Satyanarayan Vrat Katha · सत्यनारायण व्रत कथा
The five chapters of the Satyanarayan Vrat Katha, retold in plain words, followed by the Sanskrit text compared across independent editions with a line-by-line meaning.
The story, retold
Chapter 1
In the Naimisha forest the sages ask Suta which vow brings the fruit people wish for. Suta tells what Vishnu once told Narada. Narada, seeing the people of the earth suffering, went to Vishnu and asked for a simple way to end their sorrow. Vishnu described the vow of Satyanarayana: on any day, in the evening, worship him with devotion together with brahmins and relatives; offer a measure and a quarter of banana, ghee, milk and wheat flour (or rice flour and sugar or jaggery when these are not at hand); hear the story; give the brahmin his fee; eat the prasad; and go home remembering Satyanarayana. He said that in the Kali age this is the simple means by which wishes are fulfilled.
Chapter 2
A very poor brahmin of Kashi wandered every day begging. Vishnu came to him as an old brahmin and taught him the vow. The next day the brahmin received plenty of money, kept the vow with his relatives, and was freed from his sorrows; he kept it every month after that. A thirsty woodcutter, coming into his house during the puja, learned of the vow, resolved to keep it with whatever his wood fetched that day, was paid twice the usual price, and kept the vow with his family. He gained wealth and sons in this life and, at the end, reached the abode of Satya.
Chapter 3
King Ulkamukha and his queen were keeping the vow on the bank of the river Bhadrashila when a merchant named Sadhu came by boat. Hearing that it brings children, Sadhu promised to keep the vow once he had a child. A daughter, Kalavati, was born to him and his wife Lilavati, but he put the vow off until her wedding, and then forgot it. Satyanarayana grew angry. While Sadhu and his son-in-law were trading in King Chandraketu's city, a thief who had robbed the king dropped the loot near them; the two were taken for thieves, their wealth was seized, and they were thrown into prison. At home, Lilavati and Kalavati were robbed too and fell into poverty. Kalavati saw the Satyanarayan vow being kept in a brahmin's house and told her mother, and Lilavati kept the vow, praying for her husband and son-in-law. Satyanarayana then appeared to King Chandraketu in a dream, and the king freed the merchants, honoured them and returned twice the wealth he had taken.
Chapter 4
On the way home, Satyanarayana, in the form of an ascetic, asked what the boat carried. The merchants mocked him: "only creepers and leaves". The ascetic said, "let your words come true", and the treasure turned into creepers and leaves. On his son-in-law's advice Sadhu went to the ascetic, begged forgiveness and praised him, and the wealth returned. Near home, Lilavati heard they had arrived, finished her puja and hurried to meet them; Kalavati left the prasad behind and ran after her. The son-in-law vanished with the boat into the water. A voice from the sky said that this happened because she had left the prasad; Kalavati went home, ate it, came back and found her husband. The family went home, and Sadhu kept the vow on every full moon and sankranti.
Chapter 5
King Tungadhvaja, returning from a hunt, saw cowherds worshipping Satyanarayana under a banyan tree. Out of pride he neither joined them nor bowed, and left the prasad they placed before him untouched. His hundred sons and his wealth were lost. He went back, kept the vow with the cowherds in faith, and regained his sons and wealth. The katha ends by saying that whoever keeps the vow, or reads or hears this story with devotion, is freed from poverty, bondage and fear, and that in the Kali age Vishnu takes the form of this vow.
Retold in our own words; every point in it appears in at least two of the sources listed below. The original text follows.
The original text
Part 1 / 5: Chapter 1: Vishnu teaches Narada the vow
एकदा नैमिषारण्ये ऋषयः शौनकादयः । पप्रच्छुर्मुनयः सर्वे सूतं पौराणिकं खलु ॥
ekadā naimiṣāraṇye ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ । papracchurmunayaḥ sarve sūtaṃ paurāṇikaṃ khalu ॥
एक बार नैमिषारण्य में शौनक आदि सभी ऋषियों ने पुराणों के वक्ता सूत जी से पूछा:
Once, in the Naimisha forest, the sages led by Shaunaka all asked Suta, the teller of the Puranas:
ऋषय ऊचुः । व्रतेन तपसा किं वा प्राप्यते वाञ्छितं फलम् । तत्सर्वं श्रोतुमिच्छामः कथयस्व महामुने ॥
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ । vratena tapasā kiṃ vā prāpyate vāñchitaṃ phalam । tatsarvaṃ śrotumicchāmaḥ kathayasva mahāmune ॥
ऋषि बोले: 'किस व्रत या तप से मनचाहा फल मिलता है? हम वह सब सुनना चाहते हैं; हे महामुनि, हमें बताइए।'
The sages said: 'By what vow or austerity is the desired fruit obtained? We wish to hear all of it; tell us, great sage.'
