Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha

Part 1: Veeravati's First Karwa Chauth

In ancient times, in a city lived a moneylender. He had seven sons and a beautiful daughter named Veeravati. The seven brothers loved their only sister dearly. They would seat her beside them and feed her, and until she ate, they did not eat either.

Veeravati was married to a worthy young man. When the first Karwa Chauth after her marriage came, she was at her parents' home. She kept the Karwa Chauth vrat with her sisters-in-law. But Veeravati was very delicate and could not bear hunger and thirst. As the day wore on she became distressed and began to feel faint.

Part 2: The Brothers' Trick and the Broken Vrat

The brothers could not bear to see their sister in this state. They thought of getting her to eat somehow. They found a way. One brother went behind a tree, lit a large lamp and held a sieve in front of it. Another brother came and said, "Sister, look, the moon has risen. Offer arghya and break your fast."

Innocent Veeravati believed her brothers. She took that lamp for the moon, offered arghya and sat down to eat. At the first morsel she sneezed. In the second morsel she found a hair. And as she put the third morsel in her mouth, news came from her in-laws' house that her husband had fallen gravely ill and that his breath had stopped.

Part 3: Goddess Parvati's Guidance

Veeravati ran toward her in-laws' house in distress. On the way she met Mother Parvati. She stopped her and said, "Daughter, you broke your vrat without seeing the moon, and this is why this suffering has come to you." Weeping, Veeravati asked forgiveness and said, "Mother, I made a mistake. Unknowingly I believed my brothers. Please give me back my husband's life."

Mother Parvati said with compassion, "Keep the Karwa Chauth vrat again with the full method. This time do not make a mistake." Veeravati reached her in-laws' house. For the whole year she tended her husband's lifeless body, and kept the vrat of every Chaturthi. The needle-like blades of grass that sprouted on his body she pulled out one by one and kept safely.

Part 4: The Next Year's Vrat and the Husband's Life

The next year, when the Krishna Chaturthi of Kartik came, she kept the Karwa Chauth vrat with full devotion, with discipline and without any mistake. She offered arghya only when the moon had truly risen. That night, pleased with her devotion, Mother Parvati gave her husband life again. Her husband sat up, and a wave of joy swept through the family.

From that time it is said that the woman who keeps the Karwa Chauth vrat with faith, discipline and a sincere heart has her marital good fortune remain firm and receives the boon of unbroken saubhagya.

Another Story, of Karva

In some places a story of a devoted wife named Karva is also told. Karva lived with her husband in a village on a riverbank. One day her husband was bathing in the river when a crocodile seized his leg and began to drag him. The husband called out "Karva! Karva!" Karva came running and bound the crocodile with a raw cotton thread. Then she took the crocodile to Yamaraj and said, "This crocodile has seized my husband. Punish it and grant my husband a long life." Yamaraj said, "I cannot do that." Then Karva said, "If you do not, I will curse you." Frightened by the power of her devotion to her husband, Yamaraj sent the crocodile to Yamaloka and blessed her husband with a long life. For this reason this day became famous as Karwa Chauth.

Thus ends the complete Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha