Sharad Purnima Vrat Katha

According to legend, there once lived a wealthy merchant in a town who had two daughters. Both observed a fast on every Full Moon (Purnima), but the younger daughter never completed the fast properly, while the elder daughter observed it with complete devotion, faith, and discipline.

In time, both daughters were married. After marriage, the elder daughter, who faithfully observed the fast, gave birth to a healthy and beautiful child. However, the younger daughter's pregnancies either did not result in childbirth, or if a child was born, the baby would not survive. This caused great sorrow for both her and her husband.

Seeking an answer, they invited learned Brahmins and showed them her horoscope, asking why they were repeatedly facing such misfortune. The scholars explained that the suffering was the result of her incomplete observance of the Purnima fast. They advised her to perform the Sharad Purnima Vrat in the month of Ashwin according to the proper rituals and traditions.

The following year, she observed the fast with complete sincerity and followed every prescribed ritual. However, even then, the child born to her survived only for a few days. Heartbroken, she placed the lifeless infant on a wooden seat (peedha) and covered the body with a cloth. She then invited her elder sister to her home and requested her to sit on the same wooden seat.

As the elder sister's clothes touched the covered infant, the baby suddenly began to cry. The elder sister was astonished and exclaimed, "Were you trying to blame me for the death of your own child? What if something had happened because of me?"

The younger sister replied, "The child was already lifeless. It is only by the power of your devotion and the merit of your faithfully observing the Sharad Purnima Vrat that my child has come back to life."

From that day onward, the miraculous power and significance of the Sharad Purnima Vrat became known throughout the town. People began observing the fast with proper rituals, devotion, and faith, believing that it brought prosperity, blessings, and protection to their families.