सूत उवाच । नारदेनैव सम्पृष्टो भगवान् कमलापतिः । सुरर्षये यथैवाह तच्छृणुध्वं समाहिताः ॥
sūta uvāca । nāradenaiva sampṛṣṭo bhagavān kamalāpatiḥ । surarṣaye yathaivāha tacchṛṇudhvaṃ samāhitāḥ ॥
सूत जी बोले: 'नारद जी के पूछने पर लक्ष्मीपति भगवान ने स्वयं देवर्षि से जो कहा था, उसे ध्यान से सुनो।
Suta said: 'Hear attentively what the Lord, husband of Lakshmi, himself told the divine sage Narada when Narada asked him.
एकदा नारदो योगी परानुग्रहकाङ्क्षया । पर्यटन् विविधान् लोकान् मर्त्यलोकमुपागतः ॥
ekadā nārado yogī parānugrahakāṅkṣayā । paryaṭan vividhān lokān martyalokamupāgataḥ ॥
एक बार योगी नारद जी दूसरों पर अनुग्रह करने की इच्छा से अनेक लोकों में विचरते हुए मृत्युलोक में आए।
Once the yogi Narada, wishing to help others, wandered through many worlds and came to the world of mortals.
ततो दृष्ट्वा जनान्सर्वान् नानाक्लेशसमन्वितान् । नाना योनिसमुत्पन्नान् क्लिश्यमानान् स्वकर्मभिः ॥
tato dṛṣṭvā janānsarvān nānākleśasamanvitān । nānā yonisamutpannān kliśyamānān svakarmabhiḥ ॥
वहाँ उन्होंने देखा कि सब लोग अनेक कष्टों से घिरे हैं, नाना योनियों में जन्मे हैं और अपने कर्मों से दुख पा रहे हैं।
There he saw all the people beset by many troubles, born in many kinds of bodies and suffering through their own deeds.
केनोपायेन चैतेषां दुःखनाशो भवेद् ध्रुवम् । इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा विष्णुलोकं गतस्तदा ॥
kenopāyena caiteṣāṃ duḥkhanāśo bhaved dhruvam । iti sañcintya manasā viṣṇulokaṃ gatastadā ॥
'किस उपाय से इनका दुख निश्चित रूप से दूर हो?' यह मन में सोचकर वे विष्णुलोक गए।
Thinking 'By what means can their suffering surely be ended?', he went to the world of Vishnu.
तत्र नारायणं देवं शुक्लवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् । शङ्ख-चक्रगदा-पद्म-वन मालाविभूषितम् ॥
tatra nārāyaṇaṃ devaṃ śuklavarṇaṃ caturbhujam । śaṅkha-cakragadā-padma-vana mālāvibhūṣitam ॥
वहाँ उन्होंने श्वेत वर्ण, चतुर्भुज, शंख, चक्र, गदा, पद्म और वनमाला से सुशोभित भगवान नारायण के दर्शन किए।
There he saw Lord Narayana, white in colour and four-armed, adorned with the conch, discus, mace, lotus and the garland of forest flowers.
दृष्ट्वा तं देवदेवेशं स्तोतुं समुपचक्रमे । नारद उवाच । नमो वाङ्गमनसातीतरूपायानन्तशक्तये । आदिमध्यांतहीनाय निर्गुणाय गुणात्मने ॥
dṛṣṭvā taṃ devadeveśaṃ stotuṃ samupacakrame । nārada uvāca । namo vāṅgamanasātītarūpāyānantaśaktaye । ādimadhyāṃtahīnāya nirguṇāya guṇātmane ॥
देवों के देव को देखकर वे स्तुति करने लगे। नारद जी बोले: 'जिनका रूप वाणी और मन से परे है, जिनकी शक्ति अनंत है, जो आदि, मध्य और अंत से रहित हैं, निर्गुण होते हुए भी गुणों के आत्मा हैं, उन्हें नमस्कार है,
Seeing the Lord of the gods, he began to praise him. Narada said: 'Salutations to you whose form is beyond speech and mind, whose power is endless, who has no beginning, middle or end, who is beyond qualities yet the soul of all qualities,
सर्वेषामादिभूताय भक्तानामार्तिनाशिने । श्रुत्वा स्तोत्रं ततो विष्णुर्नारदं प्रत्यभाषत ॥
sarveṣāmādibhūtāya bhaktānāmārtināśine । śrutvā stotraṃ tato viṣṇurnāradaṃ pratyabhāṣata ॥
जो सबके आदि हैं और भक्तों के कष्ट दूर करते हैं।' यह स्तुति सुनकर विष्णु भगवान नारद जी से बोले।
the origin of all, who removes the distress of devotees.' Hearing this hymn, Vishnu then spoke to Narada.
