CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

 Maharishi Sootha continued addressing the assembled rishis, "Oh Rishis, I will tell you who all have observed the Sathyanaaraayana Pooja in the past. Once, there lived a very poor brahmin in the beautiful city of Kaashi. Plagued by acute hunger, he used to wander about here and there every day. Bhagawaan Vishnu took the form of an old man, appeared before the poor brahmin, and asked: “Friend, why are you wandering aimlessly?" The poor brahmin replied, "Sir, I am a very poor man. Unable to bear the pangs of hunger, I beg for alms. Sir, if you know a way out of this misery, please tell me. “Whereupon Bhagawaan Vishnu, who was in the guise of an old man, replied, “Oh, Brahmin, Lord Sathyanaaraayana grants His devotees' wishes and removes their sorrows. So, you should perform His Pooja and reap its benefit." Bhagawaan Vishnu then explained the details of the Sathyanaaraayana Vratha to the poor brahmin and disappeared.

The poor brahmin immediately resolved to perform the Pooja. After a sleepless night, he got up early in the morning and went to beg for alms, his mind fixed only on one thing, namely the Pooja. That day he got a lot of money with which he bought fruits, milk, yogurt, and honey and performed the Pooja with his relatives and friends. With Lord Naaraayana's grace, he shed his poverty and lived a contented life. Every month on the full-moon day he performed the Pooja and finally attained Moksha (Salvation). Maharishi Sootha thus told the assembled rishis the story which originally was narrated by Bhagawaan Vishnu to Naarada Muni. The rishis then addressed Maharishi Sootha: "Oh, the Great One, please tell us in detail - who else has performed the Pooja." Maharishi Sootha continued “One day when the poor brahmin from Kaashi was observing the Sathyanaaraayana Vratha, a woodcutter entered his house and asked for water. Seeing the brahmin perform the Pooja, the woodcutter inquired what the Pooja was about and what good it would bring. The brahmin, who had been bestowed with Bhagawaan Naaraayana's grace, spoke "this is called Sathyanaaraayana Vratha. Anyone who observes the Vratha will get all the riches. I myself have been bestowed with wealth." The woodcutter was delighted to hear this. He learned the proper way to perform the Pooja, ate the Prasaad that was offered and went away.

With Lord Sathyanaaraayana in his mind, the woodcutter resolved that he would observe the Vratha with whatever he was going to make by selling firewood that day. He went to that part of the city where rich people lived, sold the firewood, and made twice the normal profit. Pleased with his luck, the wood cutter bought bananas, sugar, milk, ghee, yogurt, honey, and wheat-flour and performed the Sathyanaaraayana Pooja with his friends and relatives. By Bhagawaan Naaraayana's grace, he acquired enormous wealth, lived comfortably, and attained Moksha.