Pradosh Vrat Katha Significance benefits Udyapan Puja Vidhi
Hinduism is known as the “Mother of all religions.” According to mythological beliefs, all the other religions have originated from Hinduism. The proof of the presence of this religion has been found even in the pre-historic times. According to the mythology, the creation of the universe was done from the power of the Hindu gods. The Holy Hindu Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, are the creator, protector and the destroyer of the universe respectively. Everything has originated from the power of these gods. Among these three, the Maheshwara or Lord Shiva is considered to be the God of all Gods. He is also known as Maha Dev or Adi Dev. The worshiping rituals of the Hindu gods or the “puja vidhi” are elaborate. Among these, the Pradosh Vrat is an important ritual.
What is Pradosh Vrat?
Pradosh Vrat is also known as Pradosha vrat or Pradosham. This fast is observed by the devotees of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Though the mythology says that Lord Shiva is the divine destroyer of the universe, in reality he is the creator as well as the protector. Pradosham takes place two times in every Lunar month, depicted in the Hindu calendar. The puja takes place on Trayodashi or the thirteenth day. This puja is conducted in the twilight or “sandhyakala.” The prayer is conducted on both the Shukla Paksha (Purnima) and the Krishna Paksha (Amavashya).
It is written in the Skanda Puran that on the days, both Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are in a good mood. They feel extremely happy and are in a kind mood. Thus, if the devotees utilize these dates to pray to the Lord then all their wishes will come true. This fast will bring fortune and divine blessings to the devotees of Lord Shiva. No matter what age you are, this fast can be performed by all. All the devotees need is dedication and devotion towards the Lord Shiva.
Meaning of the Pradosh Vrat
The literal meaning of the term “Pradosh” is dusk. The term “Pradosham” refers to the holy duration of three hours, within which the main puja is to be done. The duration of the three hours can be divided equally into two equal spans of 1.5 hours, before and after the setting of the sun respectively. The term “vrat” stand for the abstinence from the consumption of specific food items. This must be observed before, during and after the worship. Thus, Pradosh Vrat stands for the abstinence from consumption of food items, containing salt and wheat.
Background story of Pradosh Vrat
The other name given to Lord Shiva is “neelkantha” and it was given to honor the god when he drank the poison that threatened to destroy the entire universe. The poison originated from the depths of the ocean during the Samudra Manthan. As the poison did not go any further as he contained it in the throat, the area turned blue. The name of the poison, according to the mythological texts is Halahal.
It has been mentioned that the demons and the other gods, who participated in the Samudra Manthan were scared of the devastating effects of the Halahal and asked for Lord Shivas assistance. He drank the poison to save the entire universe. As the news reached the ears of Goddess Parvati, she became worried about the lethal effects of the Halahal on Lord Shiva. She stopped the poison from travelling further down the body of the lord by putting her fingers on his throat.
After the Halahal, the Amrit emerged from the depths of the ocean. Both the gods and the demons become so engrossed in the festivities that on one remembered to thank the Lord for his significant part. All these activities took place on the 12th day of the Purnima. But as the 13th day came, the gods and demons realized that Lord Shiva must be honored for his part. They prayed in front of Lord Shiva and begged for his mercy. The generous Lord granted them pardon and the celebrations continued.
This time of granting pardon to the gods and the demons is considered to be Pradosham. From that day onwards, it is said that anyone who prays to the Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, during this specific time is bound to get their wished fulfilled. It is best way of taking a step towards attainment of salvation.
Celebration of the Pradosh Vrat
The auspicious Pradosh Vrat is celebrated on the 13th (Trayodashi) day of the Sandhyakal of both the Shukla Paksha (bright half of the moon month or Purnima) and Krishna Paksha (dark half of the moon month or Amavashya).
Importance of Pradosh Vrat
The significance of observing the Pradosham vrat is clearly stated in Skanda Purana. It is said that one who watches this adored vrat with dedication and confidence will undoubtedly have happiness, riches and great wellbeing. This vrat is observed for satisfaction of one’s longings. The Pradosha vrat has been incredibly praised by the Hindu sacred texts and is held extremely sacrosanct for the adherents of Lord Shiva. Even a solitary look of the divinity on this auspicious day will end every one of your wrongdoings and offer you with plentiful endowments and favorable luck.
