Guruvar Vrat Katha – Thursday Fast Story in English

Guruvar Vrat Katha (Thursday Fast Story)

The Thursday (Guruvar) fast is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Brihaspati Dev (Jupiter). Devotees observe this fast with the intention of seeking happiness, prosperity, knowledge, children, abundance, and fulfilment of their wishes. Below is the complete story, the method of worship, and the benefits of the fast.

Shri Brihaspati Dev Vrat Katha

Long ago, in Bharatvarsha, there lived a powerful and charitable king. He regularly helped the poor and Brahmins and was always devoted to charitable and virtuous deeds. However, the queen disliked the king’s habit of giving away wealth. She neither performed charitable deeds herself nor worshipped God, and she constantly discouraged the king from giving donations.

One day, the king went into the forest for hunting. The queen was alone in the palace. At that time, Brihaspati Dev appeared at the palace disguised as a holy sage and asked the queen for alms. The queen refused to give him anything.

She said, “O revered sage! I am tired of charity and donations. My husband keeps giving away all our wealth. I wish that all our wealth would be destroyed; then there would be no wealth left to give away.”

The sage tried to explain to her, “Devi, you are truly unusual. Everyone desires wealth and children. If you have abundant wealth, feed the hungry, provide drinking water for the thirsty, build shelters for travellers, and help arrange marriages for poor girls. There are many such noble deeds through which your good name will spread in this world and the next.”

But the queen was not influenced by his words. She replied, “Maharaj, please do not advise me. I do not want wealth that I have to keep giving away everywhere.”

The sage then said, “If that is truly your wish, then so be it. Every Thursday, plaster your house, wash your head with yellow clay, and wash your clothes by placing them over a furnace. By doing so, all your wealth will be destroyed.” Having said this, the sage left. In truth, he was Brihaspati Dev Himself.

The queen began following the sage’s instructions. Within only three Thursdays, the king’s entire wealth was destroyed, and the royal family faced a severe shortage of food.

The King Goes to a Foreign Land

When the situation at home became extremely difficult, the king said to the queen, “O Queen, you stay here. I shall go to another land. Everyone knows me here, so I cannot even take up a humble occupation.” The king left for another land. There, he began cutting wood in the forest and selling it in the city to earn a living.

Meanwhile, the queen and her maidservant were also living in great hardship. There came a time when both of them had to remain without food for seven consecutive days.

Seeking Help from the Queen’s Sister

The queen said to her maidservant, “My sister lives in a nearby town. She is very wealthy. Go to her and ask for some grain or food so that we can survive for a few days.”

The maidservant went to the queen’s sister’s house. Coincidentally, it was Thursday, and the queen’s sister was listening to the Brihaspati Dev Vrat Katha. The maidservant delivered her queen’s message, but since the sacred story was in progress, the queen’s sister did not speak to her at that moment. The maidservant felt insulted and returned sadly, telling the queen what had happened.

Later, the queen’s sister learned that the maidservant had come. She felt sorry that the maidservant had returned disappointed because she could not speak to her during the Katha. After completing her worship and the Katha, she went to meet her sister.

The queen told her sister that there was not even enough grain in their home to eat and that she and her maidservant had been hungry for seven days. Her sister said, “Sister, Lord Brihaspati Dev fulfils the wishes of everyone. Search your house for grain once. Perhaps something may still be stored there.”

The queen did not believe her at first. However, at her sister’s insistence, she sent the maidservant inside the house. To their great surprise, the maidservant found a pot filled with grain.

Thursday Vrat Puja Vidhi

The maidservant said, “When we do not have food, we are already fasting. Why don’t we ask her about the method of observing the Thursday fast and listening to the Katha, so that we too can observe this fast?” The queen asked her sister about the proper method.

Her sister explained: “On Thursday, worship Lord Vishnu near the roots of a banana tree. Offer chana dal (split Bengal gram) and munakka (raisins) during the worship and light a lamp. Listen to the Brihaspati Dev Vrat Katha and eat yellow-coloured food. By observing the fast and performing the worship with devotion, Brihaspati Dev becomes pleased.”

The queen and her maidservant listened carefully and resolved to observe the Thursday fast.

