പ്രദോഷ വ്രത

Long ago a poor Brahmin widow lived in a village with her young son, begging for their food. She kept the Pradosh fast with great devotion.

One day, returning from her rounds, she found a handsome boy sitting alone by the river, crying. He was Dharmagupta, prince of Vidarbha; enemies had killed his father in battle and taken the kingdom, and his mother had died of grief. Moved, the widow took him home and raised him as her own son.

Some time later she took both boys to the ashram of the sage Shandilya. The sage told her the prince’s story and said, “Keep the Pradosh fast, all of you. By Shiva’s grace his fortune will rise again.” From then on the widow and both boys kept the Pradosh vow faithfully.

One day the two boys were wandering in the forest. The widow’s son went home, but the prince went on and came upon Gandharva maidens at play. Among them was the Gandharva princess Anshumati. The prince and Anshumati saw each other and their hearts were drawn together. She invited him to meet her father.

When the prince came the next day, the Gandharva king learned who he was. Lord Shiva had already told the king in a dream to give Anshumati in marriage to Dharmagupta. Gladly, the king married his daughter to the prince.

With the help of the Gandharva army, Dharmagupta attacked Vidarbha, defeated his enemies and won back his father’s kingdom. He honoured the widow as the queen mother and made her son his chief minister.

All this was the fruit of the Pradosh vow and Shiva’s grace. So it is said that whoever keeps the Pradosh fast with faith, worships Shiva and Parvati at twilight and hears this story, is freed from sorrow and finds happiness and plenty. Har Har Mahadev!