श्रीभगवानुवाच । किमर्थमागतोऽसि त्वं किं ते मनसि वर्तते । कथयस्व महाभाग तत्सर्वं कथयामि ते ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca । kimarthamāgato'si tvaṃ kiṃ te manasi vartate । kathayasva mahābhāga tatsarvaṃ kathayāmi te ॥
भगवान बोले: 'तुम किसलिए आए हो? तुम्हारे मन में क्या है? हे महाभाग, कहो; मैं तुम्हें सब बताऊँगा।'
The Lord said: 'Why have you come? What is in your mind? Tell me, fortunate one; I will tell you everything.'
नारद उवाच । मर्त्यलोके जनाः सर्वे नानाक्लेशसमन्विताः । नानायोनिसमुत्पन्नाः पच्यन्ते पापकर्मभिः ॥
nārada uvāca । martyaloke janāḥ sarve nānākleśasamanvitāḥ । nānāyonisamutpannāḥ pacyante pāpakarmabhiḥ ॥
नारद जी बोले: 'मृत्युलोक में सब लोग अनेक कष्टों से घिरे हैं; नाना योनियों में जन्म लेकर वे अपने पाप कर्मों से पीड़ित हो रहे हैं।
Narada said: 'In the world of mortals all people are beset by troubles; born in many kinds of bodies, they are tormented by their sinful deeds.
तत्कथं शमयेन्नाथ लघूपायेन तद् वद । श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्सर्वं कृपास्ति यदि ते मयि ॥
tatkathaṃ śamayennātha laghūpāyena tad vada । śrotumicchāmi tatsarvaṃ kṛpāsti yadi te mayi ॥
हे नाथ, किस सरल उपाय से वह शांत हो, बताइए; यदि मुझ पर आपकी कृपा है तो मैं वह सब सुनना चाहता हूँ।'
How can that be eased, Lord, by some simple means? Tell me; I wish to hear all of it, if you have grace for me.'
श्रीभगवानुवाच । साधु पृष्टं त्वया वत्स लोकानुग्रहकाङ्क्षया । यत्कृत्वा मुच्यते मोहात् तच्छृणुष्व वदामि ते ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca । sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā vatsa lokānugrahakāṅkṣayā । yatkṛtvā mucyate mohāt tacchṛṇuṣva vadāmi te ॥
भगवान बोले: 'हे वत्स, लोकों पर अनुग्रह की इच्छा से तुमने अच्छा प्रश्न किया। जिसे करके मनुष्य मोह से छूट जाता है, वह सुनो, मैं बताता हूँ।
The Lord said: 'Well asked, my child, out of a wish to help the world. Hear what I tell you, by doing which one is freed from delusion.
व्रतमस्ति महत्पुण्यं स्वर्गे मर्त्ये च दुर्लभम् । तव स्नेहान्मया वत्स प्रकाशः क्रियतेऽधुना ॥
vratamasti mahatpuṇyaṃ svarge martye ca durlabham । tava snehānmayā vatsa prakāśaḥ kriyate'dhunā ॥
एक अत्यंत पुण्यदायक व्रत है, जो स्वर्ग और मृत्युलोक दोनों में दुर्लभ है; हे वत्स, तुम्हारे स्नेह के कारण मैं अब उसे प्रकट करता हूँ।
There is a vow of great merit, rare in heaven and on earth; out of affection for you, my child, I now make it known.
