya Pradosh Vrat and Solah Somvar Vrat. Even though these fasts are of three types, their method of worship is the same. No fast is considered complete without listening to the story, that is why after worshiping on this day, do listen to this fast story.

A long time ago, there lived a very wealthy moneylender in a village. The moneylender and his wife had no shortage of anything in their lives, but they were always worried about one problem. The problem was that they did not have a single child. The moneylender was immersed in devotion to Shiva for a child. He used to observe fast every Monday and go to the temple and worship Shiva-Gauri with devotion.

Seeing this devotional attitude of the moneylender, Goddess Parvati was extremely pleased with him. Goddess Parvati asked Lord Shiva to fulfill the wishes of the moneylender. Lord Shiva responded to this by saying that a person suffers the consequences of his deeds in his life. Goddess Parvati kept requesting Lord Shiva due to her kind nature.

Seeing the affectionate nature of Maa Parvati, Shivji agreed to fulfill her wish. Shivji blessed the moneylender with a son and said that the moneylender's son would live only for 12 years. The moneylender was listening to both of them carefully. He accepted the decision of Lord Shiv. He neither expressed happiness nor sadness. Like before, he still continued to worship Lord Shiv with great devotion.

After some time, there was a sound of baby's laughter in the moneylender's house and he was blessed with a son. Time passed slowly and his son turned 11 years old. The moneylender called his wife's brother and ordered him to take his son to Kashi and get him educated there. The moneylender gave a bag full of money to his son's maternal uncle and said that on the way, you should get a yagya performed and during your yagya, feed all the Brahmins present there and give them dakshina.

On receiving the order from the money lender, the uncle and nephew set out to go to Kashi. On the way, wherever they performed a yagya, they fed the Brahmins and also gave them dakshina. On the way, they came across a village where the king was preparing to get his daughter married. The prince to whom the king's daughter was to be married was one-eyed. This fact was not told to the king.

When the prince's father saw the moneylender's son, he thought of a plan. He made the moneylender's son sit in place of his son at the wedding. The moneylender's son was honest, he wrote on the dupatta of the king's daughter that he was not her future husband. Her future husband was one-eyed and he was the moneylender's son who was going to Kashi to study. After reading this, the princess told her father everything, due to which the wedding procession had to return.

After a few days, the uncle and nephew reached Kashi and started performing yagya there. The day the moneylender's son was about to turn 12, a yagya was performed on that day as well. After a while, the moneylender's son told his uncle that he was feeling unwell and was going inside to sleep. What Lord Shiva had written in the fate of the moneylender's son happened exactly like that. The uncle started crying after finding his nephew dead. At the same time, Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva were going from there, on their way, Mother Parvati said to Shivji that this man looks in a lot of pain, please remove all his sufferings.

When Lord Shiva saw that this was the same boy, he said that as per my advice, this boy has completed his 12 years. Mother Parvati, showing affection, requested Mahadev to increase the age of the boy. Listening to Mother Parvati, Lord Shiva increased the life of the moneylender's son. After completing their education from Kashi, the uncle and nephew started going back to their village. On the way, they came to the same village where his marriage was done. The uncle and nephew performed a yagya. During that time, the king saw the moneylender's son. The king took the uncle and nephew to his palace and from there sent his daughter off with them.

The moneylender and his wife were waiting hungry and thirsty to see their son. They had thought that if they came to know that their son was dead, they would also give up their lives. When they came to know that their son was safe, they were very happy. The day their son came home, that night Lord Shiva appeared in the moneylender's dream. Lord Shiva said that he was very happy with the moneylender's fast and listening to the story, that is why he increased the life span of his son. That is why it is said that by fasting on Monday and listening to the story after the puja, all the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled.