Maata Santoshi

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Maata Santoshi is another form of Jagadamba ,has a four armed

form.She sits on her sinhaasan with triedent in one hand, sword in

another, another hand is raised in blessing and and a golden bowl is

placed on the other

 

MAA SANTOSHIS VRAT KATHA

There lived a woman in a village whose husband was unemployed.One day

he said to his wife- " see how much my mother loves me.... .. "

The wife replied- " surely she loves you thats why she gives you

leftovers to eat "

The husband refused to believe his wife at that time but suspicion

had entered his heart so he decided to find out if what his wife said

was true or not.The next day he lied down in the kitchen at meal

time; he put a thin cloth on his face and pretnded that he was

asleep.After the all his brothers had had food the mother took

leftovers from thier plates and put them neatly in another.Then she

said: " get up son and have your food, everyone has had thier food "

The son had seen all this so he felt angry, humiliated and hurt so he

dcided to leave the house at once. While going out he gave his ring

to his wife and asked her to give him something so that he could

always remember her. The wife said: " what can I give you? " and then

she put her dirty hands upon the back of his shirt. Seeing the

imprint of her dirty hands on his shirt she said - " here I have given

you something "

A long time went by and the woman's husband didnot return. She was

very aggreieved. The people in the house made her do a lot of work

and she was treated badly, she wasnt even fed properly.

One day while on her way back from the woods, where she used to go

everyday to bring logs of wood, she saw many women worshipping in a

temple.She went close and observed them.Then she asked a lady

there: " o sister please tell me about this devi and her worship "

The woman explained to her everything.

So she decided to keep the vrata of devi Santoshi.she went near

devi's idol and overwhelmed with grief she said to devi's idol: " O

mother I am very aggreived and unfortunate ,please help me "

Maa Santoshi became very compassionate on hearing her plea and she

took immense pity o the woman's condition.She replied through her

idol: " Go to home child, dont worry " .Meanwhile the woman started

observing Santoshi maa's vrata.

By the grace of Santoshi Maa soon thereafter a letter and some money

from her husband finally came.The woman went to the temple and said

to Maa Santoshi: " O mother what do I have to do with his money and

letter. I want back my husband " . Maa Santoshi assured her that her

husband will soon be back. The woman went back hgome but Maata

thought : " I have promised you that he will be back, but how will he

be back, he doesnt remember you in his dreams. Looks like I should go

myself to him and do something about it. "

To dissipate her devotees' grief Maata herself appeared in her

husbands dream who was now a merchant. Maata said to him: " have you a

house, family? "

He replied: " by your grace I have everything maata "

Maata said: " your wife is suffering much.Go back to her "

he replied: " But I am helpless. There is much work to be completed ;

accounts to be settled "

Maata said: " dont worry. Pray to me in the morning before commencing

work. Everything will be done by the evening "

 

The next morning in the shop he told his friends about the dream.

They laughed it off saying : " dreams are dreams "

but a senior man who was hearing said: " whats the harm in doing that

which devi told you to do "

Taking his advice the devotees husband did as devi had instructed him

to do.Soon a debtor came returned to him the money and so everything

happened as devi had assured.Happy he left for his village because

everything was settled by the evening.

 

There at the village his wife was coming back from the woods. She

stopped awhile at the temple to relieve herself of the fatigue just

as she daily did. She heard maata voice ...

 

(continues)