Mahadev, the God of Gods, is considered very innocent, hence one of his names is Bholenath. According to mythological belief, there is no need for any special worship to please Lord Shankar. Because it is said that he is innocent and he becomes happy with just a momentary devotion of the devotee from the heart. If you also observe a fast on Monday of Sawan to get the devotion and blessings of Shiva, then you can please Bholenath with this story. There is a belief regarding the Monday fast that by observing this fast, Lord Shiva fulfills the wishes of his devotees quickly. Monday is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Therefore, the importance of worshiping Lord Shiva and fasting on this day increases even more. If you observe a Monday fast, then it is very important for you to read the Monday fast story. Because, without this your fast is considered incomplete. Those who observe a Monday fast should worship Shiva Parvati with all the worship materials and then tell the Monday story.

Once there was a moneylender in a city. There was no dearth of money in his house but he was very sad due to not having any child. To get a child, he used to fast every Monday and with full devotion, he used to go to the Shiva temple and worship Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati. Seeing his devotion, one day Mother Parvati was pleased and requested Lord Shiva to fulfill the moneylender’s wish. On Parvati’s request, Lord Shiva said, ‘O Parvati, in this world every creature gets the result of his deeds and whatever is in one’s fate, one has to suffer it’ but seeing the devotion of the moneylender, Parvati expressed her desire to fulfill his wish. On the request of Mother Parvati, Shiva gave the boon of getting a son to the moneylender but he told that this child will live only for 12 years. The moneylender was listening to the conversation between Mother Parvati and Lord Shiva, so he was neither happy nor sad about this. He continued to worship Shiva as before. After some time, the moneylender’s wife gave birth to a son.  When the boy turned eleven, he was sent to Kashi for studies. The moneylender called his son’s maternal uncle and gave him a lot of money and said that you take this boy to Kashi for education. You people should perform yagna on the way and give food and dakshina to the Brahmins. Both uncle and nephew set out for Kashi city in this way performing yagna and giving donations to the Brahmins.

During this time, they reached a city where the daughter of the king of the city was getting married, but the prince she was to marry was blind in one eye. To hide the fact that his son was blind, the prince’s father thought why not make the son of the moneylender the groom and marry the princess. After the marriage, I will give him money and send him away and take the princess to my city. The boy was dressed in the groom’s clothes and married to the princess. The moneylender’s son was honest. He did not find this right, so he found an opportunity and wrote on the princess’s dupatta that ‘You are married to me, but the prince with whom you will be sent is blind in one eye. I am going to Kashi to study.’ When the princess read what was written on the dupatta, she told this to her parents. The king did not send his daughter away, then the wedding procession went back. On the other hand, the moneylender’s son and his maternal uncle reached Kashi and performed a yagya there.  The day the boy turned 12, a yagya was organized. The boy told his uncle that he was not feeling well. The uncle said that he should go inside and take rest. As per the blessings of Lord Shiva, the boy died within a short time. Seeing his dead nephew, his uncle started crying.

Coincidentally, at that time, Shivji and Maa Parvati were passing by. Maa Parvati said to Bholenath- Swami, I cannot bear the sound of his crying, you must remove the pain of this person. When Shivji went near the dead boy, he said that he is the son of the same money lender to whom I had given the boon of 12 years of age, now his age is over but Maa Parvati, overwhelmed with maternal feelings, said that O Mahadev, please give this boy more life, otherwise his parents will also die in agony in his separation. On the repeated request of Maa Parvati, Lord Shiv gave the boon of life to that boy. By the grace of Shivji, that boy became alive. After completing his education, the boy went back to his city with his uncle. Both of them reached the same city where he was married. They organized a yagya in that city too. That boy’s father-in-law recognized him and took him to the palace and took care of him and sent his daughter off.

Here the moneylender and his wife were waiting for their son, hungry and thirsty. They had vowed that if they got the news of their son’s death, they would also give up their lives, but they were very happy to get the news of their son being alive. That very night Lord Shiva came in the moneylender’s dream and said- O Shresthi, I am pleased with your fasting on Mondays and listening to the Vrat Katha and have given a long life to your son. Similarly, whoever observes the Monday fast or listens to or reads the story, all his sorrows are removed and all his wishes are fulfilled.

Lord Shiva is known for removing major difficulties from the lives of devotees. Unmarried women keep a fast on 16 Mondays to please Lord Shiva, so that they get a life partner like Lord Shiva. Mother Parvati did the toughest penance in the month of Sawan to get Lord Shiva as her husband. On the other hand, according to mythological beliefs, it is said that the Samudra Manthan also took place in the month of Sawan. Lord Shiva had accepted the poison that came out of the Samudra Manthan. Keeping a fast on Monday removes the sorrows and worries of a person and gives relief from the diseases of the body. Apart from this, by keeping this fast, the position of the moon planet in the horoscope becomes strong. If you have got menstruation before keeping the fast, then it will be mandatory not to keep the fast in this condition. If you have kept a fast and you have periods during the fast, then in such a situation there is no need to break the fast.  Women are prohibited from performing Puja-Paath etc. during menstruation. Monday is considered to be the day of Lord Shiva and the fast on Monday is kept to please Lord Shiva. This fast is also known as Someshwar Vrat. Someshwar means the God of Som who is Shiva and Som is called Moon. Therefore, Someshwar Vrat means the fast kept for Shiva.

According to a famous Hindu legend, Moon freed itself from tuberculosis by worshipping Lord Shiva on Monday and seeking boon from him. Since then, Monday has been dedicated to the world as the day of worship of Lord Shiva. Just as Lord Shiva gave the desired fruits to Moon, similarly every person who worships Lord Shiva on this day with a pure heart, gets his desired boon.