Ahoi Ashtami Vrat Katha · अहोई अष्टमी व्रत कथा

The merchant's wife and the porcupine cub

A merchant (sahukar) had seven sons. Before Diwali his wife went to dig earth to plaster the house, and as she dug with her spade it struck and killed a porcupine (syahi) cub whose burrow was there. She was filled with sorrow, but nothing could be done, and she returned home in remorse.

Some time later one of her sons died, and then one after another all seven died. Grief-stricken, she told a neighbour about the porcupine cub: she had never knowingly done wrong, but she had killed it by accident. The old women of the village comforted her: by confessing it she had already undone half the sin. They told her to keep a fast on the Ashtami and worship Ahoi Mata, with pictures of the porcupine and its young, asking forgiveness.

She kept the fast and worship on the Ashtami of the dark fortnight of Kartika, and kept it every year after. In time she was blessed with seven sons again, and so the Ahoi vrat began.

The youngest daughter-in-law and Syahu Mata

In another telling, a merchant had seven sons and a daughter, all married. Before Diwali the daughter came home, and went with her seven sisters-in-law to the forest to dig earth. Where she dug lived a porcupine (Syahu) with her young, and the daughter's tool struck and killed one of them. In anger the Syahu said she would bind the daughter's womb. Terrified, the daughter begged her sisters-in-law to take the curse in her place; all refused except the youngest, who agreed out of compassion.

After that every child the youngest daughter-in-law bore died within seven days, and so she lost seven children. A pandit told her to serve the Surahi cow. Pleased by her devoted service, the cow took her to the Syahu. There she served the Syahu too, until the Syahu, pleased, blessed her with seven sons and seven daughters-in-law.

Since then, on the Ashtami of the dark fortnight of Kartika, the Syahu and Ahoi Mata are drawn and worshipped.

Ahoi Ashtami falls on the Ashtami of the dark fortnight of Kartika, about eight days before Diwali. Mothers keep a fast for the long life and well-being of their children, draw Ahoi Mata with the porcupine (syahi) and its young, hear the katha, and in many families break the fast after seeing the stars. It is a folk katha told in two main versions; the retelling above gives both, keeping only what at least two of the versions linked below agree on. See Ahoi Ashtami for the date.

The katha is heard during the Ahoi Mata worship on Ahoi Ashtami, before the fast is broken. Customs vary by family and region.