Shitala Satam Vrat Katha – शीतला सातम व्रत कथा

Shitala Satam, also known as Shitala Saptami, is an important fast in Hinduism that is celebrated on the Saptami Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. On this day, Shitala Mata is worshiped. It is believed that observing this fast brings freedom from diseases and happiness and prosperity to the family. On this day, fire is not lit and cold food prepared the day before is consumed.

Importance of Shitlala Satam – शीतला सातम का महत्व

• This fast is especially observed for disease prevention.
• It is believed that worshiping Shitala Mata protects against diseases like smallpox, measles, and other infectious diseases.
• This fast is also important for maintaining peace, happiness, and prosperity in the house.
• This fast is considered especially fruitful for women who observe it for the health and well-being of their families.

Rules of Shitlala Satam Vrat – शीतला सातम व्रत के नियम

Day of the Fast

• This fast comes exactly one day before Janmashtami.
• In many places, it is also called Shitala Saptami or Shitala Sattam.
• In Gujarat, Rajasthan, and some parts of North India, this fast is observed with great devotion and traditional manner.
• Food is prepared and kept one day before the fast (Shashthi Tithi), and only cold food is eaten on Saptami.

Observance of the Fast

• Lighting a fire is prohibited on the day of the fast.
• Consume only cold food prepared the day before.
• Pay special attention to purity and cleanliness during worship.
• Do not consume meat, alcohol, onions, and garlic on the day of the fast.
• It is mandatory to listen to or read the fast story.

Food Rules

• Only cold food prepared the previous day is eaten on the day of the fast.
• On this day, stale roti, poori, curd, ladoo, sev, sweet rice, and cold dishes are usually eaten.
• Meat, alcohol, eggs, onions, and garlic are not consumed on the day of the fast.
• Food should always be pure, clean, and free from any tamasic substances.

Puja Material

• Idol or picture of Shitala Mata
• Kalash, water, mauli, roli, turmeric
• Incense sticks, lamp, ghee
• Yellow flowers
• Milk, curd, rice
• Jaggery, coconut
• Cold food prepared one day before
• Tulsi leaf
• Camphor

Worship Method

• Take a bath in the morning and wear clean clothes.
• Clean the place of worship and install the idol or picture of Shitala Mata.
• Fill the Kalash with water, tie Mauli, and place it in front of the Mother.
• Worship with roli, turmeric, flowers, and akshat.
• Light the lamp and incense sticks, offer cold food.
• Listen to or read the fast story.
• Pray to the Mother for the health and prosperity of the family.

Shitala Satam Vrat Katha – शीतला सातम व्रत कथा

On the Saptami Tithi of the month of Shravan, fortunate women observe this fast. The fasting woman gets up early in the morning and takes a bath with cold water. She eats food cooked on Radha-Chath throughout the day. The stove is not lit on that day. She lights a ghee lamp and listens to the story of Shitala Mata.

In a village, Doshima lived with her two sons-in-law. The elder daughter-in-law was very jealous and the younger daughter-in-law was simple. Both the nanads and the younger nanads had one son each.

The day of Pakotsav arrived. On the Saptami Tithi of Shitala month, the younger daughter-in-law sat down to make Pakotsav, so that it could be eaten cold the next day. Her son was sleeping in a horse-drawn carriage. The younger daughter-in-law was cooking food till midnight, but there was still more food to be made. Meanwhile, the son started crying, so the younger daughter-in-law left cooking and went to the boy and started feeding him while lying on the bed. While feeding him, her eyes met and he fell asleep. The stove was burning in the kitchen.

At midnight, Shitala went for a walk. Seeing the stove burning in the younger daughter-in-law's house, she got angry. She jumped into it.

And got burnt. She cursed: "Just as my body has been burnt, so may your stomach be burnt."

The little girl gave the curse and left. In the morning when the mother-in-law woke up, she saw that the child sleeping next to her had been burnt.

She realized her mistake. She thought that the little girl must have been angry with the child. So she started crying and beating her head. Hearing her cry, her nanad and mother-in-law ran there. They saw the boy and said: "Little girl! You must have slept with the stove burning at night, that's why the little girl is angry with you. Take your son to the little girl's temple and apologize to her by admitting your mistake. Mother will have mercy on you."

The little girl put the boy in a basket and left. There was a lake on the way. The younger daughter-in-law lowered the basket near the pond and went to drink water from the pond, when a voice came from the pond:

"Wife! If you drink the water of this pond, you will die. Tell me why are you crying?"

So the younger daughter-in-law said: "Shitala is angry with me, that's why she has burnt my son. I am going to apologize to her."

