Chaturdashi date of Krishna Paksha of Sawan month is considered very auspicious. According to religious belief, this date is dear to Lord Shiva. For this reason, Shivratri festival is celebrated on this date. This year, Shivratri festival of Sawan month is being celebrated on 11th August. On this day lakhs of Kanwariyas are performing Jalabhishek on Shivalinga. Also lakhs of Shiva devotees are performing Jalabhishek. Along with this, lakhs of devotees observe fast. Along with observing the fast, devotees should listen to the fast story, without this the fast is considered incomplete.
According to religious belief, all the devotees who observe fast on Shivratri of Sawan, not only get the blessings of Lord Shiva, but also every wish of those devotees is fulfilled. On the day of Sawan Shivratri, devotees should perform Jalabhishek and worship Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati. Let us know what is the fast story of Shivratri?
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What is the story of fasting?
According to legend, in ancient times there was a hunter named Chitrabhanu, who used to kill animals to support the family. Once Chitrabhanu had taken a loan from a moneylender. The moneylender took him hostage because he could not return the loan money. The moneylender had kept Chitrabhanu locked in the Shiva temple. On this day, it was Shivratri of Sawan month, so Chitrabhanu worshiped Lord Shiva in the temple. Chitrabhanu worshiped Lord Shiva with true heart and kept singing hymns and kirtans the whole night. At that time he was hungry and thirsty. Similarly, knowingly or unknowingly he kept the fast of Shivratri.
Next morning the moneylender came to the temple and left Chitrabhanu. After which Chitrabhanu went back to the forest, so that he could hunt animals to support his family. He wandered in the forest the whole day but did not find any prey the whole day. Tired and defeated, Chitrabhanu climbed a Belpatra tree in the forest itself. Shivalinga was sitting just below the tree. The leaves of the tree were falling on Shivalinga with the winds. In this way Chitrabhanu unknowingly offered Belpatra to Lord Shiva.
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That night Chitrabhanu remained in the forest, where once a pregnant deer came to drink water. Then Chitrabhanu tried to hunt the deer, but the deer started pleading that she should not be killed because she was pregnant. So Chitrabhanu left him. When Hirani saw Chitrabhanu for the second time, Hirani said that she would first meet her husband and return. Hearing this, Chitrabhanu left him. After this, a deer came with its children, so Chitrabhanu did not hunt them either. This makes it clear that Chitrabhanu's heart had melted and he had now given up hunting.
After this, he started living his life by working hard honestly, due to which his debt was also cleared. When the last moment of his life came, Yamraj came to him. Then the messengers of Lord Shiva took Chitrabhanu to Shivlok because he had unknowingly observed the fast of Shivratri. Because of this he got salvation.
Note: This article is based on religious beliefs and calculations. We do not confirm this.