बृहस्पतिवार व्रत कथा
गुरुवार (बृहस्पतिवार) व्रत — बृहस्पति देव व भगवान विष्णु की कथा
बृहस्पतिवार व्रत, जिसे गुरुवार व्रत भी कहते हैं, देवताओं के गुरु बृहस्पति देव तथा भगवान विष्णु के निमित्त रखा जाता है। व्रती प्रातः स्नान कर पीले वस्त्र धारण करता है और पीले पुष्प, चने की दाल, हल्दी, केला व गुड़ से पूजन करता है; अनेक लोग केले के वृक्ष का भी पूजन करते हैं। एक समय पीला भोजन किया जाता है, उदारता से दान दिया जाता है, और यह कथा सुनी जाती है। यह व्रत धन-समृद्धि, कन्या के सुयोग्य विवाह, संतान तथा कुंडली के गुरु (बृहस्पति) दोष के निवारण के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। इसे सोलह बृहस्पतिवार तक, या यथाशक्ति, रखकर अंत में उद्यापन किया जाता है।
दानी राजा और कंजूस रानी
Long ago there ruled a king who was deeply devoted to Brihaspati Dev. Every Thursday he kept the vrat, listened to the katha, and gave generously in charity — feeding the poor and honouring brahmins. His treasury never ran short, for the Lord's grace filled it again and again.
But the queen could not bear his open-handedness. To her every gift seemed a waste, and she grumbled that his charity would beggar them. One Thursday, while the king was away, Brihaspati Dev himself came to the palace in the guise of a wandering sadhu and asked the queen for a little alms and for help in keeping the vrat. The queen answered sharply that she was weary of charity and vrats, and wished only to be rid of all this giving. The sadhu replied, 'If that is truly your wish, then do the very opposite of the vrat: on Thursday clean the house and plaster the floor, wash your hair, serve meat and wine, and give nothing away — and your husband's habit of charity will soon end.' Pleased, the queen did exactly so.
दरिद्रता, व्रत और सौभाग्य की वापसी
Within weeks the king's vast wealth drained away. Famine and misfortune fell upon the household until the royal couple were reduced to utter poverty. Unable to bear it, the king left for another land in search of livelihood, leaving the queen with her sister. To survive, the two women gathered and sold firewood, barely earning a handful of grain each day.
One Thursday the queen came upon a group of women keeping the Brihaspativar vrat. She asked them its method and its fruit. They taught her: 'Worship Brihaspati Dev and Lord Vishnu with yellow flowers and gram, hear the katha, take a single yellow meal, give what little you can without grudging, and never speak ill of charity again.' The queen kept the vrat with a humbled, sincere heart. By its merit her fortunes turned: in the distant land the king prospered greatly and, drawn by the Lord's grace, returned home laden with wealth. The kingdom flourished once more. From then on the queen kept the Thursday vrat all her life and gave freely, and the household never again knew want. Thus whoever keeps the Brihaspativar vrat with faith — worshipping Vishnu and Brihaspati, giving in charity, and shunning miserliness — is blessed with wealth, happiness and the fulfilment of every worthy wish. 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.'
व्रत का फल
बृहस्पतिवार (गुरुवार) व्रत धन व स्थायी समृद्धि, कन्या के सुयोग्य व सुखद विवाह, संतान, विद्या व करियर में सफलता, तथा कुंडली में निर्बल या पीड़ित बृहस्पति (गुरु) के निवारण के लिए रखा जाता है। इसका गूढ़ संदेश उदारता है — कथा दर्शाती है कि दान से सौभाग्य बढ़ता है और कंजूसी से क्षीण होता है।
इस पूजा के मंत्र व आरती
सामान्य प्रश्न
On which day and for whom is the Brihaspativar vrat kept?
It is kept on Thursday (Brihaspativar / Guruvar) in honour of Brihaspati Dev, the guru of the gods, and Lord Vishnu. It is especially favoured for prosperity, the marriage of daughters, and for strengthening a weak Brihaspati (Guru / Jupiter) in the horoscope.
How is the Thursday vrat observed?
Bathe and wear yellow; worship Vishnu and Brihaspati with yellow flowers, gram-dal (chana), turmeric, banana and jaggery (many also worship the banana tree); take a single meal of yellow food; give charity generously; and hear this katha. It is commonly kept for sixteen Thursdays with an udyapan at the end.
What is the moral of the Brihaspativar Vrat Katha?
That wealth is sustained by generosity and lost through miserliness. The miserly queen's contempt for charity brought ruin; her sincere observance of the vrat and renewed giving restored fortune and happiness.