"Sister! You go to Shitala, then ask me also what sin we have committed that no one drinks our water, and if someone drinks it by mistake, they die."

The younger daughter-in-law lifted the basket on her head without drinking water and started walking ahead crying. On the way, she met two bulls. Both had bells around their necks. They were fighting.

Seeing the younger daughter-in-law, the bulls said: "Sister! Why are you crying?"

"Shitalama is angry with me, so I am going to apologize."

"So sister! Shitalama is also asking us for what sin we have tied bells around our necks and why are we fighting?"

"Okay!" said the younger daughter-in-law and left. A little further, under a tree, a wrinkled Doshima was sitting scratching her head. Seeing her, Doshima said: "Where are you going sister? Do you want to see my head?"

The younger daughter-in-law was kind. She was in a hurry to go to Shitalama's house, but she put her son in Doshima's lap and started looking at her head. The daughter-in-law took out a lot of lice and nits from Doshima's head and killed them. This reduced the itching of Doshima's head. She blessed her daughter-in-law and said: "Just as my head is firm, so may your stomach be firm."

As soon as she said this, a miracle happened. The child lying in the guilty's lap came alive and started chirping. The daughter-in-law was surprised. She became sure that this guilty person was none other than Shitalama. She fell at Shitalama's feet.

A light spread in place of the guilty and Shitalama stood in her place. The younger daughter-in-law saw Shitalama and apologized to her.

Then the younger daughter-in-law asked about the water of the lake, Shitalama said:

"Daughter! In the previous birth, there was a woman in that lake. She was very jealous. If she came to take something from there, then

She would not give it. After the morning churning, if someone comes to take buttermilk, she would give him buttermilk by adding water. The remedy for her sin is that you take the water of that pond in a bowl and sprinkle it all around, and then you drink that water, so that animals, birds and passers-by can drink its water."

When the younger daughter-in-law later asked about those two bulls, Shitalama said: "Daughter! These two bulls were Derani and Jethani in their previous birth. They were so jealous that if any of their neighbors came to their house to grind or grind, they would both insult him and drive him away. That is why they have become bulls in this birth. If you go to them and take the bell off their necks, they will live in peace."

Saying this, the younger daughter-in-law disappeared. The younger daughter-in-law happily returned with her son. On the way, she met two bulls. The daughter-in-law told them about that little boy and took the bell off his neck. In this way they stopped fighting.

Moving forward, they reached the lake. The daughter-in-law came to the lake and told them about that little boy. Then, to remove his curse, she took a bucket full of water from the lake and sprinkled it in all directions. Then she herself drank the water of the lake. Birds started coming from all around to drink water.

Then the younger daughter-in-law brought that boy to her house. Coming home, she put her son in her mother-in-law's lap. The mother-in-law was very happy to see the boy alive, but the jealous Nanad did not like it.

The mother-in-law asked: "My son, my daughter-in-law! "How did all this happen?" Then the younger daughter-in-law told her the whole truth.

In the second month of Shravan, when the day of Pakotsav came, Jethani thought, 'I will also do like Derani. This way I will also get to see Shitalama.'

On the day of Pakotsav, Jethani deliberately left the stove burning and went to sleep. At midnight, Shitalama came to give darshan. When they were rolling or burning in the stove, Shitalama cursed Jethani: "The heart of the one who burns me will burn."

The next morning, when Jethani woke up and looked at the horse, the boy was burnt. Instead of being sad about this incident, Jethani was happy. Like Derani, she put the boy in a basket and left.

On the way she found that lake. Jethani also put her basket down and went to drink water, when she heard a voice: "I will not drink water, otherwise I will die."

Jethani did not drink water, so the lake asked: "Sister! Where are you going?"

Jethani said: "Wherever I go, what do you want?"

Saying this, she left without drinking water. As she moved forward, she met two bulls. They also asked Jethani: "Sister! Where are you going?"

Hearing this, Jethani got angry and made a face and said: "Wherever I go, what do you want!"

Hearing this, the bulls did not say anything and Jethani continued with the basket.

As she moved forward, she met that chubby guilty person on the way. She was scratching her head. She said to Jethani: "Sister, look at my head!"

Hearing this, Jethani said: "I am not a bride like you, so I will not let you see my head! I will go in search of Shitalama."

Saying this, she left.

She ran a lot with the boy, but Shitalama was nowhere to be found! Eventually she got tired and did not come back with the dead boy.

Derani was religious and kind, so she was happy. Jethani lost her son only because of her nature.

Hey Shitalama! Just as you have blessed Derani, may you bless all those who worship you.