The Origin of the Satyanarayana Vrata

Verse 1 (skanda.5.388.1)

व्यास उवाच। एकदा नैमिषारण्ये ऋषयः शौनकादयः। पप्रच्छुर्मुनयः सर्वे सूतं पौराणिकं खलु॥

vyāsa uvāca| ekadā naimiṣāraṇye ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ| papracchurmunayaḥ sarve sūtaṁ paurāṇikaṁ khalu||

Vyasa said: Once in the Naimisha forest, the sages headed by Shaunaka asked Suta, the knower of the Puranas.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.388.2)

ऋषय ऊचुः। व्रतेन तपसा किं वा प्राप्यते वाञ्छितं फलम्। तत्सर्वं श्रोतुमिच्छामः कथयस्व महामुने॥

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ| vratena tapasā kiṁ vā prāpyate vāñchitaṁ phalam| tatsarvaṁ śrotumicchāmaḥ kathayasva mahāmune||

The sages said: What desired fruit is obtained through vows and austerity? We wish to hear all of that - tell us, O great sage.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.388.3)

सूत उवाच। नारदेनैव सम्पृष्टो भगवान् कमलापतिः। सुरर्षये यथैवाह तच्छृणुध्वं समाहिताः॥

sūta uvāca| nāradenaiva sampṛṣṭo bhagavān kamalāpatiḥ| surarṣaye yathaivāha tacchṛṇudhvaṁ samāhitāḥ||

Suta said: Hear attentively what the Lord, husband of Lakshmi, spoke to the divine sage Narada when questioned by him.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.388.4)

एकदा नारदो योगी परानुग्रहकाङ्क्षया। पर्यटन् विविधाँल्लोकान् मर्त्यलोकमुपागतः॥

ekadā nārado yogī parānugrahakāṅkṣayā| paryaṭan vividhā~llokān martyalokamupāgataḥ||

Once the sage Narada, wandering through various worlds out of a wish to bless others, arrived at the mortal world.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.388.5)

ततो दृष्ट्वा जनान्सर्वान्नानाक्लेशसमन्वितान्। नानायोनिसमुत्पन्नान्क्लिश्यमानान् स्वकर्मभिः॥

tato dṛṣṭvā janānsarvānnānākleśasamanvitān| nānāyonisamutpannānkliśyamānān svakarmabhiḥ||

There he saw all people afflicted with various sorrows, born in various wombs, and suffering because of their own deeds.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.388.6)

केनोपायेन चैतेषां दुःखनाशो भवेद्ध्रुवम्। इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा विष्णुलोकं गतस्तदा॥

kenopāyena caiteṣāṁ duḥkhanāśo bhaveddhruvam| iti sañcintya manasā viṣṇulokaṁ gatastadā||

Thinking to himself, "By what means may their suffering surely be ended," he then went to the abode of Vishnu.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.388.7)

तत्र नारायणं देवं शुक्लवर्णं चतुर्भुजम्। शङ्खचक्रगदापद्मवनमालाविभूषितम्॥

tatra nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ śuklavarṇaṁ caturbhujam| śaṅkhacakragadāpadmavanamālāvibhūṣitam||

There he beheld the god Narayana, of white hue, four-armed, adorned with conch, discus, mace, lotus, and a garland of forest flowers.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.388.8)

दृष्ट्वा तं देवदेवेशं स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे। नारद उवाच। नमो वाङ्मनसातीतरूपायानन्तशक्तये॥

dṛṣṭvā taṁ devadeveśaṁ stotuṁ samupacakrame| nārada uvāca| namo vāṅmanasātītarūpāyānantaśaktaye||

Beholding that god of gods, he began to praise him. Narada said: Salutations to you, whose form is beyond mind and speech, of infinite power.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.388.9)

आदिमध्यान्तहीनाय निर्गुणाय गुणात्मने। सर्वेषामादिभूताय भक्तानामार्तिनाशिने॥

ādimadhyāntahīnāya nirguṇāya guṇātmane| sarveṣāmādibhūtāya bhaktānāmārtināśine||

Salutations to you who are without beginning, middle, or end, formless yet the essence of all qualities, the origin of all, the destroyer of your devotees' afflictions.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.388.10)

