“The rite has to be observed in the month of Margashirsha," replied Lakshmi. “Rice-pudidng mixed with camphor has to be offered to Vishnu and Lakshmi. For four days one has to pray to Lakshmi continuously with offerings of wheat, curds, fruit and flowers.”

The sentry asked Lakshmi to wait and went to summon the queen. Suratichandrika did not recognise Lakshmi to be the goddess. When the brahmana woman offered the queen advice, Suratichandrika struck the woman and shooed her away.

While the brahmana woman was leaving, she met Shyamabala, who was then returning. Finding that the brahmana woman was weeping, Shyamabala asked her what the matter was. Upon hearing the whole story, the princess decided to observe the vrata herself.

Years later, Shyamabala was married to Maladhara, the son of King Siddheshvara. As soon as Shyamabala left for husband’s house, prosperity disappeared from the household of Bhadrashrava and Suratichandrika. (This was because Lakshmi deserted them. Lakshmi had not deserted them earlier, since Shyamabala had been living with her parents.) Things came to such a pass that the king and the queen were almost starving.

Bhadrashrava went to pay his daughter a visit and Shyamabala was aghast at what had happened. After having fed her father, she gave him a lot of wealth to take home. Bhadrashrava took this wealth home, but as soon as he entered his own house, the wealth turned into lumps of coal.

This time Suratichandrika went to visit her daughter. The time to this visit coincided with the designated time for observing lakshmi vrata and Shyamabala forcibly made her mother observe the rite. Lo and behold! When Suratichandrika returned home, she found that all the wealth and prosperity had been restored.

Such are the wonderful effects of observing lakshmi vrata.

Dinanatha and Vishvamitra

In dvapara yuga, there was a powerful kin named Dinanatha. Unfortunately, the king did not have any sons. He asked the sage Galava how he might have a son.

“Perform a yajna.” Instructed Galava. “And offer a human sacrifice. If the sacrificed human is perfect in every way, you will certainly have a son.”

The king sent his messengers to look for a human sacrifice who was handsome, young and fair. These messengers travelled far and wide. Eventually they came to a village known as Dashapura where the people were exceedingly handsome and where there lived a brahmana named Krishnadeva. His wife was called Sushila. Krishnadeva and Sushila had three sons.

The messengers asked the brahmana and his wife to part with one of their sons and offered four lakhs of gold coins in return. When the brahmana couple refused, the messengers started to abduct one of the sons by force. Seeing that they were helpless, Krishnadeva and Sushila prayed that their eldest and youngest sons might be spared. The remaining son was seized by the king’s messengers. They left the gold and departed.