Anant Chaturdashi Vrat Katha

Dadi: "Beta Guddu, do you remember when the Pandavas lost everything in the game of dice?"

Guddu: "Yes, Dadi. Shakuni cheated, and they lost their kingdom, their wealth, and even had to go live in the forest."

Dadi: "That was the darkest time in their lives. Living in the forest, poor and humiliated, they felt hopeless. Then Lord Krishna came to visit them. And he told them a special story about the power of Lord Anant."

Guddu: "Lord Anant? Is that another name for Vishnu?"

Dadi: "Yes, beta. Anant means "infinite" or "endless." Krishna told them if they observed a special vrat called Anant Chaturdashi, Lord Vishnu would bless them with victory. Let me tell you the story Krishna shared."

Guddu: "Please, Dadi!"

Dadi: "Long ago, there was a learned Brahmin named Sumant who had a beloved daughter called Sushila. Sadly, Sushila's mother died, and her father remarried a cruel woman named Karkasha."

Guddu: "Cruel stepmothers in stories are always mean!"

Dadi: "Karkasha treated poor Sushila terribly. When Sushila grew up and got married to a wise sage named Kaundinya, the cruel stepmother didn't even give her any gifts or blessings for her new life."

Guddu: "That's so sad! Sushila started her married life with nothing?"

Dadi: "Nothing but her good heart, beta. But on the journey to her new home, they came upon the banks of the Yamuna river. There, Sushila saw a group of women doing a beautiful worship."

Guddu: "What were they worshipping?"

Dadi: "They were observing the Anant Chaturdashi Vrat! They told Sushila, "This vrat is very powerful. By worshipping Lord Anant, the Infinite One, we receive wealth, happiness, and the fulfillment of all desires. We tie this sacred thread with fourteen knots, representing the fourteen worlds.""

Guddu: "Fourteen worlds?"

Dadi: "Seven higher realms and seven lower realms - the fourteen worlds of Hindu cosmology. The thread reminds us that Lord Vishnu is infinite, pervading all these worlds."

Guddu: "Did Sushila observe the vrat?"

Dadi: "Right then and there! With devotion, she prayed to Lord Anant and tied the sacred thread on her arm. From that day, something magical happened."

Guddu: "What?"

Dadi: "Their simple ashram began to prosper. Wealth came to them. Disciples arrived to study. Everything they touched turned to success. Their life became blessed in every way!"

Guddu: "The vrat worked!"

Dadi: "It did. But years later, something terrible happened. Kaundinya noticed the thread on his wife's arm and asked what it was. When Sushila explained about the Anant Vrat, Kaundinya became arrogant."

Guddu: "Arrogant? Why?"

Dadi: "He said, "This thread has no power! Our prosperity comes from my own learning and austerities!" In anger, he tore the thread from her arm and threw it into the fire!"

Guddu: "*gasps* He disrespected Lord Anant!"

Dadi: "And immediately, everything began to collapse. Wealth vanished. Disciples left. Their cattle died. Soon they were living in complete poverty."

Guddu: "The blessing was gone because he was disrespectful!"

Dadi: "Filled with remorse, Kaundinya realized his terrible mistake. He set out on a long journey to find Lord Anant and beg forgiveness."

Guddu: "Did he find the Lord?"

Dadi: "He wandered for years, asking everyone - trees, animals, ponds - "Have you seen Lord Anant?" None could help him. Finally, despairing and exhausted, he was about to give up all hope."

Guddu: "And then?"

Dadi: "At that very moment, when he had surrendered completely, Lord Anant appeared before him in all his divine glory!"

Guddu: "The Lord came when Kaundinya had given up?"

Dadi: "Often that's when grace comes, beta - when we stop demanding and truly surrender. Kaundinya fell at the Lord's feet, weeping and begging forgiveness. Lord Anant, pleased with his sincere repentance, forgave him."

Guddu: "What happened next?"

Dadi: "The Lord told him to observe the vrat properly for fourteen years with complete devotion, and then perform a concluding ceremony. Kaundinya did exactly that. He observed every Anant Chaturdashi with proper rituals and prayers. And gradually, all their prosperity was restored, even greater than before!"

Guddu: "So the Pandavas also observed this vrat?"

Dadi: "Yes! After hearing this story from Krishna, Yudhishthira performed the Anant Chaturdashi Vrat with great devotion. And you know what happened?"

Guddu: "They won the war!"

Dadi: "They completed their exile, won the great Mahabharata War, and regained their kingdom. The power of devotion to Lord Anant blessed them with victory."

Guddu: "How do people observe this vrat today, Dadi?"

Dadi: "On Anant Chaturdashi - which falls in the month of Bhadrapada - devotees fast, worship Lord Vishnu, and tie the Anant Sutra, a sacred thread with fourteen knots, on their arm. Men tie it on the left arm, women on the right."

Guddu: "The fourteen knots for the fourteen worlds!"

Dadi: "Exactly, beta. And they remember that the Lord is truly Anant - infinite, endless, pervading everything. His blessings too are infinite, for those who worship with sincere hearts."

Guddu: "I understand now, Dadi. Devotion brings blessings, but disrespect takes them away. We should always be grateful."

Dadi: "Perfect understanding, beta. And remember - even when things seem hopeless, like they did for the Pandavas in the forest, faith in the infinite Lord can turn everything around."