श्रुत्वा स्तोत्रं ततो विष्णुर्नारदं प्रत्यभाषत। श्रीभगवानुवाच। किमर्थमागतोऽसि त्वं किं ते मनसि वर्तते॥

śrutvā stotraṁ tato viṣṇurnāradaṁ pratyabhāṣata| śrībhagavānuvāca| kimarthamāgato'si tvaṁ kiṁ te manasi vartate||

Having heard the hymn, Vishnu then spoke to Narada. The Blessed Lord said: For what reason have you come? What is in your mind?

Verse 11 (skanda.5.388.11)

कथयस्व महाभाग तत्सर्वं कथयामि ते। नारद उवाच। मर्त्यलोके जनाः सर्वे नानाक्लेशसमन्विताः। नानायोनिसमुत्पन्नाः पच्यन्ते पापकर्मभिः॥

kathayasva mahābhāga tatsarvaṁ kathayāmi te| nārada uvāca| martyaloke janāḥ sarve nānākleśasamanvitāḥ| nānāyonisamutpannāḥ pacyante pāpakarmabhiḥ||

"Tell it, O illustrious one, and I shall tell you all." Narada said: In the mortal world all people are afflicted with manifold sorrows; born in various wombs, they are consumed by their own sinful deeds.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.388.12)

तत्कथं शमयेन्नाथ लघूपायेन तद्वद। श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्सर्वं कृपास्ति यदि ते मयि॥

tatkathaṁ śamayennātha laghūpāyena tadvada| śrotumicchāmi tatsarvaṁ kṛpāsti yadi te mayi||

How, O Lord, may that sorrow be pacified by an easy means? Tell me that - if you are gracious to me, I wish to hear all of it.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.388.13)

श्रीभगवानुवाच। साधु पृष्टं त्वया वत्स लोकानुग्रहकाङ्क्षया। यत्कृत्वा मुच्यते मोहात्तच्छृणुष्व वदामि ते॥

śrībhagavānuvāca| sādhu pṛṣṭaṁ tvayā vatsa lokānugrahakāṅkṣayā| yatkṛtvā mucyate mohāttacchṛṇuṣva vadāmi te||

The Blessed Lord said: Well have you asked, O child, out of a wish to bless the world. I shall tell you that by doing which one is freed from delusion.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.388.14)

व्रतमस्ति महत्पुण्यं स्वर्गे मर्त्ये च दुर्लभम्। तव स्नेहान्मया वत्स प्रकाशः क्रियतेऽधुना॥

vratamasti mahatpuṇyaṁ svarge martye ca durlabham| tava snehānmayā vatsa prakāśaḥ kriyate'dhunā||

There is a vow of great merit, rare to obtain both in heaven and on earth; out of my affection for you, O child, I now reveal it.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.388.15)

सत्यनारायणस्यैव व्रतं सम्यग्विधानतः। कृत्वा सद्यः सुखं भुक्त्वा परत्र मोक्षमाप्नुयात्॥

satyanārāyaṇasyaiva vrataṁ samyagvidhānataḥ| kṛtvā sadyaḥ sukhaṁ bhuktvā paratra mokṣamāpnuyāt||

By duly performing this very vow of Satyanarayana, one soon enjoys happiness and thereafter attains liberation.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.388.16)

तच्छ्रुत्वा भगवद्वाक्यं नारदो मुनिरब्रवीत्। नारद उवाच। किं फलं किं विधानं च कृतं केनैव तद्व्रतम्॥

tacchrutvā bhagavadvākyaṁ nārado munirabravīt| nārada uvāca| kiṁ phalaṁ kiṁ vidhānaṁ ca kṛtaṁ kenaiva tadvratam||

Having heard the Lord's words, the sage Narada said - Narada said: What is the fruit of this vow, what is its procedure, and by whom has it been performed?

