Story #5: Benefits of Sankatahara Chathurthi

 
   Sankatahara Chathurthi is celebrated in almost every Temple in South India,  when Vinayaka is worshipped during the evening time after the moon rise.  Staunch devotees get up early on that day,  bathe and begin their worship.  They refrain from eating and drinking any cooked food.  They worship vinayaka and the crescent moon and then break their fasting by taking some prasad.
 
   As per Skandha Purana this day,  the fourth day of waning moon, the Holy Trinity blessed Vinayaka as the first God. This day is said to be so dear to Vinayaka that he gets rid of all the sin, of those who take up the vrata.

   Let's now hear a beautiful story that portraits the importance of this vrata.

   Once upon a time, there lived a sage called  Brushundi.  He was so much a devotee of the elephant headed god, that he himself was blessed with a long trunk.  People and devas from far and wide came to his ashram to get his blessings.

   Hearing about his greatness,  Indra once came to the ashram in his pushpaka vimana.  The sage explained the importance and benefits of Vinayaka worship to him.  Indra listened carefully and got the sage's blessings and left back to Indralokha.

   On his way back, he flied over the country ruled by Surasena.  There lived a sinner in the country, who eyed the vimana. The sinner was so cursed, that the vimana fell down to earth immediately. Indra came to know the reason for the fall of vimana. The day before this incident happened was Sankatahara chathurthi. He met king Surasena and asked him, if someone in his kingdom would give him the punyapalan of fasting completely on the previous day.  Only that could make his vimana fly again.

   The king arranged for a search through out the country, only to find that none had fasted on the previous day.  At that time,  Indra and the king saw that the guards of vinayaka taking the soul of a old lady.

   Indra inquires as who that lady was and what great deed she did to get such privilege. The guards replied that she was just another person who didn't have any merits except that she fasted on the previous day completely,  that too because of her sickness and that she passed away on the day after fasting.  The unknowing fasting on such day itself had got her such benefits, that she was being carried away to Svananda Lokha(adobe of Lord vinayaka).

   As they moved,  breeze that touched the body of the lady passed over the vimana of Indra.  The pushpaka vimana started immediately. This showcased the punyapalan of fasting on Sankatahara chathurthi.

   Fasting on the day of Sankatahara chathurthi, not only brings punyapalan,  but also brings in the satisfaction and inculcate more devotion in us...

Jay Shri Ganesha!!