Behind the beautiful night of Sharad Purnima lies a traditional tale known as the Sharad Purnima Vrat Katha. Devotees who observe Vrat on this day recall the story of two sisters who received very different blessings; one observed it with full faith, and the other half-heartedly.
In this guide, we’ll explore the Sharad Purnima story and the lesson of sincerity, faith, and surrender behind it. Listening with a pure heart and devotion is believed to invite the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi, Chandra Dev, and Lord Krishna.
Sharad Purnima Vrat Katha: The Story of Two Sisters
Long ago, a moneylender in a village had two daughters. Both of his daughters observed the Purnima Vrat. The elder sister fasted with pure devotion and followed the Vrat's rituals, but the younger sister never took the fast seriously and broke it every time without completing all the rituals.
When both grew up, they got married. The elder sister gave birth to a healthy child, but the younger one’s babies died as soon as they were born. With time, the younger sister got very depressed and worried, seeking any remedy. She then visited a saint and shared all the mishaps with him. The saint understood her sorrow and told her that this happened because of her carelessness and lack of devotion while observing the fast.
As advised by the saint, realizing her mistake, she then observed the Sharad Purnima fast with pure devotion and rituals, but even after that, her child died immediately.
Then she thought of a plan, covered her dead child with a cloth, and laid the child on a bed. Then she called her elder sister, who was a pure devotee, and asked her to sit on that bed on which the dead child was lying. As soon as the elder sister was about to sit on the bed, her clothes touched the child, and he came back to life and began to cry.
Seeing this, the elder sister was surprised and scolded her sister for being so careless. Then the younger sister told her the truth. This happened because of the punya of the Sharad Purnima fast of the elder sister and the blessings of Chandra Dev. Since that day, the ritual of observing the Sharad Purnima fast with deep devotion and care began.
What Does the Sharad Purnima Vrat Katha Teach?
The Sharad Purnima Vrat story teaches us some of the important lessons of worshipping and offering to the Divine with a pure heart:
- Sincere devotion matters more than ritual: Both sisters observed the same fast, but only the elder sister offered sincerely; the younger treated it as a mere ritual. As a result, she invited misfortune into her life. So, sincere intent matters more than just following the traditional rituals.
- A Vrat should be completed with full faith: The younger sister never completed the fast as she lacked faith in the glory of Sharad Purnima. Whereas the elder one always completed her fast. So, if you take a vow, offer full faith (Shraddha); otherwise, you disrespect both the ritual and the Lord.
- Repentance opens the door to grace: When the younger sister realized her mistake, she did not go into total guilt. She dedicated herself to correcting her wrongdoings by observing the fast with full devotion then. This shows that one should not dwell on their wrongdoings, but should have the courage to rectify them.
Sharad Purnima Vrat Katha In Hindi
प्राचीन समय में एक गाँव में एक साहूकार रहता था, जिसकी दो बेटियाँ थीं। दोनों बेटियाँ पूर्णिमा का व्रत रखती थीं। बड़ी बहन पूरी श्रद्धा और भक्ति के साथ व्रत रखती थी और सभी नियमों का पालन करती थी, जबकि छोटी बहन व्रत को गंभीरता से नहीं लेती थी और सभी विधि-विधानों को पूरा किए बिना ही बार-बार व्रत तोड़ देती थी।
समय बीतने के साथ दोनों बहनों का विवाह हो गया। बड़ी बहन ने एक स्वस्थ संतान को जन्म दिया, लेकिन छोटी बहन की संतानें जन्म लेते ही मृत्यु को प्राप्त हो जाती थीं। धीरे-धीरे छोटी बहन बहुत दुखी और चिंतित रहने लगी। वह इस समस्या का कोई उपाय खोजने लगी।
एक दिन वह एक संत के पास गई और उन्हें अपने साथ हुई सभी घटनाओं के बारे में बताया। संत ने उसकी परेशानी समझी और कहा कि ऐसा उसके व्रत के दौरान लापरवाही बरतने और पूरी श्रद्धा से व्रत के नियमों का पालन न करने के कारण हुआ है।
संत की सलाह मानकर छोटी बहन को अपनी गलती का एहसास हुआ। उसने पूरी श्रद्धा और विधि-विधान के साथ शरद पूर्णिमा का व्रत रखा। लेकिन इसके बावजूद उसकी संतान जन्म लेते ही मृत्यु को प्राप्त हो गई।
तब छोटी बहन ने एक योजना बनाई। उसने अपनी मृत संतान को कपड़े से ढककर बिस्तर पर लिटा दिया। इसके बाद उसने अपनी बड़ी बहन को बुलाया, जो पूरी श्रद्धा से व्रत का पालन करती थी, और उससे उस बिस्तर पर बैठने के लिए कहा, जिस पर उसकी मृत संतान लेटी हुई थी।
जैसे ही बड़ी बहन बिस्तर पर बैठने लगी, उसके वस्त्र उस बच्चे को छू गए। उसी क्षण बच्चा जीवित हो उठा और रोने लगा।
यह देखकर बड़ी बहन आश्चर्यचकित रह गई और उसने छोटी बहन को इतनी बड़ी बात छिपाने के लिए डाँटा। तब छोटी बहन ने उसे पूरी सच्चाई बता दी।
ऐसा माना जाता है कि यह चमत्कार बड़ी बहन द्वारा श्रद्धा और निष्ठा से किए गए शरद पूर्णिमा व्रत के पुण्य और चंद्र देव के आशीर्वाद से हुआ था। तभी से शरद पूर्णिमा का व्रत पूरी श्रद्धा, भक्ति और सावधानी के साथ करने की परंपरा प्रचलित हुई।
Conclusion
The Sharad Purnima Vrat Katha is a perfect example of true devotion and faith. A vow kept with faith and a pure heart invites divine blessings, and through repentance, you can also correct past mistakes.
So, observe this year's Sharad Purnima fast with sincerity and utmost love, beyond rituals, and let the glory of the sacred day come to you.
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