Sankat Chauth Katha, Sankat Chauth Katha Biography. The old-lady, unmindful of this vicious brainwashing-campaign started by her neighbours kept her fast as usual when Sankat Chauth fell next. In the evening, she cooked sweet Pakoras (‘Gulgulas’) for her exclusive consumption apart from other things. She was about to break her fast when her son returned from the fields. He said to his mother : “Our neighbors are right. That lady confided in me the pretext you employ to eat choicest food items. While you offer me only dry bread! Now I shan’t stay with you. I shall leave this home for ever. Puzzled and dismayed, the old lady said: “My dear son, I keep these fasts only for your well-being. Don’t leave me alone in this old age.” But her son would not listen to her. As he was determined to leave home, the old lady finally said : “Do as you like. But do me one last favor. Take these til seeds with you. Sprinkle them around you whenever you sense any danger.” Accepting his mother’s advice the son moved on, leaving the house. Soon he reached a vast wilderness on the way. To his great consternation he spotted a lion standing close by. The son remembered his mother’s advice and took out some of the til seeds and sprinkled them around him, saying in his mind~lf my mother took her fasts for my well being, move the lion should away from my sight.” Lo and behold, the lion soon went away. And the soil”Carried on his journey. He thought that it was sheerly by chance that the lion had moved away.
All the men, there, were frightened. The last pot was removed gently. To their great surprise, the boy was sitting in it safe and in a. meditative posture. The til seeds around him had sprouted. Coming out of the pot the boy told the whole story which made the king stop the practice of human sacrifice and ordered his subjects to keep fast on all the fourth days of the waning moon. He then married off his daughter to the boy. When the boy was returning home with his bride, the neighbor saw the couple. She went to that old lady whose son that boy was, and said : “Your son is coming with a beautiful bride. He has a cartload of wealth. You receive them at the door.”
The old lady said : “You were responsible for my son’s going into exile. Don’t ever pollute anyone’s mind like you polluted my son’s mind. It does good to no one.”
In the mean time the royal couple (the boy with his bride, the royal princess) reached home and both of them touched the old lady’s feet who ever kept fast for his son’s well being. The moral of this story is clear. Besides stressing on the need for keeping fast on this pious day it also warns against jealousy felt by the people at their neighbor’s peace and prosperity. Lord Ganesh is said to be the Lord who can remove all obstructions from one’s path to success. Hence his worship on Sankat Chauth. It is believed that keeping fast on this day ensures trouble less rest of the year for the performer. May Lord Ganesh shed his benign grace on every one .
