गुरुवार (बृहस्पतिवार) व्रत कथा (हिन्दी में)
प्राचीन समय में एक प्रतापी और दानी राजा था। वह हर गुरुवार व्रत रखता और ब्राह्मणों तथा दीन-दुखियों को दान देता था। पर उसकी रानी को दान-पुण्य अच्छा नहीं लगता था; वह न व्रत करती, न किसी को कुछ देती।
एक दिन राजा शिकार पर गया हुआ था। तभी बृहस्पति देव एक साधु का रूप धरकर भिक्षा माँगने महल में आए। रानी बोली — "महाराज, मैं इस दान-पुण्य से तंग आ गई हूँ। कोई ऐसा उपाय बताइए जिससे यह सारा धन नष्ट हो जाए और मैं चैन से रह सकूँ।" साधु ने समझाया कि धन से तो दान-पुण्य करना चाहिए, पर रानी नहीं मानी।
तब साधु बोले — "यदि तुम यही चाहती हो तो गुरुवार के दिन घर को गोबर से लीपना, बाल धोना, कपड़े धोबी को देना, राजा से हजामत बनवाने को कहना और भोजन में मांस-मदिरा का प्रयोग करना। सात गुरुवार में तुम्हारा सारा धन नष्ट हो जाएगा।" इतना कहकर साधु अन्तर्धान हो गए।
रानी ने वैसा ही किया। तीन गुरुवार में ही सारा धन नष्ट हो गया और राजा-रानी भूखे रहने लगे। राजा दूसरे देश जाकर जंगल से लकड़ियाँ काटकर बेचने लगा। महल में रानी और उसकी दासी अकेली रह गईं और भोजन के लिए भी तरसने लगीं।
रानी ने दासी को अपनी धनवान बहन के पास भेजा। उस दिन गुरुवार था और बहन व्रत-कथा सुन रही थी, इसलिए उसने दासी से बात नहीं की। दासी निराश लौट आई। कथा पूरी होने पर बहन स्वयं रानी के पास आई और कारण बताया। रानी ने अपनी दशा सुनाई तो बहन बोली — "बृहस्पति देव सबकी मनोकामना पूरी करते हैं। तुम गुरुवार का व्रत करो — पीले वस्त्र पहनो, चने की दाल और गुड़ से केले के पेड़ में भगवान विष्णु की पूजा करो, कथा सुनो और पीला भोजन एक बार करो।"
रानी और दासी ने श्रद्धा से गुरुवार का व्रत किया। बृहस्पति देव की कृपा से उनके घर फिर धन-धान्य आने लगा। उधर जंगल में राजा को भी एक साधु मिले, जिन्होंने उसे लकड़ी बेचकर मिले पैसों से गुरुवार का व्रत करने को कहा। राजा ने व्रत किया और उसकी दशा भी सुधर गई। वह अपने राज्य लौटा, और राजा-रानी दोनों पहले से अधिक सुख से रहने लगे। रानी अब स्वयं प्रसन्न होकर दान-पुण्य करने लगी।
जो कोई गुरुवार का व्रत करता है और यह कथा पढ़ता या सुनता है, बृहस्पति देव की कृपा से उसके घर में धन, विद्या और सुख की कमी नहीं रहती।
॥ इति गुरुवार व्रत कथा सम्पूर्ण ॥ बोलो बृहस्पति देव की जय! बोलो विष्णु भगवान की जय!
The story of Guruvar Vrat Katha in English
Long ago there was a mighty and generous king who fasted every Thursday and gave alms to brahmins and the poor. But his queen disliked charity; she neither fasted nor gave anything to anyone.
One day, while the king was away hunting, Brihaspati came to the palace in the form of a sadhu, asking for alms. The queen said: "Holy one, I am tired of all this giving. Tell me some way for all this wealth to disappear so that I may live in peace." The sadhu explained that wealth is meant for doing good, but the queen would not listen.
Then the sadhu said: "If that is what you wish, then on Thursdays smear the house with cow dung, wash your hair, send the clothes to the washerman, have the king shave, and eat meat and drink wine. In seven Thursdays all your wealth will be gone." Saying this, he vanished.
The queen did exactly that. In just three Thursdays all the wealth was gone and the king and queen went hungry. The king went to another country, where he cut and sold wood from the forest. The queen and her maid were left alone in the palace, longing even for a meal.
The queen sent her maid to her wealthy sister. It was a Thursday and the sister was listening to the vrat katha, so she did not speak to the maid, who came back disappointed. When the katha was over, the sister herself came and explained why. Hearing the queen's plight, she said: "Brihaspati fulfils everyone's wishes. Keep the Thursday vrat: wear yellow, worship Vishnu at a banana tree with chana dal and jaggery, hear the katha, and eat one yellow meal."
The queen and her maid kept the Thursday vrat with faith, and by Brihaspati's grace prosperity returned to their home. Meanwhile, in the forest, the king also met a sadhu, who told him to keep the Thursday vrat with the money from his wood. The king did so and his fortunes too improved. He returned to his kingdom, and the king and queen lived more happily than before. Now the queen herself gave alms gladly.
Whoever keeps the Thursday vrat and reads or hears this katha never lacks wealth, learning or happiness, by the grace of Brihaspati.
This is the Brihaspativar katha as found in popular Hindi vrat-katha books; it is a folk katha. The things the queen is told to do are the customs that the katha says should be avoided on Thursdays. The katha is retold here in our own words; families and printed booklets tell it with small differences.
How to keep the Guruvar (Brihaspativar) vrat
- Sankalp. Begin on a Thursday in the bright half of the month (not in Paush). Bathe, wear yellow, and take a sankalp for 16 Thursdays, or as vowed.
- Worship at a banana tree. Worship Vishnu and Brihaspati — at a banana tree, or before an image — with yellow flowers, turmeric, chana dal and jaggery, a ghee lamp and water.
- Katha and aarti. Hear the Guruvar katha, then do the aarti "Om Jai Jagdish Hare" or the Brihaspati aarti.
- One yellow meal. Eat once, a yellow meal such as chana dal, besan or yellow sweets; many avoid salt and bananas themselves (the banana is offered, not eaten).
Food: One yellow meal, without salt in many families; bananas are offered but not eaten.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone with a medical condition should keep a lighter fast. Customs differ between families and regions — follow your own tradition.
Udyapan (completing the vrat)
After 16 Thursdays, do the udyapan on the 17th: worship Vishnu and Brihaspati, offer yellow cloth, chana dal, jaggery and turmeric, feed brahmins or the needy with yellow food, and give dakshina.
Mantra and aarti
Brihaspati mantra
ॐ बृं बृहस्पतये नमः ॥
oṃ bṛṃ bṛhaspataye namaḥ ||
Om, salutations to Brihaspati, guru of the gods. Chant it 108 times on Thursday, ideally on a turmeric or yellow mala.
Frequently asked questions
Why is yellow used in the Guruvar vrat?
Yellow is the colour of Brihaspati (Jupiter) and of Vishnu's pitambar. Yellow clothes, flowers, turmeric, chana dal and yellow food are offered.
Why is the banana tree worshipped on Thursday?
The banana tree is believed to be a dwelling of Vishnu and Brihaspati; it is watered and worshipped with turmeric and chana dal.
What is avoided on Thursdays?
In popular custom: washing hair, cutting hair or nails, shaving, washing clothes and smearing the house — the very things the queen in the katha was told to do.