Vrat Katha · Goddess Ahoi (Parvati)
Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha
Mothers keep the Ahoi Ashtami fast for the long life and well-being of their children, breaking it after sighting the stars (in some regions the moon). The katha tells of a mother whose careless act cost her, and whose repentance and devotion to Goddess Ahoi restored her family.
When It Is Kept
On the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik, eight days before Diwali.
The Story
A woman went into the forest to dig clay for repairing her home before the festival. As she dug, her spade accidentally struck and killed a lion cub in its den. Filled with remorse, she carried the sorrow home.
In the time that followed, great grief visited her family, and she came to believe it was the weight of that act. In her distress she turned to Goddess Ahoi, a form of the Divine Mother who protects children, and vowed to keep a fast in her honour.
With a true and repentant heart she kept the vrat each year, drawing the image of Ahoi and her cubs and praying for forgiveness and for the welfare of children everywhere.
Moved by her sincere devotion, the goddess blessed her, and peace and well-being returned to her home. Since then mothers keep the Ahoi Ashtami vrat for the long life of their own children.
A devotional retelling of the traditional legend in our own words.
The Meaning
Sincere repentance and devotion to the Divine Mother can heal past wrongs. The vrat is an offering of a mother's love and a prayer for her children's protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha about?
Mothers keep the Ahoi Ashtami fast for the long life and well-being of their children, breaking it after sighting the stars (in some regions the moon). The katha tells of a mother whose careless act cost her, and whose repentance and devotion to Goddess Ahoi restored her family.
When is the Ahoi Ashtami Vrat kept?
On the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik, eight days before Diwali.
What is the moral of the Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha?
Sincere repentance and devotion to the Divine Mother can heal past wrongs. The vrat is an offering of a mother's love and a prayer for her children's protection.