Padmanabha Dwadashi Vrat Katha | Ashwina Shukla Dwadashi Vrat Katha

Padmanabha Dwadashi Vrat Katha

Sage Durvasa said to Satyatapa Muni - "O wise one! Listen to the description of the merit obtained by observing the Padmanabha Dwadashi Vrat in the Shukla Paksha of the Ashwina month.

In Satya Yuga, there was an extremely strong, valiant, and powerful king named Bhadrashva. It is after King Bhadrashva that Bhadrashvavarsha (भद्राश्ववर्ष) became renowned. In due course of time, Agastya Muni once arrived at King Bhadrashva's palace. Seeing the revered sage, the king welcomed and honored him properly and said - 'O revered sage! By receiving your meritorious Darshana, I have become blessed. Tell me, O Lord, how may I serve you?'

Sage Agastya said - 'O King! I have come with the desire to stay in your palace for seven nights.' Bowing his head in reverence, the king said to the sage - 'O Lord! This is indeed a matter of fortune and joy for me. Please do stay here by your grace.'

King Bhadrashva had an extremely beautiful queen endowed with charm and grace. The queen's name was Kantimati. Kantimati's beauty, radiance, brilliance, and grace were such that it seemed as though all Dwadasha Aditya had gathered together and were shining brightly. Similarly, five hundred beautiful women were engaged in the king's service, and their conduct was disciplined. All those five hundred women were of a very gentle nature and always remained engaged in work like attendants. Kantimati alone had the good fortune of being Patarani, i.e., the chief queen of the king.

King Bhadrashva would gaze every moment at the beautiful and cheerful face of Queen Kantimati. One day, Sage Agastya's eyes fell upon Kantimati, who was endowed with beauty, charm, and radiance. Besides her, the sage also saw the beautiful women who were constantly engaged in work out of fear of the queen. Sometime after seeing that supremely beautiful and graceful queen, Sage Agastya, filled with joy and emotion, said - 'O King! You are blessed, truly blessed.'

In the same way, on the second day also, seeing the queen, Sage Agastya said - 'Alas! The entire world has been deprived of this.' Thereafter, on the third day, while looking at Queen Kantimati, he said - 'Ah! These fools don't even know Lord Govinda, who, by being pleased for just one day, granted this king all this wealth and fortune.' On the fourth day, Sage Agastya raised both his hands and said loudly - 'O Lord of the universe! Countless salutations and praise to You. Blessed are women; O Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya, repeated salutations to you! O Bhadrashva, salutations to you. O Agastya, you too are blessed. O Prahlada and great-vowed Dhruva, all of you are blessed.'

Speaking loudly in this manner, Sage Agastya began to dance before King Bhadrashva. Thereafter, seeing Sage Agastya in this state, the queen and everyone else became astonished, and the king asked - 'O revered sage! What is the reason for your joy in this manner? Why are you dancing with such delight?'

Sage Agastya said - 'O King! This is a matter of great wonder. How greatly ignorant you are, and likewise these ministers, priests, and other dependents who follow you are also great fools, for they are unable to understand my words.'

When the sage said this, the king folded his hands and humbly said - 'O Brahmana! This riddle of yours is beyond the understanding of dull-minded beings like us. Therefore, O noble one, kindly show grace and reveal this mystery to us.'

Sage Agastya said - 'O King! In ancient times, there lived a Vaishya named Haridatta in a certain city. This queen of yours, Kantimati, worked as Dasi, i.e., a maidservant in the house of Haridatta the Vaishya in her previous birth. In that birth too, you were her husband. You also worked as Karmachari, i.e., an employee of Haridatta. In due course of time, once that Vaishya became ready to observe the Dwadashi Vrat of the Shukla Paksha of the Ashwina month according to the rules. In the temple of Lord Vishnu Himself, he worshipped the Lord properly with flowers, incense, and other offerings. You both, husband and wife, were with that Vaishya for his protection and service. After the worship, the Vaishya returned to his home, but so that the Diya would not go out, he ordered both of you to remain there.

After that Vaishya departed, both of you sat there, keeping the Diyas well lit. You did not leave that place throughout the night until dawn and continued to protect the Diyas. After some days, when your lifespan came to an end, both of you, husband and wife, died. By the effect of that merit, you were born in the house of King Priyavrata, and this wife of yours, who was a maidservant in the house of the Vaishya in her previous birth, has been established as a Queen in this birth.

That Diya belonged to someone else, that is, to Haridatta the Vaishya. Your only act in the temple of Lord Vishnu was to keep it burning; this is the meritorious fruit of that good deed. Therefore, the merit of one who lights a Diya before Lord Shri Hari with his own wealth is impossible to calculate. That is why I said - 'O King! You are blessed! You are blessed!'

The merit that learned people obtain in Satya Yuga by worshipping Lord Shrihari with devotion for a full year, in Treta Yuga for half a year, and in Dwapara Yuga for three months, can be obtained in Kali Yuga merely by uttering Namo Narayanaya(नमो नारायणाय). There is no doubt about this. That is why these words came from my mouth - 'The entire world has been deprived.' I have spoken only of devotion. Such rare merit was obtained merely by protecting a Diya lit before Lord Vishnu by someone else.

When I spoke of foolishness, the meaning is that people do not know the importance of donating Diyas in Lord Vishnu's temple. I thanked Brahmins and kings because those who worship Lord Shri Hari with devotion through various Yajnas according to the prescribed method are always worthy of praise. In this creation, I see nothing other than that Param Pita, i.e., Supreme Father, the Supreme Self; therefore, I called myself blessed as well.

The reason I called this woman and you blessed is that this woman was a maidservant in a Vaishya's house, and you also performed the work of service. After the master departed, both of you kept the Diya burning in Lord Vishnu's temple. Therefore, this woman, and even more so you, are worthy of praise. Although there were elements of demonic tendency in the body of Bhakta Prahlada, he saw no other reality apart from the Param Pita, the Supreme Self; therefore, I called him blessed too. Dhruva was born in a royal family, but from childhood he went to the forest and worshipped Lord Vishnu there, attaining the highest and most beautiful abode. Therefore, I also called Dhruva holy.'

Having said this, Sage Agastya instructed King Bhadrashva to observe the Dwadashi Vrat and said - 'O King! The festival of Kartika Purnima has arrived. Therefore, I am going to the sacred Pushkara Kshetra.' Thereafter, Sage Agastya departed from there."

Sage Durvasa says - "O sage! It was while going to Pushkara that Sage Agastya had stayed in the palace of King Bhadrashva, and there he had instructed the king to observe the Dwadashi Vrat. At the time of departure, the sage granted the king a boon for the birth of a son. Following the instructions of the revered sage, the king observed the Padmanabha Dwadashi Vrat, as a result of which he was blessed with noble sons, grandsons, and descendants. By the merit of this Vrat, King Bhadrashva enjoyed the finest pleasures, and at the end of his life, he was established in the supreme abode of Lord Padmanabha."