Anant Chaturdashee Vrat
(Chap 94) Krishn Jee said - "There is another Vrat which is very good and fulfills all wishes. Its names is Anant Chaturdashee Vrat. It is done on 14th day of Shukla Paksh of Bhaadrapad month." Yudhishthir asked - "You said that this is Anant Chaturdashee, is this Anant name for Shesh Naag or other Naag, or Paramaatmaa or Brahm? Who is called Anant?" Krishn said - "Anant is my name only. I exist in the form of Kalaa, Kaashthaa, Muhoort, Tithi, Paksh, Maas, season, Ayan, Samvatsar etc Kaal division. Only I have incarnated in Vasudev family to lighten this Earth. Know mw as Vishnu, Jishnu, Har, Shiv, Brahmaa, Bhaaskar, Shesh, Eeshwar - all.

I tell you how to do it. There is an ancient story about it, listen to it. There was a Braahman named Sumantu in Vashishth family in Krit Yug. He was married to Maharshi Bhrigu's daughter named Deekshaa. They had a beautiful daughter named Sheelaa. After some time, her mother Deekshaa died from fever and went to Swarg. Sumantu married again, this time with a girl named Karkashaa. She was like her name. Sheelaa used to make drawings of Bhagavaan's body parts and auspicious marks etc on walls and worshipped them.

Sumantu Muni married her to Kaundinya Muni and asked his wife to give some dowry to his son-in-law. She was not in a mood to listen to this, so she didn't give anything to him. Kaundinya Muni made Sheelaa sit in a bullock cart and proceeded towards his Aashram. It was mid-day and the day was Chaturdashee, Sheelaa saw that some women were worshipping Janaardan separately. She went to them and asked them about what they were doing. They told her that they were doing Anant Chaturdashee worship. Sheelaa said - "I will also do this Vrat, please tell me everything about it."

They said - "Sheelaa, Take one Prasth (one Ser or 900 gms) grains and prepare Naivedya out of it. Take it to a river bank. Take bath there, draw a Mandal and worship Anant Bhagavaan and listen to His story. Offer Him Naivedya. Give half of that Naivedya to Braahman, keep the rest for himself as Prasaad. Tie 14 knots on a thread, keep it in front of Anant Bhagavaan, and smear it with Kumkum. After offering it to Bhagavaan a man should tie it in is right hand, and a woman in her left hand with this Mantra ( the Mantra is given on p 483 ). Take Naivedya, and go home." Sheelaa also did this Vrat in the same way. As she tied the thread in her hand, her husband came there and both resumed their journey.

After this Sheelaa's house was filled with wealth and she herself got adorned with all kinds of jewelry and good clothes. After some time, Kaundinya Muni broke that thread from Sheelaa's hand in anger. All their wealth was gone and they started quarreling among themselves. Kaundinya Muni went to forest and started thinking that "when I will see Anant Bhagavaan?" Then he started living without food and doing Jap of Anant Bhagavaan's names. He went to another forest, asked a bloomed mango tree, a cow, a bull, two ponds, a donkey, and an elephant - "Have you seen Anant Bhagavaan?" Everybody said - "I don't know Him." At this Kaundinya Muni fell down in despair. 

At the same time Anant Bhagavaan appeared before him in the form of an old Braahman. He showed him His Chaturbhuj form also. Kaundinya Muni got very happy to see Him and prayed Him. He then asked Bhagavaan - "Please tell me who were those mango tree, bull, cow, Pushkarinee, donkey and elephant?" Bhagavaan said - "That mango tree was a Braahman in his previous life but he was very proud of his knowledge. He did not impart his knowledge to his disciples, that is why he got Vriksh Yoni. The cow was an arable land. She did not produce anything that is why she was born as a cow. The bull was Dharm himself, the two ponds were two Braahman women who took care of Dharm and A-Dharm. They were sisters but they argued about Dharm and A-Dharm uselessly. They did not donate anything, that is why both sisters became two ponds. Here also they clash each other in the form of waves. The donkey was a very angry man in his previous life, and the elephant was destroying Dharm. Now you go home and do Anant Vrat and I will give you the highest Nakshatra status. You will live comfortably and will enjoy the pleasure of many sons and grandsons, in the end you will attain Moksh. Later he became Punarvasu Nakshatra. Who does this Vrat or listens to this story, he joins Paramaatmaa.

Shravanikaa Vrat and Its Story
Yudhishthir asked - "Bhagavan, Who are these Shraavanee women we hear about? Tell me, who are they, what do they do, and what is their Dharm?" Krishn said - "Brahmaa created these Shraavanee Devee. A human being does whatever Dharm or A-Dharm action, they tell it immediately to Brahmaa, that is why they are called Shraavanee Devee.*

* Note - This topic is extensively discussed in Garud Puraan, Uttar Khand, Chapter 7. There they are not Shraavanee Devee, but Shravan named male Devtaa.

Nothing is hidden from them. As Devtaa, Siddh, Gandharv are worshipped by people, in the same way they are also worshipped by them. Men and women should do fast for them and worship them properly and conclude the Vrat by feeding men and women. By not doing their Vrat, people have to suffer the pain of death and afflictions of Yam. I tell you one story in this context.

In ancient times, there was a king named Nahush. His wife's name was Jayashree. She was very noble and Pativrataa woman. Once she took bath in Gangaa River and went to Vashishth's Aashram. She found that mother Arundhatee was feeding various kinds of food to Muni's wives. Jayashree greeted her and asked - "Hey Bhagavatee, Which Vrat you are doing?" Arundhatee said - "I am doing Shravanikaa Vrat. Maharshi Vashishth has told me about this Vrat. This Vrat is very secret and good for Brahmarshi and is giver of good husband to maidens. You just stay here, I come back to attend you." After this Jayashree came back home and forgot about that Vrat and Arundhatee's food.

The time came and Jayashree was about to die, her throat got choked and made strange sounds. In this way 15 days passed. Her face got very horrible. The 16th day Arundhatee came there and told King Nahush about Shravanikaa Vrat. Nahush immediately arranged for Shravanikaa Vrat in the name of Jayashree. After doing that Vrat Jayashree left her physical body very easily and went to Indra Lok."

Krishn further said - "One should do this Vrat on 14th or 8th day from Maargsheersh Maas (Agahan) to Kaartik Maas (12 months). Take bath in the morning. Invite 12 Braahman or one's own clan couples, worship them with incense, flowers, clothes, ornaments, Sindoor etc. Keep 12 water filled and auspicious thread tied pitchers in front of the women. Keep one of the middle pitcher on one's head and pray to all of them to be free from all sins committed in his previous years, and to die in comfortable situation. Those Braahman women should also say "So be it". Pray to Braahman also for destruction of his sins. Give those pitchers to all Braahman women."