The Blessings of Brihaspati Dev

The following Thursday, the queen and her maidservant observed the fast. They brought gram and jaggery from the horse stable and worshipped Lord Vishnu and the banana tree according to the prescribed method. However, they faced a problem: where would they get yellow food?

Seeing their devotion, Brihaspati Dev was pleased. He appeared in the form of an ordinary man and brought two plates of beautifully prepared yellow food for them. The queen and the maidservant were delighted. They respectfully accepted and ate the food.

From then onward, they began observing the Thursday fast and worship every week. By the grace of Brihaspati Dev, wealth and prosperity gradually returned to them.

The Queen Understands the Importance of Charity

After her wealth returned, the queen once again began becoming lazy as she had been before. The maidservant reminded her, “Rani Ji, you behaved in the same way earlier and considered wealth useless, because of which all our prosperity was destroyed. Now that Brihaspati Dev has blessed us with wealth again, we should use it wisely.”

She further explained that wealth should be used for charity, feeding the hungry, and other noble deeds. Such actions increase the honour of the family and also bring blessings to one’s ancestors. The queen accepted the maidservant’s advice and began using her wealth for charitable and virtuous purposes. Gradually, her generosity and good deeds became well known throughout the city.

Brihaspati Dev Appears Before the King

Meanwhile, in the foreign land, the king continued earning his livelihood by selling firewood. One day, he sat beneath a tree in the forest, remembering his unfortunate circumstances and feeling deeply distressed. It was Thursday that day.

At that moment, a sage appeared before him. In truth, he was Brihaspati Dev. The sage asked, “O woodcutter, why are you sitting here in such distress in this lonely forest?” The king bowed to the sage and tearfully told him his entire story.

Brihaspati Dev said, “Your wife had disrespected Brihaspati Dev on Thursday, and because of this, your family was faced with this misfortune. Now give up your worries and follow my advice. Observe the Thursday fast and listen to the Katha. Prepare prasad from gram and munakka, and prepare amrit by mixing sugar with pure water. After the Katha, distribute the prasad among your family and the devotees who listened to the Katha, and partake of it yourself.”

The king explained that he was extremely poor and that selling firewood barely earned him enough to survive. Brihaspati Dev replied, “Do not worry. Take your firewood to the city on Thursday as well. That day, you will receive twice as much money as you normally earn.” The sage then disappeared.

The following Thursday, the king went to the city to sell his firewood and indeed received more money than usual. He purchased gram, jaggery, and other items and observed the Thursday fast. Gradually, his troubles began to disappear.

The King Faces Another Crisis

Once, the king forgot to observe the Thursday fast. Brihaspati Dev became displeased with him.

That very day, the king of that city organised a grand yajna and announced that nobody should cook food at home. Everyone was to go to the king’s palace and eat there. The woodcutter also went there for food. Since he arrived late, the king took him inside the palace.

During the meal, the queen noticed that the peg where she normally kept her necklace was empty. The necklace was missing. She suspected that the woodcutter had stolen it and ordered the soldiers to put him in prison. In prison, the king became deeply distressed and remembered the sage he had met in the forest.

At that moment, Brihaspati Dev again appeared in the form of a sage and said: “You did not listen to the Brihaspati Dev Katha, and therefore you have suffered this hardship. Do not worry. Next Thursday, you will find four coins at the prison gate. Use them to worship Brihaspati Dev. All your troubles will disappear.”

The following Thursday, the king found four coins. He used them to perform the worship and listen to the Katha. That night, Brihaspati Dev appeared in the city’s king’s dream and said: “The person whom you have imprisoned is innocent. Release him. The queen’s necklace is lying on the same peg where it was kept.”

The next morning, the king checked the peg and found the necklace there. Realising his mistake, he apologised to the woodcutter and respectfully released him, giving him clothes and ornaments as a mark of honour.

The King Returns to His Kingdom

When the king reached the outskirts of his kingdom, he saw that the city had become even more prosperous than before. Beautiful gardens, ponds, wells, rest houses, and temples had been built throughout the city. The king asked the people who had built all these things. They told him that they belonged to the queen and her maidservant.

