Anant Chaturdashi Vrat अनन्तचतुर्दशी
Anant Chaturdashi (Vrat): Sun, 11 Sep 2011
The 14th day of the bright half of Bhadrapad (Aug-Sep) is called अनन्तचतुर्दशी Anant Chaturdashi. On this auspicious day Lord Vishnu sleeping on the bed Anant (the serpent shesh), in the milky ocean is worshipped and meditated upon. People also observe a vow in honour of Vishnu, which if kept for 14 years is supposed to bring wealth.
अनन्तचतुर्दशी के दिन अनन्त भगवान्की पूजा की जाती है और अलोना (नमक रहित) व्रत रखा जाता है। इसमें उदयव्यापिनी तिथी ली जाती है, पूर्णिमाका समायोग होनेसे इसका फल और बढ जाता है ।
व्रत एवं पुजा विधान Mantras:
स्नान के बाद व्रतके लिये यह संकल्प करे -
‘ममाखिलपापक्षयपूर्वकशुभफलवृद्धये श्रीमदनन्तप्रीतिकामनया अनन्तव्रतमहं करिष्ये।’
वासस्थानको स्वच्छ और सुशोभित करे । वहाँ कलश स्थापित कर उसकी पूजा करे । तत्पश्चात् कलशपर शेषशायी भगवान् विष्णुकी मुर्ति रखे और मुर्तिके सम्मुख चौदह ग्रन्थियुक्त अनन्तसूत्र (डोरा) रखे। इसके बाद ‘ॐ अनन्ताय नमः’ इस नाम मन्त्रसे भगवान् विष्णुसहित अनन्तसूत्रका षोडशोपचारपूर्वक पूजन करे । इसके बाद उस पूजित अनन्तसूत्रको यह मन्त्र पढकर पुरुष दाहिने और स्त्री बायें हाथमें बाँध ले -
अनन्तसंसारमहासमुद्रे मग्नान् समभ्युद्धर वासुदेव ।
अनन्तरुपे विनियोजितात्मा ह्यनन्तरुपाय नमो नमस्ते ॥
अनन्तसूत्र बाँधनेके बाद ब्राह्मणको नैवेध देकर स्वयं ग्रहण करना चाहिये और भगवान् नारायणका ध्यान करते रहना चाहिये। पूजाके अनन्तर परिवारजनोंके साथ इस व्रतकी कथा सुननी चाहिये।
Katha
There was a Brahmin with the name Sumant. His wife Diksha gave birth to girl child who named Sushila. After the death of Diksha, Sumant married another woman Karkash. Karkash was not at all caring towards Sushila so when Sushila grew younger she decided to marry Kaundinya to get rid of the ruthless behavior of her step mother.
Once Sushila joined a group of women bathing in the river. These women were offering prayers to Anant. In order to get endowed with his blessings Sushila prayed as well and in a little time-span became quite rich. One day when her husband observed the Anant string in her hand he became annoyed and told her that they were rich not because of a mere thread but because of his wisdom. Saying this he took the thread and burnt it.
After this incident their economic status fell considerably. So he soon realized the importance of Anant string. He decided that he will undergo penance. He vowed for fourteen years and got his wealth back.