Types of Pradosh Vrat
There are different types of Pradosh Vrat and it depends on the day and the time that it coincides with. The following are main types of the vrat according to the tithi (time) and the date:
| Name of the Vrat | Day of the week | Description of the vrat |
| 1. Som Pradosha Vrat | Mondays | When the auspicious puja date falls on Mondays, it is termed as the Som Pradosha Vrat. Monday is called “Somvar” according to the Hindu calendar. By conducting the puja on the “somvar” the devotees of Lord Shiva will be able to fulfill all their desires and attain the power of thinking in a positive manner. |
| 2. Bhaum Pradosha Vrat | Tuesday | The auspicious puja is termed as ‘Bhaum Pradosh’ when the tithi coincides with the Tuesdays. Apart from improving the wealth and prosperity, observing the vrat on the Tuesday will assist the devotees in attaining the cure of serious ailments. The puja will also develop their overall health conditions. |
| 3. Saumya Vaara Pradosha Vrat | Wednesday | If the holy tithi falls on the Wednesday, then it is termed as the Saumya Vaara Pradosha Vrat. If the devotees of Lord Shiva observe the vrat on this day, they will be blessed by the lord and all their wishes will be granted. Apart from this, they will get the divine blessing of wisdom and knowledge. |
| 4. Guruvaara Pradosha Vrat | Thursday | If the auspicious puja tithi falls on the Thursdays, it is termed as the Guruvaara Pradosha Vrat. As Lord Shiva is known to protect the universe and all beings living in it, observing the fast on this tithi will assist the devotees in putting a stopper on their dangers. This fast will assist them in seeking the blessings for their deceased ancestors as well. |
| 5. Bhrigu Vaara Pradosha Vrat | Friday | If the tithi falls on the Fridays, the puja will be termed as Bhrigu Vaara Pradosha Vrat. The main reason behind failure and discontentment in the life of people is due to the negativity. If one observes the fast on this day, they will be able to achieve success by getting rid of negativity. |
| 6. Shani Pradosha Vrat | Saturday | When a devotee fasts on Saturday, it will give them the blessings that will assist them in getting back the money and wealth, which they have lost. Apart from this, the fast is observed by people who want to get a promotion. |
| 7. Bhaanu Vaara Pradosha Vrat | Sunday | When the holy tithi coincides on Sunday, the puja is termed as Bhaanu Vaara Pradosha Vrat. If a devotee observes the vrat on this day then he/she will be blessed by the Lord and be in apposition to extend the life expectancy and also get peace. |
Pradosh Puja Vidhi and associated rituals
As the fast is observed to appease and honor the Lord Shiva and his wife Goddess Parvati, the devotees must make sure that they follow all the rules and guidelines for doing the prayers. Without following the rules mentioned below, they will not be able to attain the fruits in the proper manner:
- The puja is done in the twilight period. Twilight is considered to the 1.5 hours just prior to and after the setting of the sun respectively. It is considered to the holiest times. The puja must be concluded in this time period to attain the maximum results.
- Before starting the puja, the devotees need to cleanse themselves. This is done by taking a full bath and then they wear washed or new clothes. The cleanliness will give the feeling of piousness that is required for doing the puja.
- The puja starts by praying to the Lord Shiva, his wife Goddess Parvati and Nandi, the bull god. Along with them, prayers are presented to Lord Kartik and Lord Ganesh. Then Lord Shiva is evoked by placing the sacred ‘Kalasha’ on the holy darbha grass. The motif of lotus flower is drawn on it and then the pot is filled with holy water from the River Ganga.
- Some of the devotees consider worshiping the Shivaling. The Shivling is properly bathed with sacred liquids like milk, ghee and curd. Once the Shivaling has been washed, the devotees place Bilva leaves atop the Shivaling. Bilva leaves are the best way of offering your prayers to Lord Shiva.
- Once the actual puja is over, the devotees listen to the Pradosha vrat katha. These are actually stories, which tell the tales of the significance of Lord Shiva. All these stories are highlighted in the holy book named Shiva Purana.
- For those who are interested in attaining salvation, chanting the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is a must. The mantra must be chanted for 108 times. Once the puja has been concluded, the devotees can break the fast by drinking the water from the sacred pot.
- This must be followed by putting the holy ash on the forehead of the devotees. The visit to the temple of the Lord Shiva will bring the devotees prosperity. Even if they light a single lamp on the altar of the shrine, the Lord will bless them.
Udyapan Puja Vidhi
To get the utmost positive effects of the puja and the Pradosh vrat, the devotees must make sure that they follow all the steps carefully. The following are the guidelines for completing the ritual:
- On the auspicious tithi of Treyodashi, the devotee must fast for the entire day. They are not supposed to drink even a drop of water. Before the puja, they must take a bath to clean the body. Wearing clean, washed and white clothes is a must.
- The place where the image of Lord Shiva is kept must be decorated with colorful papers and clothes. The images of Lord Shiva must be cleaned and placed on clean clothes.
- As a ritual, the devotees must worship Lord Ganesha before worshiping Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. All the guidelines and norms must be followed and the ritual must be completed. The devotees need to offer “naivedya” during the “yagya.”
- During the “yagya” the devotees must chant the main Shiva mantra “Om Namaha Shivaya” at least 108 times. These chants are highlighted in the Puranas. If you want, you can chant the “beej mantra” even more.
- Once the chant is over, the devotees must do the “arati” with full devotion. This will evoke the spiritual feeling in your minds. Once the rituals are over, the devotees must arrange for the priest’s food. The priest must be given money for doing the rituals. After this, the full family should ask for the blessings of Lord Shiva and eat the “prasad.”
