Sai Baba Vrat Katha in Englishसाईं बाबा व्रत कथा अंग्रेज़ी में

Kokila and Mahesh

In a certain city there lived a woman named Kokila with her husband, Mahesh. The two loved each other dearly and stood by each other in good times and bad. But Mahesh had a quarrelsome nature. He lost his temper at the smallest thing and would say bitter, hurtful words without a second thought. His speech was so harsh that even the neighbours were troubled by him. If anyone came to talk, a quarrel would break out within a few sentences, and slowly people began to avoid the house.

Kokila was just the opposite. She was devout, calm and patient. She remembered God morning and evening, did every household task with care and bore even her husband's harsh words in silence. She never answered back. Her faith in God was unshakeable, and she believed that the Lord who had given her this life would one day set everything right.

Clouds of sorrow over the home

As time passed, Mahesh's business slowly began to decline. Customers grew fewer, earnings shrank, and a day came when his work almost came to a standstill. Now Mahesh sat at home all day long. The worry of having no work made him even more irritable. He flared up at Kokila over little things, and the house was filled with tension all the time.

Money became scarce. At times it was hard even to meet the household expenses. The home that had once been full of laughter was now full of gloom. Yet Kokila did not lose heart. When her work was done she would sit before God and pray quietly: "O Lord, calm my husband's mind, let his work run again and bring peace and happiness back to our home."

An old fakir at the door

One afternoon an old fakir came to Kokila's door. His clothes were plain, but his face shone with a wonderful radiance and his eyes were full of compassion. In a gentle voice he said, "Daughter, I am hungry. Could you give me a little dal and rice?"

There was not much in the house, but Kokila bowed to him with respect, offered him a seat and lovingly served the dal and rice that she had cooked. The fakir ate with contentment and blessed her, saying, "Daughter, Sai will keep you happy."

Hearing this, Kokila's eyes filled with tears. "Baba, where is happiness in my fate?" she said, and she poured out all the sorrow in her heart: her husband's angry temper, the neighbours' displeasure, the failing business and the hardship at home.

The fakir listened calmly to everything, then smiled and said, "Daughter, do not worry. Keep the vrat of nine Thursdays of Shri Sai Baba. This vrat, kept with shraddha (faith) and saburi (patience), brings peace to the mind. Sai Baba never ignores the true call of his devotee."

The fakir explains the vrat

Kokila folded her hands and asked, "Baba, how is this vrat kept?" Then the fakir lovingly explained the whole method to her:

1. The vrat is kept for nine Thursdays. It can be started on any Thursday, taking the name of Sai Baba. Anyone can keep it: women, men or children.
2. On the vrat day one may live on fruit, or on liquids such as milk, tea or fruit juice, or eat one meal in the day (morning or evening). One should not keep the vrat by going completely hungry.
3. In the morning or evening, spread a yellow cloth on a clean chowki and place a photo of Sai Baba on it. Wipe the photo with clean water and a clean cloth, apply a tilak of chandan (sandal paste) or kumkum, and offer yellow flowers or a garland.
4. Light incense and a ghee lamp and offer prasad to Sai Baba. The prasad can be any sweet, fruit or khichdi, whatever one can afford.
5. Then read the Sai vrat katha, remember Sai Baba's name, do the aarti and share the prasad with everyone.
6. If possible, visit a Sai Baba temple for darshan on the vrat day.
7. On the ninth Thursday do the udyapan: feed five poor people and give books of the Sai Baba vrat to five, eleven or twenty-one people, so that the vrat reaches more homes.

With these words the fakir blessed Kokila and went on his way. She walked with him to the door to see him off, but in a moment he had vanished from sight, no one knew where. A strange peace filled Kokila's heart, and she decided then and there that she would certainly keep this vrat.

The fruit of faith

On the next Thursday Kokila made her sankalp (resolve) for the vrat, taking Sai Baba's name. Following the fakir's method, she decorated the photo, offered yellow flowers, lit the lamp, read the katha, did the aarti and shared the prasad. All through the day she quietly repeated "Om Sai Ram".

