Vata Savitri Pooja (Part III)

Some readers have asked, “How to perform Pooja of twigs?”

We are posting the photographs of partly dismantled formation, to which we proffered Pooja. Place the twig inside a mud pot. If the Devi Face is to be placed on the twig, a support will be required behind the Face. The decoration depends on one’s talent. We have a small idol of Maha Vishnu, which we placed in front of the twig. It is not a compulsory requirement, though.

The story goes thus:

This story was told by Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati. King Ashwapati was a good and truthful king and had spent long years without begetting children. He traveled to different holy places and performed the Vata Savitri Pooja and homa, at a place called Savitri. Lord Brahma’s wife Goddess Savitri, was pleased with the king and appeared before him to give him the desired boon. Then, She disappeared and was soon born to the king and the queen in Her own form. The king called his child Savitri.

Princess Savitri grew up with the appearance of Goddess Mahalakshmi. She began to perform the Vata Savitri Vrat, as told by Sage Brigu and being performed by people for ages. Post the Pooja, she would give the flowers offered to Goddess Savitri to her father and ask him to bless her. At that time, the king decided that he should marry off his daughter soon.

There are 2 versions of the story from here. One version says that Savitri was having dreams of a prince at night and she had sketched him for the benefit of the ministers, who find the prince and bring him to her.

The second version goes thus:

The king said to Savitri, “You are in the right age for marriage. But, no one has offered to marry you and I have not found the right person for you. If I wait longer, then I will incur the sin equal to Brahmahatya. So, I am sending you with the old ministers on a trip to find the right groom for you. Then, I will marry you to the boy you select.”

Accordingly, the ministers accompanied Savitri on the trip and when they returned, they found Sage Narada with the king. Savitri happily bowed down in front of the Sage as well as her father and said, “There is a king named Dhumatsen in the kingdom of Shalva. He and his wife have been unfortunately blinded, several years ago. At that time, the prince was a young boy. The kingdom was snatched from him by the King Rukhmi. So, King Dhumatsen left his kingdom with his wife and son to live in the forest. The prince has grown up in the forest and has turned out to be a good and truthful boy. They call him Satyavan. Therefore, I have decided to marry him. Please make the arrangements.”

Sage Narada said, “Savitri has seen only the qualities of Satyavan. She is a small girl. She does not know the ways of the world. Satyavan likes horses. He makes mud horses to earn a living. He also sketches horses very well. Thus, he has another name Chitra Ashwa. He looks like the Ashwini Kumars and is a brave boy. But, he is expected to die in one year…”

To be continued…