सत्यनारायणस्यैवं व्रतं सम्यग्विधानतः । कृत्वा सद्यःसुखं भुक्त्वा परत्र मोक्षमाप्नुयात् । तच्छुत्वा भगवद्वाक्यं नारदो मुनिरब्रवीत् ॥
satyanārāyaṇasyaivaṃ vrataṃ samyagvidhānataḥ । kṛtvā sadyaḥsukhaṃ bhuktvā paratra mokṣamāpnuyāt । tacchutvā bhagavadvākyaṃ nārado munirabravīt ॥
सत्यनारायण का यह व्रत विधिपूर्वक करके मनुष्य तुरंत सुख भोगता है और परलोक में मोक्ष पाता है।' भगवान के वचन सुनकर नारद मुनि बोले:
By duly keeping this vow of Satyanarayana one enjoys happiness at once and attains liberation hereafter.' Hearing the Lord's words, the sage Narada said:
नारद उवाच । किं फलं किं विधानं च कृतं केनैव तद्व्रतम् । तत्सर्वं विस्तराद् ब्रूहि कदा कार्यं व्रतं प्रभो ॥
nārada uvāca । kiṃ phalaṃ kiṃ vidhānaṃ ca kṛtaṃ kenaiva tadvratam । tatsarvaṃ vistarād brūhi kadā kāryaṃ vrataṃ prabho ॥
नारद जी बोले: 'इसका फल क्या है, इसकी विधि क्या है, और यह व्रत किसने किया? हे प्रभो, यह सब विस्तार से बताइए, और यह कब करना चाहिए।'
Narada said: 'What is its fruit, what is its procedure, and who has kept this vow? Tell me all of it in detail, and when it should be kept, Lord.'
Editions differ: «तत्सर्वं विस्तराद् बूरहि कदा कार्यं व्रतं हि तत्» (vedicvidha, vani4u); «तत्सर्वं विस्तराद् ब्रूहि कदा कार्यं व्रतं प्रभो» (sanskritdocuments); «तत्सर्वं विस्तराद् ब्रूहि कदा कार्यं व्रतं हि तत्» (mnsgranth); «तत्सर्वं विस्तराद्ब्रुहि कदा कार्यं हि तद्व्रतम्» (hindunidhi).
श्रीभगवानुवाच । दुःख-शोकादिशमनं धन-धान्यप्रवर्धनम् ॥
śrībhagavānuvāca । duḥkha-śokādiśamanaṃ dhana-dhānyapravardhanam ॥
भगवान बोले: 'यह दुख और शोक आदि को शांत करने वाला और धन-धान्य को बढ़ाने वाला है;
The Lord said: 'It removes sorrow and grief and increases wealth and grain;
सौभाग्यसन्ततिकरं सर्वत्र विजयप्रदम् । यस्मिन् कस्मिन् दिने मर्त्यो भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः ॥
saubhāgyasantatikaraṃ sarvatra vijayapradam । yasmin kasmin dine martyo bhaktiśraddhāsamanvitaḥ ॥
सौभाग्य और संतान देने वाला और सर्वत्र विजय देने वाला है। किसी भी दिन, भक्ति और श्रद्धा से युक्त मनुष्य
it brings good fortune and children and gives success everywhere. On any day, a person filled with devotion and faith
सत्यनारायणं देवं यजेच्चैव निशामुखे । ब्राह्मणैर्बान्धवैश्चैव सहितो धर्मतत्परः ॥
satyanārāyaṇaṃ devaṃ yajeccaiva niśāmukhe । brāhmaṇairbāndhavaiścaiva sahito dharmatatparaḥ ॥
संध्या के समय ब्राह्मणों और बंधुओं के साथ, धर्म में तत्पर होकर, भगवान सत्यनारायण की पूजा करे।
should worship Lord Satyanarayana at nightfall, together with brahmins and relatives, devoted to dharma.
नैवेद्यं भक्तितो दद्यात् सपादं भक्ष्यमुत्तमम् । रम्भाफलं घृतं क्षीरं गोधूमस्य च चूर्णकम् ॥
naivedyaṃ bhaktito dadyāt sapādaṃ bhakṣyamuttamam । rambhāphalaṃ ghṛtaṃ kṣīraṃ godhūmasya ca cūrṇakam ॥
भक्ति से सवाया उत्तम नैवेद्य अर्पित करे: केला, घी, दूध और गेहूँ का आटा;
With devotion he should offer food, one and a quarter measures of the finest: banana, ghee, milk and wheat flour;
अभावे शालिचूर्णं वा शर्करा वा गुडस्तथा । सपादं सर्वभक्ष्याणि चैकीकृत्य निवेदयेत् ॥
abhāve śālicūrṇaṃ vā śarkarā vā guḍastathā । sapādaṃ sarvabhakṣyāṇi caikīkṛtya nivedayet ॥
इनके अभाव में चावल का आटा, या शक्कर या गुड़; सब भोज्य पदार्थ सवाये मात्रा में मिलाकर अर्पित करे।
in their absence, rice flour, or sugar or jaggery; he should combine all the foods, one and a quarter measures, and offer them.
