Jitiya Vrat Katha Updates
Once, the sages of Naimisharanya approached Sutji and asked, “O Sutji, how can mothers ensure their children live long lives in the dark era of Kaliyug?” Sutji responded by recounting an ancient tale about a powerful fast, the Jivitputrika Vrat, which grants children long life and well-being.
When Dwapar Yug was ending and Kaliyug was beginning, many distressed mothers gathered, worried about the fate of their sons. “Will our sons die while we, their mothers, are still alive?” they asked one another. Unable to find an answer, the women sought guidance from the wise Gautamji.
Upon reaching him, they respectfully bowed and asked, “O revered one, how will our sons live long in this Kaliyug? Is there any fast or ritual that can protect them?” Gautamji, filled with compassion, replied, “Let me tell you about a fast I once heard of, a divine fast that ensures the longevity of children.”
Jitiya Vrat Katha: The Story of King Jimutvahan
After the Mahabharata war, when the Pandavas were grieving the loss of their sons at the hands of Ashwatthama, Draupadi, deeply distressed, approached the sage Dhoumya. She asked him, “O great sage, is there any way to ensure the longevity of our children?”
Dhoumya then shared the story of King Jimutvahan, a righteous king who ruled during Satyayug. Jimutvahan was known for his unwavering commitment to truth and his compassion for all living beings. One day, while staying at his in-laws’ house, he heard the cries of a grieving mother whose son had died. She lamented, “My son is dying before my eyes, and I am powerless.”
Hearing her cries, Jimutvahan’s heart ached with empathy. He approached the mother and asked, “What has happened to your son?” The mother explained, “Every day, Garuda comes to our village and takes away our children as food.”
Jimutvahan, moved by her pain, comforted her, saying, “Do not cry. I will try to save your son.” True to his word, the king went to the place where Garuda usually came to feast. When Garuda arrived, the king offered himself as a meal in place of the village children. As Garuda began to eat him, Jimutvahan, despite the excruciating pain, continued to offer more of his body.
Garuda’s Realization
Garuda, noticing Jimutvahan’s unusual behavior, asked, “Who are you? You don’t seem to be human.” Jimutvahan humbly replied, “I am a mere mortal. Eat as much of me as you need.”
Astonished by the king’s bravery and selflessness, Garuda stopped and respectfully inquired about his lineage. Jimutvahan revealed, “I am the son of Shaivya and Shalivahan, born in the Suryavansh, and my name is Jimutvahan.”
Garuda, deeply moved by the king’s compassion, offered him a boon. Jimutvahan requested, “If you truly wish to grant me a boon, then bring back to life all the children and people you have eaten, and never again take the lives of children. Grant them long lives wherever they are born.”
Honoring the king’s request, Garuda flew to Naglok to retrieve Amrit, the nectar of immortality. He sprinkled the Amrit on the bones of those he had previously eaten, bringing them all back to life. Jimutvahan’s sacrifice brought peace and relief to the village, and Garuda, in admiration, offered another boon.
Garuda declared, “On this auspicious day, the Ashtami Tithi of the Ashwin month, I declare that this day shall be known as Jivitputrika, the day of long life. Women who observe a fast and perform puja on this day, worshipping the deity in the form of Durga, will be blessed with long-living children. The dynasty of those who observe this fast will continue to flourish.”
The Jivitputrika Vrat
Garuda further instructed that the fast must be observed on a pure Ashtami Tithi, not when it overlaps with the Saptami Tithi. Women should fast, offer prayers, and break the fast on Navami to ensure the desired benefits. Failing to observe the fast properly could result in the loss of its blessings.
After granting this boon, Garuda returned to Vaikuntha, and King Jimutvahan returned to his kingdom, where he lived a life of prosperity with his wife.
Draupadi’s Observance
After hearing the story, Draupadi was filled with hope and observed the Jivitputrika Vrat with the women of her city. The fast brought peace and long life to her children, and the practice continued to spread.
The Story of the Jackal and the Woman
Once, a woman shared the story of the Jivitputrika Vrat with her friend, a jackal. The two decided to observe the fast together, one sitting on a Peepal tree and the other in its hollow. The woman completed the fast, but the jackal, driven by hunger, broke the fast early and ate meat in a crematorium. Despite this, the jackal drank cow’s milk the next morning and believed she had fulfilled the fast.
In their next lives, the woman was reborn as a queen and the jackal as the wife of a minister. The minister’s wife, having properly observed the fast, gave birth to eight sons, all of whom lived long and prosperous lives. The queen, however, lost every child she bore, as she had not followed the fast correctly.
Jealous of her sister’s happiness, the queen asked her, “Why do your sons live, while mine die?” The minister’s wife revealed the secret of the Jivitputrika Vrat. The queen then observed the fast as instructed, and her future sons thrived.
Read More: Jitiya Vrat 2024: Perform Jitiya Katha Puja During This Auspicious Time for Blessings
FAQs
What’s the impact of Jitiya Vrat Katha?
It is for the long life of the childrens
