Loading...
Loading...
Vat Savitri falls on Jyeshtha Amavasya (new moon in Jyeshtha month) in North Indian tradition, or Jyeshtha Purnima in some regions. The puja is performed in the morning hours at the banyan tree. The fast begins the previous evening.
On this sacred day, I undertake the Vat Savitri vrat and worship of Savitri Devi at the banyan tree for the long life, health, and prosperity of my husband, and for eternal saubhagya.
On the evening before Vat Savitri, eat a light sattvic meal before sunset. Resolve to observe the vrat. Prepare all puja samagri and the sacred thread (kalava).
Wake before sunrise. Take a purifying bath. Wear a red or yellow sari and full saubhagya items (sindoor, bangles, mangalsutra, bindi).
Go to a banyan tree (vat vriksha). Clean the area around the tree. Place the water pot (kalash) near the roots. Take the formal sankalpa holding water and akshat.
Apply turmeric and kumkum on the trunk of the banyan tree. Offer flowers, akshat, and water at the roots. Light incense and a diya near the tree. The banyan tree itself is worshipped as the embodiment of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
Chant the Savitri mantra 108 times sitting before the banyan tree. Pray to Savitri Devi for the long life of your husband, just as Savitri won back Satyavan from Yama (the god of death).
Savitri Mantra
ॐ ह्रीं सावित्र्यै नमः
Circumambulate the banyan tree 7 times, wrapping the sacred thread (kalava) around the trunk with each round. While wrapping, chant the Vat Vriksha mantra. The thread symbolises the binding of your husband's life to the eternal banyan tree.
Vat Vriksha (Banyan Tree) Mantra
वट वृक्षं महापुण्यं सदा हरितपल्लवम्। इष्टदं सर्वभूतानां वटवृक्षं नमाम्यहम्॥
Read or listen to the story of Savitri and Satyavan from the Mahabharata (Vana Parva). This narrates how the devoted wife Savitri followed Yama into the realm of death and, through her wisdom and devotion, won back her husband's life.
After completing the puja and katha, break the fast the next morning after sunrise. Begin with water, then fruits, then a light meal. Receive blessings from the husband and elders.
Savitri Mantra
ॐ ह्रीं सावित्र्यै नमः
oṃ hrīṃ sāvitryai namaḥ
Om, salutations to Goddess Savitri, the epitome of wifely devotion and victory over death.
108x Japa CountVat Vriksha (Banyan Tree) Mantra
वट वृक्षं महापुण्यं सदा हरितपल्लवम्। इष्टदं सर्वभूतानां वटवृक्षं नमाम्यहम्॥
vaṭa vṛkṣaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ sadā haritapallavām | iṣṭadaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ vaṭavṛkṣaṃ namāmyaham ||
I bow to the banyan tree, supremely meritorious, ever green-leaved, the wish-fulfiller for all beings.
7x Japa CountOffer seasonal fruits, coconut, sweets, and paan at the base of the banyan tree. A special offering of sattu (roasted gram flour) laddoo is traditional in many regions.
Vat Savitri vrat bestows saubhagya (eternal marital auspiciousness), seven lives with the same husband, and protection from widowhood. Just as Savitri brought Satyavan back from Yama, this vrat is believed to protect the husband from untimely death. The Skanda Purana declares that this vrat equals the merit of performing 1000 ashvamedha yagnas.