Verse 17 (skanda.5.388.17)

तत्सर्वं विस्तराद् ब्रूहि कदा कार्यं हि तद्व्रतम्। दुःखशोकादिशमनं धनधान्यप्रवर्धनम्॥

tatsarvaṁ vistarād brūhi kadā kāryaṁ hi tadvratam| duḥkhaśokādiśamanaṁ dhanadhānyapravardhanam||

Tell all of that in detail, and when this vow should be performed; it puts an end to sorrow and grief, and increases wealth and grain.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.388.18)

सौभाग्यसन्ततिकरं सर्वत्र विजयप्रदम्। यस्मिन् कस्मिन् दिने मर्त्यो भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः॥

saubhāgyasantatikaraṁ sarvatra vijayapradam| yasmin kasmin dine martyo bhaktiśraddhāsamanvitaḥ||

It bestows good fortune and offspring, and grants victory everywhere; on whatever day a mortal, endowed with devotion and faith,

Verse 19 (skanda.5.388.19)

सत्यनारायणं देवं यजेच्चैव निशामुखे। ब्राह्मणैर्बान्धवैश्चैव सहितो धर्मतत्परः॥

satyanārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ yajeccaiva niśāmukhe| brāhmaṇairbāndhavaiścaiva sahito dharmatatparaḥ||

performs the worship of Lord Satyanarayana at nightfall, together with brahmins and kinsfolk, devoted to righteousness,

Verse 20 (skanda.5.388.20)

नैवेद्यं भक्तितो दद्यात्सपादं भक्तिसंयुतम्। रम्भाफलं घृतं क्षीरं गोधूमस्य च चूर्णकम्॥

naivedyaṁ bhaktito dadyātsapādaṁ bhaktisaṁyutam| rambhāphalaṁ ghṛtaṁ kṣīraṁ godhūmasya ca cūrṇakam||

and offers with devotion an oblation increased by a quarter measure - made of banana fruit, ghee, milk, and wheat flour.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.388.21)

अभावे शालिचूर्णं वा शर्करा च गुडस्तथा। सपादं सर्वभक्ष्याणि चैकीकृत्य निवेदयेत्॥

abhāve śālicūrṇaṁ vā śarkarā ca guḍastathā| sapādaṁ sarvabhakṣyāṇi caikīkṛtya nivedayet||

In its absence, rice flour may be used, and jaggery in place of sugar; combining all these food items together, one should offer the oblation.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.388.22)

विप्राय दक्षिणां दद्यात्कथां श्रुत्वा जनैः सह। ततश्च बन्धुभिः सार्धं विप्रांश्च प्रतिभोजयेत्॥

viprāya dakṣiṇāṁ dadyātkathāṁ śrutvā janaiḥ saha| tataśca bandhubhiḥ sārdhaṁ viprāṁśca pratibhojayet||

After hearing the story together with the people, one should give a fee to the brahmin, and then, with one's kinsfolk, feed the brahmins.

Verse 23 (skanda.5.388.23)

प्रसादं भक्षयेद्भक्त्या नृत्यगीतादिकं चरेत्। ततश्च स्वगृहं गच्छेत्सत्यनारायणं स्मरन्॥

prasādaṁ bhakṣayedbhaktyā nṛtyagītādikaṁ caret| tataśca svagṛhaṁ gacchetsatyanārāyaṇaṁ smaran||

One should partake of the sacred food with devotion and engage in singing and dancing; then, remembering Satyanarayana, return to one's own home.

Verse 24 (skanda.5.388.24)

एवं कृते मनुष्याणां वाञ्छासिद्धिर्भवेद्ध्रुवम्। विशेषतः कलियुगे लघूपायोऽस्ति भूतले॥

evaṁ kṛte manuṣyāṇāṁ vāñchāsiddhirbhaveddhruvam| viśeṣataḥ kaliyuge laghūpāyo'sti bhūtale||

By doing so, the desires of people are surely fulfilled; especially in the Kali age, this is an easy means available upon the earth.