About this vrat katha
The Satyanarayan katha is read at every Satyanarayan puja — on Purnima, at griha pravesh, weddings and after a wish is fulfilled. It tells, in five chapters, how the vrat was revealed and what happened to those who kept it or forgot it.
When to recite
At a Satyanarayan puja — on Purnima, Ekadashi, griha pravesh, weddings, birthdays or to give thanks.
Traditionally recited for
- Peace and prosperity in the family
- Giving thanks for a fulfilled wish
Chapter 1 — The vrat is revealed
The sage Narada, seeing the suffering of people on earth, asked Vishnu how they could find relief. Vishnu told him of the Satyanarayan vrat: worship of the Lord as Truth itself, with devotion, on any day — especially Purnima — with an offering of sheera (prasad of wheat, ghee, sugar and banana), followed by the katha.
Chapter 2 — The poor Brahmin and the woodcutter
A poor Brahmin of Kashi was told of the vrat by the Lord in the form of an old man. He kept it and his poverty ended. A woodcutter who saw him perform it kept the vrat too, and he also prospered.
Chapter 3 — King Ulkamukha and the merchant
King Ulkamukha and his queen kept the vrat by a river. A merchant, Sadhu, saw them and vowed to keep it if he were blessed with a child. A daughter, Kalavati, was born, but the merchant kept postponing the vrat — first until her marriage, then until his return from a voyage.
Chapter 4 — The forgotten vow
Because he broke his promise, the merchant and his son-in-law were falsely accused and imprisoned, and their wealth was lost. At home, his wife and daughter fell into poverty until they heard the katha at a neighbour’s home and kept the vrat themselves. The merchant was freed — but when he lied to the Lord, in disguise, about the cargo on his boat, it turned to leaves and creepers, and was restored only when he sought forgiveness.
Chapter 5 — Kalavati and King Tungadhwaja
In her joy at her husband’s return, Kalavati rushed to meet him without taking the prasad, and his boat sank from sight. When she returned and took the prasad, he reappeared. King Tungadhwaja, who disregarded the prasad offered by cowherds, lost his sons and wealth until he humbly joined their worship. The katha ends by reminding listeners never to refuse or neglect the prasad.
After the katha
The aarti is sung, the prasad is offered and shared with everyone present, and the family seeks the blessings of Satyanarayan.
Sources
- Skanda Purana, Reva Khanda (the Satyanarayan katha as traditionally read in five chapters).