page no. foreword 2 items used for sri satyanaaraayan's vrat kathaa

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In such sorrow, the trader and his son-in-law spent twelve years in the jail. The fate being
adverse, all his wealth at home was either destroyed by fire, or taken by the king or looted by
thieves. Trader Saadhu's wife Lilaavati and daughter suffered greatly. They eked out a living by
selling off whatever was available in the house.
One day her daughter Kalaavati suffering from hunger and thirst went to a brahmin's house.
There she saw Sri Satyanaaraayan's pujaa being performed. She prayed to Bhagwaan :
" O Satyanaaraayan lord, when my father and husband quickly return home, I will also perform
your pujaa."
The brahmin said "Tathaastu".
Hearing this Kalaavati partook the prasaadam and returned home.
Her mother Lilaavati angrily asked where she had been late in the night. Thereupon Kalaavati
said :
" Dear mother, I stopped at a brahmin's house where Sri Satyanaaraayan's pujaa was being
performed. Man can directly achieve results in Kaliyug from the daily pujaa of Sri
Satyanaaraayan. I also desire to perform Sri Hari's pujaa. It is my wish that my father and my
husband come home quickly."
Thus thinking with her mother, she went to beg in the city the next day. Without effort she
gathered much money with which she gathered all the necessary pujaa ingredients and faithfully
performed Sri Satyanaaraayan's pujaa with her mother Lilaavati. Due to the effect of this, the
Lord was pleased and where the trader Saadhu and his son-in-law were captivated, for them the
Lord appeared in the last quarter of the morning dream of the king and said :
"O King, free immediately the two traders in your jail, without reason you have kept them in
there. Free them or else I will bring forth your destruction."
Saying thus the Lord became invisible. The King awoke. He at once stood up and was
astonished. He meditated upon the Lord. He bowed to his Guru and related the facts of his
dream. He obtained comments of his ministers and asked his guards to bring the two traders to
him. Under oath he asked them :
"Truthfully tell me what part of the world you live in What is your dynasty What part are you
residents of Why have you come here "
Trader Saadhu said :
"Mahaaraaj, resident of Ratnapur we are born in trader family and had come for trading here.
Claiming we were thieves, your police brought us here handcuffed. We are not thieves. O holy
king ! Without reason even Sri Krishna was accused of thieving the gem ! You may now do
what is appropriate."
The king ordered both to be released from captivity, got their overgrown hair to be shaved and
had them bathed in scented water. He then fed them both and honoured them with clothes and
jewellery. The honoured trader Saadhu with his son-in-law then asked the king :
"Mahaaraaj, permit us to leave for our land of residence."
The king commanded his treasurer :
"Fill this trader Saadhu's boats with the wealth expropriated from him and more."