Kartik Month Story Chapter 34, Kartik Month Story Chapter 34 in English
The sages asked- O Sutji! Why is the Peepal tree not worshiped on other days of the week except Saturday?
Sutji said- O sages! Out of the gems that the gods obtained by churning the ocean, the gods dedicated Lakshmi and Kaustubhamani to Lord Vishnu. When Lord Vishnu was ready to marry Lakshmi ji, Lakshmi ji said – O Lord! How can I, the younger sister, marry you until my elder sister gets married, so first get my elder sister married and then marry me. This is the rule that has been in practice since ancient times.
Sutji said - After hearing such words from Lakshmi ji, Lord Vishnu got Lakshmi ji's elder sister married with Uddalak Rishi. Lakshmi ji's elder sister Alakshmi ji was very ugly, her face was big, her teeth were shining, her body was like that of an old woman, her eyes were big and her hair was dry. On the request of Lord Vishnu, sage Uddalak married her and brought her to his ashram, resonating with the sound of Veda mantras. Alakshmi felt very sad to see the beautiful ashram of that sage, fragrant with the sacred smoke of the havan resonating with the sound of the Vedas. She said to Maharishi Uddalak – Since the sound of Vedas is resonating in this ashram, this place is not fit for me to live, hence please take me somewhere else from here.
Hearing her, Maharishi Uddalak said - Tell me why you can't live here and what other place is suitable for you to live. Alakshmi said - I cannot live in a place where Vedas are recited, guests are welcomed, Yagya etc. are performed. I cannot live in a place where husband and wife live with each other in love, where yagyas are performed for the ancestors and gods are worshipped. A place where the Vedas are not recited, guests are not honored, yagyas are not performed, husbands and wives quarrel among themselves, respected elders, good men and friends are disrespected, where miscreants, thieves and adulterers live. I reside happily in places where cows are slaughtered, where sins like drinking alcohol, brahma murder etc. are committed.
Sutji said - Uddalak felt sad after hearing such words from Alakshmi's mouth. He became silent after hearing this. After some time he said, okay, I will find such a place for you. Until I find such a place for you, you sit quietly under this peepal tree. Maharishi Uddalak made him sit under a Peepal tree and set out in search of a suitable place for her to live, but when he did not return even after waiting for a long time, Alakshmi started mourning. When Goddess Lakshmi, sitting in Vaikuntha, heard the lamentation of her sister Alakshmi, she became distraught. She became sad and said to Lord Vishnu – Oh Lord! My elder sister is extremely sad at being abandoned by her husband. If I am your beloved wife, then you go to her to reassure her. On the prayer of Lakshmi ji, Lord Vishnu along with Lakshmi ji went to the Peepal tree where Alakshmi was sitting and mourning.
While giving her assurance, Lord Vishnu said – O Alakshmi! You reside forever in the roots of this Peepal tree because it originated from my part and I always reside in it. Every year the householders will worship you and your younger sister will reside in their house. Women should worship you with various gifts. People should worship you with flowers, incense, lamps, fragrance etc. only then your younger sister Lakshmi will be pleased with them.
Sutji said- Rishis! I have narrated to you the dialogue of Lord Shri Krishna, Satyabhama and Prithu-Narad, by listening to which all the sins of a person are destroyed and ultimately one attains Vaikuntha. If you people still want to ask something then please ask, I will definitely tell it.
Hearing Sutji's words, Shaunak and other sages sat there happy for some time, after which they left for the darshan of Badrinarayan ji. The person who listens or narrates this story gets all the happiness in this world.
