This vratam is often done on Pournami or Ekadashi, and for occasions such as griha pravesham, a wedding, or in thanks for a wish fulfilled. It is much loved in Telugu homes and is closely linked with the Annavaram temple. The story comes from the Reva Khanda, traditionally ascribed to the Skanda Purana.
Customs differ by family and region. Please treat this as a guide, and follow your family's practice or your priest where they differ.
Items · పూజా సామగ్రి
Prasadam · ప్రసాదం
The prasadam is commonly made by roasting ravva or wheat flour in ghee and cooking it with milk, sugar and banana. Many families measure each ingredient in sapadu, one and a quarter measures. Everyone present should receive it.
Order of the pooja · వ్రత విధానం
Preparation. The couple or person doing the vratam bathes and fasts until the pooja. Set up the mandapam and the kalasam.
Ganapati pooja. Begin with a short pooja to remove obstacles.
Sankalpam. State the date, your name, gotram and the purpose of the vratam.
Kalasa and other deity pooja. Worship the kalasam. Many families also worship the Navagrahas and other deities here.
Satyanarayana pooja. Worship the Swamy with the sixteen services and his ashtottaram.
Katha. Hear all five chapters of the story together.
Naivedyam and harati. Offer the prasadam and show harati.
Prasadam and dakshina. Share prasadam with everyone, offer dakshina, and honour the priest.
The five chapters · ఐదు అధ్యాయాలు
Narada asks Lord Vishnu how people can be freed from suffering in this age, and the Lord describes this vratam.
A poor brahmin and then a woodcutter perform the vratam and find their lives transformed.
King Ulkamukha performs it, and the merchant Sadhu learns of it. He promises the vratam but keeps putting it off, and trouble follows.
The merchant lies to the Lord in disguise and loses his wealth. His family's devotion restores it, and the Lord's prasadam is shown to be important.
King Tungadhwaja disregards the prasadam offered by cowherds, suffers loss, and recovers only after honouring it.
The lesson repeated in each chapter is to keep your promises, tell the truth, and never refuse prasadam.