Vrat Katha · Gauri (Parvati) & the Moon
Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha
Karwa Chauth is a day-long waterless fast kept by married women for the well-being and long life of their husbands, broken only after sighting the moon. The katha tells of Veeravati, whose fast was broken by a trick and whose faith later set things right.
When It Is Kept
On the Chaturthi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.
The Story
Veeravati, the only sister of seven loving brothers, kept her first Karwa Chauth fast after marriage. By evening, weak with hunger and thirst, she suffered, and her brothers could not bear to see her so.
To ease her, the brothers lit a fire behind a tree and, through the leaves, made it look as though the moon had risen. Believing the fast could be broken, Veeravati took food and water before the true moonrise — and word soon came that her husband had fallen gravely ill.
Grief-stricken, Veeravati understood that her fast had been broken in error. With deep repentance she resolved to keep the vrat faithfully, praying to the goddess for her husband's life.
Moved by her sincere devotion, the goddess restored her husband to health. From then on the fast was kept exactly as prescribed — unbroken until the moon is truly seen and offered water through the sieve.
A devotional retelling of the traditional legend in our own words.
The Meaning
A vrat is fulfilled only when kept with honesty and patience; shortcuts undo it. Sincere repentance and steadfast faith can repair even a fast broken by mistake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha about?
Karwa Chauth is a day-long waterless fast kept by married women for the well-being and long life of their husbands, broken only after sighting the moon. The katha tells of Veeravati, whose fast was broken by a trick and whose faith later set things right.
When is the Karwa Chauth Vrat kept?
On the Chaturthi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Kartik.
What is the moral of the Karwa Chauth Vrat Katha?
A vrat is fulfilled only when kept with honesty and patience; shortcuts undo it. Sincere repentance and steadfast faith can repair even a fast broken by mistake.