Thursday Vrat

A very generous,god fearing King used to worship and perform Vrat on every Thursday.His wife resented his giving donations and performing pujas and observeing Vrats.

Once the King went to jungles for hunting and the queen was back home.Lord Vishnu,appeared there,in disguise of a Monk (Sadhu) and asked for alms.The Queen said that she was fed up of all their wealth,which was not giving any happiness, and wished that all the wealth be taken away.

The surprised Lord advised her that if she possessed surplus wealth,she would do charity.However the Queen was firm that her wish be fulfilled.The Monk finally blessed her to be it so.He told her that to make her wish come true, she should cover the house with cowdung, wash her hair, ask the King to shave, eat and drink etc. for seven Thursdays.

The Queen observed the Vrat and her life became full of poverty,hunger and misery.The King got a job of a woodcutter and lived from hand to mouth.The maids advised the Queen to approach her wealthy sister for help.

A maid approached the sister but the sister was busy listening to the story of Thursday Vrat and did not acknowledge her presence.Later when she visited the Queen and saw her condition,she advised her to perform the Thursday Vrat.

The Queen observed the Vrat and prayed to Lord Vishnu for some weeks and finally the God blessed her and reinstated all her wealth.As her desires for wealth got fulfilled,the Queen discontinued the Vrat.But the maids cautioned her that what she was doing was very ungrateful which may lead to severe problems.

The Queen realised her mistake and continued her uniterupted Thursday Vrat.