विप्राय दक्षिणां दद्यात् कथां श्रुत्वा जनैः सह । ततश्च बन्धुभिः सार्धं विप्रांश्च प्रतिभोजयेत् ॥
viprāya dakṣiṇāṃ dadyāt kathāṃ śrutvā janaiḥ saha । tataśca bandhubhiḥ sārdhaṃ viprāṃśca pratibhojayet ॥
लोगों के साथ कथा सुनकर ब्राह्मण को दक्षिणा दे, और फिर बंधुओं के साथ ब्राह्मणों को भोजन कराए।
After hearing the story with others, he should give the brahmin his fee, and then, with his relatives, feed the brahmins.
प्रसादं भक्षयेद् भक्त्यानृत्यगीतादिकं चरेत् । ततश्च स्वगृहं गच्छेत् सत्यनारायणं स्मरन् ॥
prasādaṃ bhakṣayed bhaktyānṛtyagītādikaṃ caret । tataśca svagṛhaṃ gacchet satyanārāyaṇaṃ smaran ॥
भक्ति से प्रसाद ग्रहण करे और नृत्य-गीत आदि करे; फिर सत्यनारायण का स्मरण करते हुए अपने घर जाए।
He should eat the prasad with devotion and have dancing and singing; then he should go home remembering Satyanarayana.
एवं कृते मनुष्याणां वाञ्छासिद्धिर्भवेद् ध्रुवम् । विशेषतः कलियुगे लघूपायोऽस्ति भूतले ॥
evaṃ kṛte manuṣyāṇāṃ vāñchāsiddhirbhaved dhruvam । viśeṣataḥ kaliyuge laghūpāyo'sti bhūtale ॥
ऐसा करने से मनुष्यों की मनोकामना निश्चित रूप से पूरी होती है; विशेषकर कलियुग में पृथ्वी पर यही सरल उपाय है।'
When this is done, people's wishes are surely fulfilled; especially in the Kali age, this is the simple means on earth.'
About this text
The Satyanarayan Vrat Katha is the story read at the Satyanarayan Puja, a worship of Vishnu as Satyanarayana, "the Lord who is Truth". It has five chapters (adhyayas): Vishnu teaching the vow to Narada; the poor brahmin and the woodcutter; the merchant Sadhu, who forgets his promise; his return home and his daughter Kalavati, who leaves the prasad; and King Tungadhvaja, who scorns the prasad of the cowherds. Each story shows a promise to the Lord kept or broken and the prasad honoured or refused.
The printed editions end each chapter with a colophon placing the katha in the Reva Khanda of the Skanda Purana. Scholars also find the vow in the Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purana, and note that the Reva Khanda containing it appears only in some printed editions of the Skanda Purana.
The Sanskrit text below was compared line by line across independent online editions (see Sources). Each line is shown only where at least two independent editions agree, with three exceptions: in three lines the editions all word the line a little differently, so the line is shown with each edition's reading. The chapter colophons are not shown. Some editions add, after the closing verse, verses on the later births of the story's characters; those are not included here.
How it is recited
The katha says the vow may be kept on any day, in the evening, and the merchant in the story keeps it on full moons and sankrantis; today it is most often read on Purnima, at housewarmings and on other auspicious occasions, at the end of the Satyanarayan Puja, followed by the aarti and the prasad. Customs vary by family and region.
More for Vishnu
More Vrat Kathas
Sources & checks
- Editions compared
- Satyanarayana Vrata Katha (Sanskrit text), sanskritdocuments.org (2026), collated 2026-10-11, sha256 fdc71856513c
- Satyanarayan Vrat Katha (Sanskrit), vedicvidha.blogspot.com (2026), collated 2026-10-11, sha256 ca875eb5c1ca
- Satyanarayan Vrat Katha, sankracharyevadwatmandal4u.blogspot.com (2026), collated 2026-10-11, sha256 307f7deab83f
- Satyanarayan Vrat Katha, mnsgranth.com (2026), collated 2026-10-11, sha256 4c3bf15bf8be
- Satyanarayan Vrat Katha, hindunidhi.com (2026), collated 2026-10-11, sha256 8388e2a1a970
- Sources for the retelling
- Satyanarayana Vrata Katha (Sanskrit text), sanskritdocuments.org
- Satyanarayan Vrat Katha, hindunidhi.com
- Satyanarayan Vrat Katha (Sanskrit), vedicvidha.blogspot.com
- Satyanarayana Puja, Wikipedia
- Text checked
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Change log
- : Published. Text compared line by line across independent sources (see the editorial policy).