Long time ago, there lived a beautiful princess by the name of
Veeravati. When she was of the marriageable age, Veeravati was married
to a king. On the occasion of the first Karwa Chauth after her marriage,
she went to her parents' house.
After sunrise, she observed a strict fast. However, the queen was too
delicate and couldn't stand the rigors of fasting. Seeing her plight,
her seven brothers decided to end her fast by deceiving her. They made a
fire at the nearby hill and asked their sister to see the glow. They
assured her that it was the moonlight and trusting her brothers,
Veeravati broke her fast.
However, at the same time, she received the news that her husband, the
king, was dead. The queen was heartbroken and rushed to her husband's
palace. On the way, she met Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Parvati
informed Veeravati that the king had died because the queen had broken
her fast by watching a false moon. However, when the queen asked her for
forgiveness, Parvati granted her the boon that the king would be revived
but would be ill.
When Veeravati reached the palace, she found the king lying unconscious
with hundreds of needles inserted in his body. Each day, she managed to
remove one needle from the king's body. Next year, on the day of Karva
Chauth, only one needle remained embedded in the body of the unconscious
king.
Veeravati observed a strict fast that day and when she went to the
market to buy the karva for the puja , her maid removed the remaining
needle from the king's body. The king regained consciousness, and
mistook the maid for his queen. When Veeravati returned to the palace,
she was made to serve as a maid.
However, Veeravati was true to her faith and religiously observed the
ritual of Karva Chauth. Once when the king was going to some other
kingdom, he asked Veeravati (now maid) if she wanted anything. Veeravati
asked for a pair of identical dolls. The king obliged and Veeravati
singing a song " Roli ki Goli ho gayi... Goli ki Roli ho gayi "
(the queen has turned into a maid and the maid has turned into a queen).
On being asked by the king as to why did she keep repeating that song,
Veeravati narrated the entire story. The king repented and restored the
queen to her royal status. It was only the queen's devotion and her
faith that won her husband's affection and the blessings of Goddess
Parvati.
The Legend Of Mahabharata
The belief in this fast and its associated rituals goes back to the
times of Mahabharata. Draupadi, too, is said to have observed this fast.
Once Arjun went to the Nilgiris for penance and the rest of the Pandavas
faced many problems in his absence. Draupadi, invoked Lord Krishna and
asked for help. Lord Krishna advised her to observe the fast of Karva
Chauth. Draupadi followed the instructions and observed the fast with
all its rituals. Consequently, the Pandavas were able to overcome their
problems.
The Story Of Satyavan and Savitri
There is the story of the Satyavan and Savitri. When Yamraj - the Lord
of the death - came to take Satyavan's soul, Savitri begged him to grant
life to Satyavan. When Yamraj refused, she stopped eating and drinking
and Yamraj finally relented. He granted life to Satyavan
The Legend Of Karva
According to another legend, a woman named Karva was deeply devoted to
her husband. One day while bathing, her husband was caught by a
crocodile. Karva came running and tied the crocodile with a cotton yarn.
She then went to Yamraj and appealed him to send the offending crocodile
to hell. When Yamraj refused, Karva threatened to curse him. Afraid of
the power of a devoted wife, Yamraj readily accepted and sent the
crocodile to hell, and blessed Karva's husband with long life.
