Shree Sidh Ganesh

Bhagwan Ved Vyas asked Brahmaji could you please explain what’s the benefit of Shree Sidh Ganesh Vrat and tell me who on Earth benefited from doing this vrat.

Then Brahmaji told this story. Oh my dear vyasji. Many people of Earth performed this vrat and by doing so they were blessed, from them I tell you a story of Surbahu Shatriya, now listern carefully.

There was a country city called Pipalpur in Goddesh country in the Southern hemisphere. There lived a honest but poor man called Surbahu. He worked very hard to feed this family but there was never enough for entire family. Seeing all this his wide Subhadra always complained and consistently nagged him about the poor situation they were in.

One day he had enough of this constant nagging and humiliation from his wife, Surbahu decided to run away from home, while the family was sleeping.

He ended up in the forest, thirsty, hungry and lost, started wondering around. In the end he ended up near a lake, walking to the lake he drank water and sat underneath a wonderful rubber (valdo) tree. While leaning against the tree he stated thinking about his many subjects in his head. While doing so he fell asleep. Many hours pasted while asleep, he had a dream that something was about to eat him, he thought it might be an animal but was too afraid to open his eyes and look. He assumed he was going to die so he prepared him self to face the death, thinking it’s better to die than to live such sad life. But suddenly something happened Surbahu slowly opened his eyes and saw a human figure in the night shadow. Seeing this he got up and shouted, why do you want to wake a poor guy like me in the middle of the night. Who are you and what do you want from me? Who ever you are just eat me and put me out of my misery from this life.

Hey dear, you seem depressed by this human life, but afraid not, my name is Kaushik Rishi (sage), I’ve been doing meditation in this forest for many years. Dear get up and come with me.

By saying comforting words Kaushik Rishi, helped Surbahu onto his feet and took him to his ashram and gave him food and drink and listened to his story. Kaushik Rishi was sadden by Surbahu’s poor condition.Kaushik Rishi blessed Surbahu and told him Shree Sidh Ganesh Vrat Katha and instructions about performing ritual everyday.

Surbahu stayed in Kaushik Rishi’s ashram and performed vrat as instructed.

During this period, Bhagvan Shree Sidh Ganesh blessed him. Back in his home kindom, Pipalpur, the king accepted Surbahu’s wife as his religious sister and provided them with necessary for confortable life. The king also send out his people in search of Surbahu.

After three months, Surbahu returned to Pipalpur on Bhadarva Sud Satudasiye after completing Bhagvan Shree Sidh Ganesh’s vrat. Seeing him, his wife and children were over joyed with happiness.

Subhadra told his husband, Surbahu the full story about king accepting her his religious sister and providing all care. Hearing all this Surbahu said “All this is due to blessing of Shree Sidh Ganesh”. Subhadra you should start performing this ritual everyday also. She performed vrat accordingly and with complete honestly and faith.

The king made Surbahu his comandar. Accepting all this as a blessing of Shree Sidh Ganeshji, he started living life with happiness.

His Surbahu became a king named Naal, in his next life.

Jai Shree Sidh Ganesh Namah

Vrat

Vrat denotes a religious practice to carry out certain obligations with a view to achieve divine blessing for fulfillment of one or more than one desire. Etymologically, vrat, a Sanskrit word (and also used in several Indo-European languages), means to vow or to promise.

A vrat may consist of one or more of several actions. Such actions may include complete or partial fasting on certain specific days; a pilgrimage  (thirtha) to a particular place or more than one place; a visit and darshan and puja at a particular temple or more than one temple; recitation of mantras and prayers; performing puja and havans.

According to Hindu scriptures, vrat assists the person doing the vrat to achieve and fulfill his desires as performing vratas are supposed to bring the divine grace and blessing. Sometimes, close relatives or family purohits may be entrusted with the obligation of performing the vrat on behalf of another person. The object of performing vrat is as varied as the human desire, and may include gaining back lost health and wealth, begetting offspring, divine help and assistance during difficult period in one’s life. In Ancient India, vrat played a significant role in the life of individuals, and it continues to be practiced in modern times as well by a number of Hindus.

A gotra is the lineage or clan assigned to a Hindu  at birth. In most cases, the system is patrilineal and the gotra  assigned is that of the person’s father. Other terms for it are vansh, vanshaj, bedagu, purvik, purvajan, pitru. An individual may decide to identify his lineage by a different gotra, or combination of gotras.
According to strict Hindu tradition, the term gotra is used only for the lineages of Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya varnas. Brahminical gotra relates directly to the original seven or eight rishis of the Vedas. Later, the term gotra was expanded beyond Brahmin.
A gotra must be distinguished from a kul. A kul is a set of people following similar cultural rituals, often worshiping the same divinity (the Kuldev, god of the clan). Kul does not relate to lineage or caste. In fact, it is possible to change one’s kul, based on one’s faith or Ista-devatā.
It is common practice in preparation for Maher marriage to inquire about the kul-gotra (meaning clan lineage) of the bride and groom before approving the marriage. In almost all Hindu families, marriage within the same gotra is prohibited, since people with same gotra are considered to be siblings. But marriage within the kul is allowed and even preferred.

Origin of gotra

In Vedic Sanskrit, the word “gotra” originally meant “cow-pen.” Cows were at the time (before invention of currency) the most valuable possession of a family group, so with time, the term “gotra” began to refer to the family group who owned a particular pen of cows. The term was associated eventually with just the family group and its lineage.
Gotra is the Sanskrit term for a much older system of tribal clans. The Sanskrit term “Gotra” was initially used by the Vedic people  for the identification of the lineages. Generally, these lineages mean patrilineal descent from the sages or rishis in Brahmins, warriors and administrators in Kshatriyas and ancestral trademen in Vaisyas.
The lineage system, either patrilineal or matrilineal, was followed by the South Asian people. In present-day Hinduism, Gotra is applied to all the lineage systems.
The case of sage Vishwamitra is the example. Thus the gotra must have been of the lineage of the learning one chose rather than the lineage of one’s birth. Rama is stated to be the descendant of Ikshwaku, but the lineage was broken when Kalmashpada got his son through Niyoga of Vasishta with Kalmashapad’s wife Madayanthi, and not through a biological liaison. Yet Rama is said to be Ikshwaku’s descendant and not of Vasishta. Some claim of a continuous biological linkage with the moola purusha [or most significant personality] of the Gothra, where as it need not be the case. Some times, a Gotra is based on the Guru for the family or one of the ancestors.
Marriages within the gotra (“swagotra” marriages) are banned under the rule of exogamy in the traditional matrimonial system. People within the gotra are regarded as kin and marrying such a person would be thought of as incest.
A much more common characteristic of Maher Community is permission for marriage between cross-cousins (children of brother and sister). Thus, a man is allowed to marry his maternal uncle’s daughter or his paternal aunt’s daughter, but is not allowed to marry his father’s brother’s daughter. She would be considered a parallel cousin who is treated as a sister.