Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comShri Shani Pradosh Vrat Katha
Shani Pradosh Vrat Katha is the story for the Trayodashi that falls on a Saturday, of a poor Brahmin widow and her two sons, whose devotion to Shiva leads a dispossessed prince back to his own kingdom, presented here in full.
Chapter 1 · The Poor Brahmin Widow Learns the Pradosh Vow
In ancient times there was a Brahmin woman with sons, who had two sons, and this Brahmin woman was very poor. By divine chance, one day she had the darshan of the great sage Shandilya, and hearing the glory of the Pradosh vow from the sage's own mouth, that Brahmin woman asked the sage the method of its worship. Moved by her faith and earnest request, the sage told the Brahmin woman the method of Shiva's worship, and said to her, 'Have both your sons worship Shiva, by the power of this vow you shall obtain full accomplishment after one year.'
Hearing the great sage Shandilya's words, the Brahmin woman, together with the boys, bowed her head and prostrated at the sage's feet, and said, 'O Brahmin, today I have been blessed by your darshan, these two boys of mine are your servants, please deliver me.' Knowing the Brahmin woman had taken refuge in him, the sage, with gentle words, told both boys the method of worshipping Shiva. After this, the two boys and the Brahmin woman bowed to the sage and went to the Shiva temple. From that day, the two boys began worshipping Shiva regularly at the Pradosh hour, just as the sage had instructed.
Chapter 2 · The Golden Pot in the River, and the Prince's Renunciation
Four months passed as the two of them went on worshipping. One day, while the prince was away, Shuchivrat went to the riverbank to bathe, and began playing in the water there. By chance, at that very moment, he saw a large gleaming pot of wealth in a crevice of the riverbank, and seeing that pot filled with wealth, Shuchivrat was overjoyed, and, setting it upon his head, brought it home.
Placing the pot on the ground, he said to his mother, 'Mother, see Shiva's glory, the Lord has given me boundless wealth in the form of this pot.' His mother, astonished at the sight of the pot, called the prince and said, 'Son, listen to me, the two of you should divide this wealth equally between you.' Hearing his mother's words, Shuchivrat was overjoyed, but the prince, expressing his disagreement, said, 'Mother, this wealth has come by your own son's merit, I do not wish to take any share of it at all, for a person alone reaps the fruit of their own deeds.' In this way, worshipping Shiva together in the same house, a whole year passed for them.
Chapter 3 · Meeting the Gandharva Maiden Anshumati in the Forest
One day the prince went to roam the forest in springtime together with the Brahmin's son, and as the two of them went very far into the forest together, they saw there hundreds of gandharva maidens at play. Seeing those gandharva maidens playing, the Brahmin's son said to the prince, 'Maidens are roaming here, so we two should not go any further, for these gandharva maidens quickly enchant the minds of men, so I for one shall stay well away from these maidens.' But the prince, paying no heed to his words, went alone and fearlessly into the maidens' playing-ground. The foremost beauty among all those gandharva maidens, seeing the prince who had arrived there, began to wonder within herself who this prince was, so beautiful in form as Kamadeva himself. Wishing to speak with the prince, the beauty said to her companions, 'Friends, go into the nearby forest and pick some fresh flowers of ashoka, champak, maulsiri, and the like, and until then I shall stay right here, waiting for you.' As soon as they heard the gandharva maiden's words, all her companions went away from there.
After her friends had gone, that gandharva maiden began gazing steadily at the prince, and love began to flow between the two of them, and the gandharva maiden gave the prince a seat to sit upon. Overcome with longing for the prince's company because of their loving talk, that beauty grew restless, and asked the prince, 'O you with eyes like the lotus, of what land are you a resident, and how did you come to be here?' Hearing the gandharva maiden's words, the prince answered, 'I am the son of the king of Vidarbha, my parents have passed to the heavens, and enemies have seized my kingdom from me.' Having introduced himself, the prince asked that gandharva maiden, 'Who are you, whose daughter are you, and for what purpose have you come to this forest, what do you want from me?' Hearing the prince's words, the gandharva maiden said, 'I am Anshumati, daughter of the gandharva named Vidravik, I have stayed behind here, apart from my companions, only to see you and speak with you, I am highly skilled in the art of song, all the celestial women are charmed by my singing, I wish that our love, yours and mine, should endure forever.' Saying this, that gandharva maiden placed her own precious pearl necklace around the prince's neck, and that necklace became a token of their love. After this the prince said to that maiden, 'O beauty, all that you have said is true, but how will you be able to stay with a kingdomless prince, how will you be able to come with me without your father's permission?' At the prince's words the maiden smiled and said, 'Whatever may come, I shall choose you of my own will, now you come here the day after tomorrow at dawn, my word can never prove false.' Saying this, the gandharva maiden went back again to her companions. The prince, for his part, went to Shuchivrat and told him his whole account, and after this the two of them returned home, and reaching home, they told the Brahmin woman everything that had happened, hearing which the Brahmin woman too was overjoyed.