On the very first Thursday the atmosphere at home felt a little different. That day Mahesh did not pick a quarrel over anything. Kokila felt that this was Sai Baba's grace, and her faith grew stronger still. She went on keeping the vrat every Thursday with the same love and discipline.

Thursday after Thursday went by, and slowly Mahesh's nature began to change. His speech grew softer, he began to talk kindly with the neighbours, and the constant quarrelling at home came to an end. Before long his business picked up again. Customers came back, earnings grew and the hardship in the house passed. The home that had been so full of tension was once more filled with laughter, peace and happiness.

On the ninth Thursday Kokila did the udyapan with devotion, just as the fakir had told her. She fed five poor people with respect and gave books of the Sai vrat to her relatives and neighbours. Husband and wife bowed their heads together before Sai Baba and thanked him.

Visitors from Surat

Some days later Kokila's brother-in-law and his wife (her jeth and jethani) came from Surat to visit. As they talked, the sister-in-law said sadly, "Our children have no interest at all in their studies. However much we explain, they will not pick up a book. This time they have even failed their examinations."

Kokila lovingly told them about the nine-Thursday vrat of Sai Baba and shared everything that had happened in her own home. She gave her sister-in-law a book of the Sai vrat and said, "Bhabhi, you too keep this vrat with faith and patience. Put your trust in Sai Baba."

Back in Surat, the couple kept the vrat with full devotion and in the proper way. After some time a letter came from them. It said that the children had begun to take an interest in their studies, that they now studied with care every day, and that this time they had passed their examinations with good marks. The letter also said that they had given books of the vrat to people they knew, so that others too could learn of it.

More devotees' experiences

The booklet tells of other such experiences too. In one home the marriage of a friend's daughter had been held up for a long time; in another, a family had long been worried by illness. The katha says that they too kept Sai Baba's nine-Thursday vrat with faith, that their minds found patience and that their difficulties slowly grew lighter. Devotees believe that Sai Baba never leaves alone anyone who calls on him with a true heart.

Sai Baba taught his devotees the lesson of shraddha and saburi: shraddha is steadfast faith and saburi is patience. With these two as her support, Kokila kept the vrat and never let the lamp of hope go out, even in the hardest days.

Closing of the katha

O Sai Baba, just as you showed grace to Kokila and her family and brought peace and happiness back to their home, keep your grace on all the devotees who read and hear this katha. Give everyone faith and patience, and keep love and harmony in every home.

Say it together: Bolo Shri Sachchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai!

How to read the katha during the puja

The katha is the heart of the Thursday puja. It is read after the photo of Sai Baba has been set up and worshipped, and before the aarti. The full sequence of the puja is explained on the Sai Baba vrat vidhi page; the points below cover the katha itself. Customs vary between families, so follow your own tradition where it differs.

1. Before you begin, light the ghee lamp and incense, offer yellow flowers and a chandan or kumkum tilak, and bow to Sai Baba.
2. Many devotees hold a few grains of akshat (unbroken rice) and a flower in their folded hands while reading or listening, and offer them at Baba's feet at the end.
3. Read slowly and clearly, aloud if family members are listening, or softly in a calm voice if you are alone.
4. Try not to get up or talk in between; keep your mind on the story and on Baba.
5. Read in the language you understand best. The same story is available as the Sai Baba vrat katha in Hindi.
6. After the katha, chant a simple mantra such as ॐ साईं राम or ॐ श्री साईं नाथाय नमः, then sing the Sai Baba aarti.
7. Offer the prasad and share it with everyone present, as Baba loved to see people fed.

On the ninth Thursday the katha is read in the same way, and then the poor are fed and copies of the vrat book are given away as part of the udyapan vidhi.

Closing prayer

After the aarti, many devotees end the puja with a short prayer in their own words, thanking Baba and asking forgiveness for any mistake made during the worship. A simple prayer in Hindi could be:

Meaning: O Sai Baba, I have worshipped you as far as my faith and means allow. Please forgive any mistake made in this puja, knowingly or unknowingly. Keep faith and patience alive in my heart. As you showed grace to Kokila, show grace to all your devotees. Victory to Shri Sachchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj.

You may pray in English or in any language you are comfortable with; the feeling behind the words matters more than the exact wording.