The king was both surprised and angry. When the queen heard that the king had returned, she became worried. She said to the maidservant, “When the king left us, we were in such a poor state. What if he becomes suspicious after seeing our present prosperity?”

The maidservant stood at the entrance and respectfully welcomed the king into the palace. The king asked the queen where they had obtained so much wealth. The queen replied, “All this is the result of observing the Thursday fast and the grace of Brihaspati Dev.”

The king then resolved to regularly observe the Brihaspati Dev Katha and fast. He kept chana dal with him and listened to the Brihaspati Dev Katha three times a day.

The Power of the Brihaspati Dev Katha

One day, the king was travelling to his sister’s home. On the way, he saw some people carrying a dead man. The king said to them, “Brothers, listen to my Brihaspati Dev Katha.” Some refused, while others agreed to listen. The king began narrating the Katha. Halfway through the story, the dead man began to move, and by the time the Katha was completed, he stood up alive.

Further along the road, the king met a farmer ploughing his field. He asked the farmer to listen to the Brihaspati Dev Katha. The farmer refused. As soon as the king left, the farmer’s oxen collapsed and he began suffering from severe stomach pain.

When the farmer’s mother learned what had happened, she ran after the king and requested him to return and narrate the Katha on their farm. The king did so. As soon as the Katha was completed, the oxen stood up and the farmer’s stomach pain disappeared.

The Potter’s Son Receives the Gift of Life

After this, the king reached his sister’s home. The next day, he asked, “Is there anyone here who has not eaten and who can listen to my Brihaspati Dev Katha?”

His sister made enquiries and found the home of a potter whose son had been ill for several days and whose family had also gone without food. The king went there and narrated the Brihaspati Dev Katha. After listening to the Katha, the potter’s son recovered.

Thus, the fame of the king and the glory of Brihaspati Dev spread even further.

The King Is Blessed with a Child

After some time, the king asked his sister to return to his kingdom with him. His sister asked her mother-in-law for permission. The mother-in-law said that she could go, but she should not take her children with her because the king himself had no children.

The sister told her brother, “Brother, I will come with you, but my children will not be coming along.” The king sadly replied, “If the children are not coming, then what will you do there?”

The king returned to his kingdom with a heavy heart.

He said to the queen, “We are childless. Our life is meaningless.” The queen consoled him, saying, “My Lord, Brihaspati Dev has given us everything. He will surely bless us with the happiness of having a child as well.”

That night, Brihaspati Dev appeared to the king in a dream and said: “O King, give up all your worries. Your queen is pregnant.” The king was overjoyed.

In due course, in the ninth month, the queen gave birth to a beautiful son. The king and queen were filled with happiness.

Conclusion of the Vrat Katha

Some time later, the king’s sister came to congratulate her brother upon hearing the happy news. The queen happily said to her, “You did not come riding on a horse, but on a donkey!”

The king’s sister smiled and replied, “If I had not said this, how would you have been blessed with the happiness of having a child?” Thus, Brihaspati Dev fulfilled all the wishes of the king and queen.

It is believed that anyone who observes the Thursday fast with faith and devotion, worships Brihaspati Dev, reads or listens to the Vrat Katha, and shares it with others receives the fulfilment of their wishes through the grace of Brihaspati Dev.

॥ Bolo Brihaspati Dev Ki Jai ॥
॥ Bhagwan Vishnu Ki Jai ॥

Benefits of the Fast

• It brings wealth, knowledge, and prosperity.
• It is believed to remove obstacles in marriage and bring happiness in married life.
• It brings the favourable influence and auspicious results of the planet Jupiter (Brihaspati).
• It fills the home with positivity, contentment, and the grace of Lord Vishnu.

Read also: Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti (in English)

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Thursday (Guruvar) fast dedicated to?

The Thursday fast is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Brihaspati Dev, and is observed for wealth, knowledge, and prosperity.

What food is eaten during the Guruvar fast?

Yellow food (such as chana dal or yellow rice) is eaten once during the day; yellow items are considered auspicious on this day.

Which colour is auspicious for the Thursday fast?

Yellow is considered auspicious — it holds special significance in the clothes, flowers, and food of the day.