Chapter 4 · The Gandharva King's Boon and the Prince's Coronation
Two days later, when the prince reached the forest, he found the Gandharva king Vidravik there, sitting in waiting together with his daughter Anshumati. The Gandharva welcomed the two boys and seated them on fine seats, and said to the prince, 'The day before yesterday I went to Kailashpuri, where Lord Shankar sat enthroned together with Parvati, and they called me to their side and said: on earth wanders a prince named Dharmagupta, dispossessed of his kingdom, whose lineage his enemies have utterly destroyed, that prince always serves me with devotion, so you must help him, so that he may win victory over his enemies, so, by Lord Shankar's command, I entrust my daughter Anshumati to you, I shall have your kingdom, which has fallen into your enemies' hands, restored to you, and you shall enjoy happiness with this maiden for ten thousand years, and even upon reaching Shivlok, my daughter shall remain with you in this very form.' Saying this, the Gandharva king had his daughter married to the prince, and gave as dowry many manservants and maidservants, along with a fourfold Gandharva army to win victory over his enemies.
With the Gandharvas' help, the prince destroyed his enemies, and entered his own city, and his ministers seated him upon the throne and performed his coronation, and the prince now began to enjoy the pleasures of kingship. The poor Brahmin woman who had raised him was herself installed in the position of queen-mother, and Shuchivrat became his younger brother. In this way, by the power of worshipping Shiva during the Pradosh Vrat, that prince attained a rare and exalted position. Whoever hears this story at the Pradosh hour, or indeed at any time, is certainly freed from all troubles, and in the end becomes worthy of the supreme abode.
How to Read Shri Shani Pradosh Vrat Katha
The time after evening and before night falls is called Pradosh, and one observing the vow should worship Lord Shankar during that very hour. On Trayodashi, do not eat through the day; in the evening, when three ghadis remain before sunset, finish bathing, wear white clothes, and after the evening prayers, begin Shiva's worship. For the udyapan, set up a canopy with colourful cloth, install an image of Shiva-Parvati, perform a havan with kheer, offer 108 oblations with the mantra Om Uma Sahita Shivaya Namah, and finally give a gift to a Brahmin and eat together with one's family. Shani Pradosh is also observed especially to remove the ill effects of Saturn.
About Shri Shani Pradosh Vrat Katha
The Shani Pradosh Vrat Katha is the story of a poor Brahmin widow and her two sons, told across four chapters. In the first, the sage Shandilya teaches the Brahmin woman and her two sons the method of the Pradosh vow. In the second, her son Shuchivrat finds a pot filled with wealth in a river, and the prince living with them refuses to take a share of it. In the third, the prince meets the gandharva maiden Anshumati in the forest, and the two fall in love. In the fourth, the Gandharva king, on Lord Shiva's own command, gives the prince his daughter and an army, by which the prince defeats his enemies and regains his kingdom.
This story is told for the Trayodashi that falls on a Saturday, and is also linked to the wish to remove Saturn's ill effects. This page presents the full text of all four chapters in plain Hindi, with adjustable text size and print support.
The Shani Pradosh Vrat Katha has no named author. The Pradosh vow falls on both Trayodashis of every month, and is known by whichever weekday it falls on, this is discussed in detail on the main 'Pradosh Vrat' overview page. The text presented here is a faithful adaptation of the most widely told traditional story associated with the Trayodashi that falls on a Saturday, that is, Shani Pradosh, which opens with the episode of the sage Shandilya teaching its method to a poor Brahmin widow, and is based on this same story as printed in a published Hindi vrat-katha collection booklet, with only clear printing errors corrected and no change made to the story itself. Since this story too has no single ancient original text, other printed editions may use different character names or wording, some sources attribute this very same story to Som Pradosh (Monday) instead.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Shani Pradosh Vrat observed?
When the Trayodashi tithi falls on a Saturday, that day's Pradosh vow is called Shani Pradosh.
How does the prince regain his kingdom in the Shani Pradosh Vrat Katha?
As described in the story's fourth chapter, on Lord Shiva's own command the Gandharva king gives the prince his daughter Anshumati and his army, with whose help the prince defeats his enemies and regains his kingdom.
Is the udyapan necessary for the Pradosh Vrat?
As described in the puja vidhi, once one's wish is fulfilled, the udyapan should be performed properly, installing an image of Shiva-Parvati and including a havan and a meal offered to a Brahmin.
Is this the only Pradosh Vrat Katha?
No, Trayodashi can fall on any of the seven weekdays, and tradition tells a different story for each. This Shani Pradosh story is the most widely told of them, the stories for the other weekdays can be found from the main 'Pradosh Vrat' overview page.