Radha Vallabh Sampradaya: Significance and Rituals

Every year, this fast is observed on the Panchami Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. According to religious beliefs, women are prohibited from performing worship and religious activities during menstruation. If, during this time, any item of worship is accidentally touched, it is considered a great sin. To get rid of such sins and to be freed from various known and unknown sins, the Rishi Panchami fast is observed.

By observing this fast, especially for atonement of mistakes made during menstruation, this fast is observed, or to get rid of all kinds of sins, the seven sages are worshiped on this day. Among the seven sages, on this day...

Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishwamitra, Gautam, Jamadagni, and Vashishtha - these seven sages are prescribed to be worshiped.

On this day, especially during the midday period, the seven sages should be worshiped in a special way, and along with them, Arundhati Mata should also be worshiped. On this day, especially after taking a bath in the Ganges River and wearing clean clothes, one should worship their chosen deity and family deity, and during the midday period, after making a Vedi (altar)...

One should worship with complete rituals. On this day, after worshiping with fragrance, flowers, Akshat (rice), incense, lamp, etc., Naivedya (offering) should be offered. On this day, one should consume vegetables etc. that grow without being sown in the earth.

One should observe the fast by following celibacy. Brahmins should be fed. Brahmins should be given donations and Dakshina (offerings).

By observing this fast in this way, all kinds of sins are removed, and all kinds of happiness are attained. So, let's listen to the story of Rishi Panchami Vrat. So come, let's listen to two mythological stories related to Rishi Panchami.

In ancient times, there was a king named Shridas. Once, he asked Brahma Ji, "O Father, please describe to me the best of all fasts, which gives immediate results." Brahma Ji said, "O King, the Rishi Panchami fast is the best among all festive fasts and destroys all sins."

In Vidarbha, there lived a virtuous Brahmin named Uttam, who had two children: a son and a daughter. When the daughter became eligible for marriage, he married her to a groom with similar lineage and virtues. But soon after, the daughter became a widow.

Extremely saddened by her sorrow, the Brahmin couple started living in a hut on the banks of the Ganges River with their daughter. One day, while the daughter was sleeping, worms suddenly appeared in her body. Seeing this condition, the daughter told her parents about her sorrow. Mother Sushila went and...

Told her husband everything and asked, "O Lord, what is the reason for my daughter's condition?" Uttam meditated and contemplated the reasons for this incident and told his wife that in her previous birth, this daughter was a Brahmin woman who, despite being menstruating...

Touched the utensils of the house, and in this birth also, after seeing other people observing the Rishi Panchami fast, she did not observe the fast herself, which is why worms have appeared in her body. It is written in the scriptures that a menstruating woman is considered like a Chandal (outcaste) on the first day.

Like a Gurahghatini (killer of the Guru) on the second day, and like a washerwoman on the third day, she remains impure. Then, on the fourth day, she becomes pure after taking a bath. If she still observes the Rishi Panchami fast with a pure heart, she will be freed from her suffering and will attain unwavering good fortune in her next birth.

On her father's command, the daughter observed the Rishi Panchami fast according to the prescribed rituals, and by the effect of the fast, she was freed from all sorrows. In her next birth, she attained unwavering good fortune, wealth, grains, and sons, and experienced eternal happiness.

According to another story, in Satyuga, there was a king named Nidhi in Darbha Nagari. He was like a sage. In his kingdom, there was a farmer named Sumitra, whose wife, Jaisri, was extremely devoted to her husband. Once, during the rainy season, when his wife was engaged in agricultural work, she started menstruating.

She realized that she was menstruating, but she continued to engage in household chores. After some time, both the husband and wife died after living their respective lifespans. Jaisri became a bitch, and Sumitra...

Due to being in contact with a menstruating woman, he was born as an ox. Since they had no offense other than this, both of them remembered all the details of their previous birth. They, as a bitch and an ox, lived in the same city, at the house of their son, Suchitra.

The righteous Suchitra fully honored his guests, and on the day of his father's Shradh (memorial ceremony), he had various types of food prepared for the Brahmins at his house.

When his wife had gone out of the kitchen for some work, a snake vomited poison into the pot of Kheer (sweet rice pudding) in the kitchen. Suchitra's mother, in the form of a bitch, saw all this from a distance and, to save her son from the sin of Brahmahatya (killing a Brahmin), put her mouth into the pot.

Suchitra's wife, Chandravati, could not bear to see this act of the bitch and took a burning piece of wood from the stove and hit the bitch. The poor bitch, after being beaten, started running here and there. Whatever leftovers were left in the kitchen, Suchitra's daughter-in-law used to give to the bitch, but out of anger, she threw them all away.

After throwing away all the food and cleaning the utensils, she cooked food again and fed the Brahmins. At night, feeling hungry and thirsty, the bitch went to her husband, who was living as an ox, and said, "O Lord, I am dying of hunger today. My son used to give me food every day,

But today I didn't get anything. Fearing the sin of Brahmahatya, I made the pot of Kheer with snake poison unfit for them to eat. That's why his daughter-in-law beat me and didn't give me anything to eat."

Then the ox said, "O Badri, you had to come into this form because of your sins, and even today, my back is broken from carrying loads. Today, I was plowing in the field all day, and my son didn't give me food today either, and he also beat me.

By giving me this kind of suffering, he has made this Shradh fruitless." Suchitra was listening to these words of his parents.

He immediately fed both of them to their fill, and then, saddened by their sorrow, he set out towards the forest. After going to the forest, he asked the sages, "Due to what deeds have my parents attained these lowly forms, and how can they now be freed from them?"

Then Sarvatma Rishi said, "For their liberation, you and your wife should observe the Rishi Panchami fast and give its merit to your parents. On the Panchami of Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada, after purifying your mouth, take a bath in the holy water of the river during midday.

And wearing new silk clothes, worship the seven sages along with Arundhati." After hearing this, Suchitra returned to his home and performed the worship and fast with his wife according to the prescribed rituals. By the merit of this, his parents...

Both were freed from their animal forms. Therefore, those women who observe the Rishi Panchami fast with faith, enjoy all worldly pleasures and ultimately go to Vaikuntha Dham. So say, "Victory to the Seven Sages! Victory to Arundhati Mata! Victory to all the gods and goddesses!" In the same way, those who observe the Rishi Panchami fast with true faith, rules, and devotion...

Therefore, those who worship the seven sages and also worship Arundhati Mata, by the virtuous effect of this fast, all their sins and sufferings are destroyed, and they attain all kinds of worldly pleasures.