Monday Fast: Katha, rituals, meaning & importance

Fasting on Monday is to help you achieve something on a higher spiritual level by removing yourself from your physical wants. According to the scriptures, fasting puts your body and mind in harmony and helps you tune into the supreme godhead. By doing so fervently and seeing the effects, you might learn how Monday fast benefits the natives.

Varta means vow, resolve, and show devotion in Devanagari. It aids our spiritual union with the higher self and helps us submit to the divine. Plus, it keeps the Universe’s cyclical cycle intact and aids in our ultimate emancipation. It is impossible to convey the value of fasting in a few short sentences.

According to medical experts, fasting has many health advantages, including preventing cancer, controlling weight, reducing blood sugar spikes, and improving heart and brain health. Religious fasting significantly impacts oxidative stress, dyslipidemia, and energy balance. The medical community also suggests implementing it as a health management strategy for disease prevention.

Katha for Monday fast

A narrative from the Shiva Purana describes the advantages of observing Solah Somvar Vrat in the Somvar Vrat Katha (story). Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati once decided to travel to the renowned city of Amravati. They chose to stop at a charming Shiva temple they came across while traveling. Lord Shiva was having a good time when Parvati noticed him, so they decided to play a dice game. The temple priest had arrived there in the meanwhile.

Amid the game’s excitement, Parvati turned to face him and pleaded with him to predict the winner. Lord Shiva will win the game, but Goddess Parvati won, the priest remarked abruptly, not expecting such a question. She cursed the priest, saying he would turn into a leper because she was upset with him for his irrational response. The priest eventually developed leprosy and lived a difficult life.

Some fairies visited that temple a few years after the tragedy and learned the account from the priest. One of the fairies suggested the priest maintain the Monday fast for sixteen weeks without a break after hearing his heartbreaking tale. He should prepare the prasad using flour combined with ghee and jaggery on the seventeenth one. Moreover, he must give the prasad to his family and devotees while taking some for himself. With the strength of this fast, you will be free of this leprosy. The priest followed the fairies as they vanished and quickly returned to normal health.

When they were back at the temple, it shocked Goddess Parvati to see the priest in good health. She asked, and the priest told her the entire tale. Knowing the secret power of the Solah Somvar Vrat made Parvati delighted, and she also made the decision to observe Monday fasts for sixteen weeks. Unexpectedly, on the seventeenth Monday, she adored son Kartikeya, who was angry with her, showed there and exclaimed, “O my dear mother, what power drew me here?” She then told him the entire tale.

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16 Somvar Vrat Puja Vidhi

The Somavathi Amavasya requires that all followers who are fasting wear white clothing. By the Monday fast, one must rise before dawn, focus on Lord Shiva, take a regular bath, and then offer prayers to Lord Shiva and Parvathi Devi. At this point, a special puja should start.

• This fast begins at dawn and concludes at dusk.
• Sprinkle the sacred Ganga Jal, milk, and curds on the Shivling in the morning, and then decorate it with white flowers and fresh fruit.
• Chant the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” continuously throughout the day until dusk.
• People must eat fruits or Sabudana khichdi for lunch.
• You can finish this fast with udyapan and Shiva puja on the following Shivaratri day.
• While it is customary to recite the prayers within a temple, those who find visiting a temple to be difficult might still pray at home.

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16 Somwar Vrat meaning and importance

The ever-increasing number of devotees proves that worshiping Lord Shiva on Amavasya Vrat on Monday would grant all worldly joys. For singles, this Vrat bestows a suitable life mate; for married people, it bestows marital and household harmony. It bestows the right life partner and grants marital and domestic harmony. For all those who pray to him with a sincere desire, the fast provides joy in every way. The Solah Monday fast alleviates many health problems and enhances happiness and financial security.

Most devotees opt to solely drink water during the day, although some are allowed to eat a single meal in the afternoon after the puja finishes. They can consume fruits, milk, curd, buttermilk, and sabo-dana-based dishes.

It is mandatory to read the Solah Somvar Katha (Story) every Monday at puja and then recite one of the following mantras during the day:

• Panchakshari Mantra: It is one of the most potent Shiva-praising mantras. When chanted 108 times daily, it promotes divine energy and improves concentration.
• Shiva Gayatri Mantra: You can use this mantra regularly to banish worry and all forms of fear.
• Rudra Mantra: This potent mantra is said to obtain the gracious Lord’s blessing and achieve one’s goals.
• Mahamrityunjaya Mantra: According to Hindu scriptures, reciting this potent mantra 108 times keeps the devotee healthy, wealthy, and vital. It also keeps them free from all diseases.

Furthermore, according to Shiva Purana, adhering to this Monday fast promotes longevity, mental tranquility, and success in one’s work, business, and relationships. Many people find their life spouse if they keep Monday fast with commitment and faith. Couples going through a difficult moment in their marriage would live in peace and harmony. You will be blessed with offspring if they offer Datura flowers and fruit to Shivling and chant divine chants during Vrat.

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