Pradosh Puja Katha
In the ancient times, there lived a priest with his wife and children. After the death of the priest, it became very difficult of the priest’s wife to provide for herself and her son. So, she used to beg for the entire day and return to the home only in the evening. One day she met with the prince of Vidarghanagar. After the death of the king, the prince was forced to leave the kingdom and was made to endure the life of the poor. When she was the poor condition of the prince, she felt very sad and brought him home with her. She started raising the prince as her own.
To improve the situations, the wife of the priest went to the hermitage of the Shandaliya Rihsi along with the two boys. There she asked the sage to tell her everything about the Pradosh Puja. When she came back home, she started observing the vrat judiciously. In the meantime, the two boys went to the forest to take a stroll. The son of the priest came back home at the right time, but the prince did not do the same. When he was in the forest, he saw that a Gnadarvh girl was playing. Her name was Anshumati. The prince liked her and stared talking to her. Thus, he reached home late that night.
The very next day, the prince went back to the same place, hoping to see Anshumati again. When he reached there, he saw that the girl was having conversation with her parents. As soon as Anshumati’s parents saw the boy, they recognized him. They told the boy that he was Prince Dharmagupta of Vidarghanagar. Anshumati’s parents liked the price and offered him the proposal of getting their daughter married to him.
After the marriage, Prince Dharmagupta took possession of the huge army of the Gandarvas and attacked Vidarghanagar. A fierce battle was fought between the two armies and ultimately the prince was victorious. He started living a life of peace and luxury in the palace. But he did not forget the wife of the priest and her son. He brought them in the palace will full honor. Thus, all the hardships of troubles of the Brahmani were eliminated.
One day, Anshumati asked Dharmagupta to relate the tale if his life. He did the same but did not forget to mention that all his misfortunes were washed away by the power of the Pradosh vrat that was observed by the Brahmani. Since that day, the popularity of Pradosh puja was spread all over the nation.
Date of the Pradosh Vrat in 2017
| Date | Day | Vrat | Time of the puja |
| 10-Jan | Tuesday | Pradosh Vrat | 10 17:54 PM – 10 20:34 PM |
| 25-Jan | Wednesday | Pradosh Vrat | 25 18:05 PM – 25 20:43 PM |
| 08-Feb | Wednesday | Pradosh Vrat | 08 18:15 PM – 08 20:49 PM |
| 24-Feb | Friday | Pradosh Vrat | 24 18:23 PM – 24 20:54 PM |
| 10-Mar | Friday | Pradosh Vrat | 10 18:30 PM – 10 20:56 PM |
| 25-Mar | Saturday | Pradosh Vrat | 25 18:36 PM – 25 20:58 PM |
| 08-Apr | Saturday | Pradosh Vrat | 08 18:41 PM – 08 21:00 PM |
| 24-Apr | Monday | Pradosh Vrat | 24 18:47 PM – 24 21:02 PM |
| 08-May | Monday | Pradosh Vrat | 08 18:53 PM – 08 21:05 PM |
| 23-May | Tuesday | Pradosh Vrat | 23 19:00 PM – 23 21:09 PM |
| 06-Jun | Tuesday | Pradosh Vrat | 06 19:06 PM – 06 21:14 PM |
| 21-Jun | Wednesday | Pradosh Vrat | 21 19:11 PM – 21 21:18 PM |
| 06-Jul | Thursday | Pradosh Vrat | 06 19:12 PM – 06 21:20 PM |
| 21-Jul | Friday | Pradosh Vrat | 21 19:09 PM – 21 21:19 PM |
| 04-Aug | Friday | Pradosh Vrat | 04 19:03 PM – 04 21:15 PM |
| 19-Aug | Saturday | Pradosh Vrat | 19 18:52 PM – 19 21:07 PM |
| 03-Sep | Sunday | Pradosh Vrat | 03 18:38 PM – 03 20:57 PM |
| 17-Sep | Sunday | Pradosh Vrat | 17 18:24 PM – 17 20:47 PM |
| 03-Oct | Tuesday | Pradosh Vrat | 03 18:08 PM – 03 20:35 PM |
| 17-Oct | Tuesday | Pradosh Vrat | 17 17:55 PM – 17 20:26 PM |
| 01-Nov | Wednesday | Pradosh Vrat | 01 17:44 PM – 01 20:19 PM |
| 15-Nov | Wednesday | Pradosh Vrat | 15 17:38 PM – 15 20:15 PM |
| 01-Dec | Friday | Pradosh Vrat | 01 17:36 PM – 01 20:16 PM |
| 15-Dec | Friday | Pradosh Vrat | 15 17:39 PM – 15 20:20 PM |
| 30-Dec | Saturday | Pradosh Vrat | 30 17:47 PM – 30 20:28 PM |
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