4. The Story of a Merchant

Once upon a time King Ulkamukha reigned over the earth. He was a devotee of Lord Satya
Narayana. The queen, too, was very pious. One day they observed a fast and performed the Satya
Narayana Vrata on the banks of the holy Bhadrasheela.
A merchant named Sadhu came to the king and asked him what he was doing. The king
explained to the merchant all about the Satya Narayana Vrata. When Sadhu returned home he
narrated to his wife, Lilavathi, the glory of the Satya Narayana Vrata as he heard it from the king.
Thereupon, both resolved to observe it, provided they were blessed with a child. Lilavathi soon
brought forth a girl whom they named Kalavathi.
Sadhu now thought that he would postpone the Vrata till after his daughter was married. The
wedding of Kalavathi took place in course of time, but Sadhu had entirely forgotten his resolve.
After some time he went to foreign countries for trade along with his son-in-law.
Lord Narayana felt it was high time He reminded Sadhu of his resolve. One night, while
Sadhu was at a place called Ratnasarpur, he was suddenly arrested and imprisoned along with his
party by the royal police. The police suspected them to be thieves. At the same time, thieves had
robbed the property of Sadhu in his native place.
Meanwhile, poor Lilavathi and Kalavathi were leading a miserable life in the streets. One
day Kalavathi went to get alms and it so happened that she received some prasad of Lord Satya
Narayana from a temple. She came back to her mother and pleaded that they, too, should observe
the Vrata. They thus observed the Vrata and worshipped Lord Satya Narayana.
That very day, the king of Ratnasarpur dreamt that Sadhu and his party were not really
guilty of any theft and that they should be released else he would be destroyed along with his
relatives. The king at once released Sadhu and his party from prison, giving them double the value
for their merchandise.
Sadhu was on his way back to his native village when Lord Satya Narayana appeared before
him in the guise of a mendicant and asked him what he had in the boat. Sadhu suspected that the
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HINDU FASTS & FESTIVALS
mendicant might ask him for some money. He therefore replied that there were bundles of leaves
only in the boat.
The mendicant replied, “Your words will come true, O merchant!”
That night, while Sadhu was on his usual round of checking the contents of the boat, he
found that the jewels had indeed all turned into leaves! He realised that this was due to uttering
falsehood to the mendicant. He quickly went out in search of the mendicant, found him in a
secluded spot and begged his pardon.
The mendicant sternly said, “You have not kept up your promise of observing the Satya
Narayana Vrata.” Then he revealed his true identity to the merchant, gave him words of solace and
disappeared.
Sadhu came back to his boat and found that all the bags contained jewels again. He
worshipped Lord Satya Narayana with intense faith and devotion.
After five days, Sadhu reached his native place. He sent a message to inform his wife and
daughter of his arrival. At the time when the messenger arrived to give the news, Lilavathi and
Kalavathi were hearing the Satya Narayana Katha. When they had finished the worship they went
to meet Sadhu, but, alas! they had forgotten to take the prasad of the Lord.
Lord Satya Narayana wanted to point out their carelessness in not taking the prasad. The
boat with its wealth and their son-in-law sank. The son-in-law struggled in desperation for his life.
Sadhu who was on the shore prayed and worshipped the Lord. A divine voice was heard in the sky:
“Kalavathi has not taken My prasad. So this has happened.” Kalavathi hurried back to her house
and ate the prasad. She returned, and with sheer joy on her face, beheld both her father and her
husband who was miraculously saved through the Grace of Lord Satya Narayana. Even the boat and
the jewels were recovered miraculously. All rejoiced. Sadhu narrated all that had happened during
his travel and how he was saved by the Lord when in distress.
Thenceforth, the couple, Sadhu and Lilavathi, regularly observed the Satya Narayana Vrata
during Purnima and Shankranti, and lived happily ever after. They attained the blissful abode of
Lord Narayana.