The Devotion That Changed a Family

An old woman had seven sons. Six of them earned money, while the seventh son didn't. The old woman would cook food for the earning sons, feed them, and give the leftovers to the seventh son. The son didn't know this. His wife told him.

He couldn't believe it. When he secretly observed, he discovered it was true. He was deeply saddened. When his mother called him for dinner, he said, "I won't eat this food. I'll go abroad and earn money." His mother said, "If you're leaving tomorrow, go today." Hearing this, he immediately left the house.

He met his wife on the way. She was making cow dung cakes. He said, "I'm going abroad. I'll return in some time. You must be careful, following your religion." She said, "Don't worry about me. Don't forget me, and give me some memento of yours. I'll pass the time looking at it." He gave her his ring and left.

Finding a large shop in a big city, he asked for work. There was a need there, so the businessman hired him.  He worked hard day and night. The merchant kept giving him promotions. In a short time, through his hard work and dedication, he gained the merchant's trust so much that he made him his partner. After some time, the merchant left, entrusting all the work to him. He had now become a wealthy businessman himself.

Meanwhile, his wife was being severely oppressed. Everyone in the house made her work all day long. They sent her to the forest to collect wood. They gave her bread made of straw to eat. They gave her water in a coconut bowl. One day, while traveling to the forest, he saw some women observing the Santoshi Mata fast.

Heard them telling the story. He asked how to observe this fast and what it entails. One of the women explained that it was the Santoshi Mata fast. Observing it eradicates poverty, removes anxiety, helps singles find a life partner of their choice, cures illnesses, and bestows all kinds of happiness. To perform this ritual, purchase jaggery and gram according to your convenience and ability.  Observe a fast every Friday and narrate or listen to a story.

Observe the fast without interruption until your task is accomplished. If you can't find anyone to listen to it, keep a lamp in front of you and recite it. Once your task is accomplished, perform the Udyapan (the ritual of worship). For the Udyapan (the ritual of worship), prepare two and a half seers of Khaja, the same amount of Kheer, and the same amount of gram curry. Feed eight boys. It's best if the boys are from your family, otherwise you can invite them from the neighborhood. After feeding them and giving them fruits like bananas, send them off. Do not give sour fruits. No one in the house should eat anything sour that day.

After learning the entire ritual, she bought jaggery and gram. On the way, she offered the offerings at the Santoshi Mata temple and began pleading, "Mother, I don't know the rules of fasting. I will observe the Friday fast with devotion; please alleviate my sorrow." One Friday passed, and on the second Friday, a letter arrived from her husband. On the third Friday, the money she sent arrived. But everyone in the house never failed to taunt her. Distressed, she prayed at the Mata's temple, "Mother, I don't want money."  I want to see my husband. The mother blessed her and said, “Your husband will return soon.” She was overjoyed.

Her husband had no time in a foreign land. He was busy all day. Mother Santoshi appeared in his dream and told him that his wife was very sad. He should go to her. He became very worried about his wife. He sold the shop and left with clothes, jewelry, and a lot of money for his wife.

The daughter-in-law was returning from the forest after cutting wood when she saw a cloud of dust rising. Mother told her that her husband was coming. He was going home to his mother. So she went home and put a bundle of wood in the courtyard and called out, "Mother-in-law, take this bundle of wood, give me bread made of husk, give me water in a coconut shell, who is the guest today?" She did so.

Hearing the voice, her husband came out and, seeing the ring, anxiously asked her mother, "Who is this?" Mother said, "This is your daughter-in-law. She wanders around all day. When she's hungry, she comes here and eats. She doesn't do any work. She's just pretending to show you."  He couldn't believe it, took the keys from his mother and moved into the room on the upper floor with his wife. He decorated the room with expensive items and made it look like a palace. They both lived happily.

The daughter-in-law told her husband, "I want to perform the Udyapan ceremony for the Mother Goddess." Her husband agreed. She happily began preparing for the Udyapan ceremony. She invited her sister-in-law's children for dinner. To prevent her from spoiling the ceremony, her sister-in-law told them to ask for sour things. They did so, but when she refused, they asked for money, which she gave. They bought and ate the sour things. The Mother Goddess became furious. Police arrived and took her husband away. The sister-in-law claimed he had stolen the money, so the police arrested him.

The daughter-in-law, weeping, went to the Mother Goddess's temple. The Mother said, "This is the result of your mistake." The daughter-in-law apologized and said, "I will perform the Udyapan ceremony again and won't make such a mistake again. Please call my husband back."  The mother said she would meet him on the way. Her husband met her on the way and said he had earned so much money and was going to pay taxes. That was why the soldiers had come. The daughter-in-law breathed a sigh of relief.

When Friday came, she again prepared for the Udyapan ceremony. This time, she didn't invite her sister-in-law's children. She called the priest's children, lovingly fed them, and sent them off with bananas. The mother was overjoyed. After some time, she was blessed with a beautiful son. She would take him to the mother's temple every day. One day, the mother decided to visit his house.

The mother assumed a terrifying form. Her face was smeared with jaggery and chickpeas, her lips like a trunk, buzzing with flies. As soon as she stepped on the threshold, her mother-in-law screamed, "Look, a witch has come! Drive her away, or she'll eat someone." Everyone in the house panicked and started screaming. They closed the doors and windows. The younger daughter-in-law recognized her as soon as she saw her and exclaimed, "My mother has come to my house today."  She said to her mother-in-law, "Mother, don't be afraid, this is the same Santoshi Mata Ji whom I worship and whose fast I observe." Saying this, she opened all the doors and windows of the house.

Everyone fell at the mother's feet. They said, "Mother, we are ignorant. Please forgive us for the crime we have committed by breaking your fast." Mother forgave everyone, blessed them with well-being, and taught them to live with love. Everyone started living happily.

Three Best Lessons from the Story

1. Strong faith and consistent practice can ultimately lead to change and justice.

2. Kindness, humility, and patience persist despite bad behavior and yield long-term benefits.

3. Greed, cruelty, and deceit damage family harmony and have consequences.

Three Life-Management Tips from the Story

1. Maintain your integrity and discipline even in difficult times.

2. Use rituals or routines (faith, meditation, or daily practice) to maintain hope and focus.

3. Protect your dignity: Instead of enduring continued bad behavior, set goals (e.g., finding work or leaving an unhealthy environment).

Three Business-Management Tips from the Story

1. Work hard and be trustworthy to build trust and advance.

2. Seize opportunities—When trust is available, take responsibility and turn it into ownership or partnership.

3.Protect your money and reputation: Transparency and good behavior protect you from false accusations and legal trouble.

Three Inspiring Quotes

1. Starting with dedication and enduring hardship can lead to great success.

2. Faith and strength can not only change one's destiny but also heal family relationships.

3. An act of honesty (refusing unreasonable demands, acting honestly) can bring long-lasting blessings.

Three Self-Help Tips from the Story

1.When suffering, seek clarity and verify facts before reacting—observe and make calm decisions.

2. Keep useful objects or reminders (such as a ring) to maintain identity and motivation during difficult times.

3.Establish supportive rituals or communities (fasts, prayers, support groups) to maintain courage and hope.

Read more : - Feed the Soul, Train the Mind