There are different Pradosh Vrat Katha (stories) behind why the Pradosh Vrat is observed. Pradosh Vrat is dedicated to Lord Shiva and falls on Trayodashi (the thirteenth day of every fortnight) of the Hindu calendar. People observe fast and do some rituals on this day. Worshipping Lord Shiva during the Pradosha Kaal brings his grace upon the devotee.
Pradosh Vrat Katha:
There are many stories behind why the Pradosh Vrat is celebrated, and why it is celebrated on the thirteenth day only. The story of a prince and a beggar woman is the most popular among them.
The Prince and Priest’s Wife:
Once upon a time in India, there was a poor Brahmin priest who used to perform puja to make ends meet. He had a wife and a son. One day, in an unfortunate event, he lost his life leaving behind his wife and son without anyone to look after them. The priest’s wife had no other option than to beg to feed her son and herself.
Once, she was returning home after collecting some alms when she saw a handsome but wounded man at the side of the road. The wife of the priest was very kind. She took pity on him and brought him to her home. She cared for his wounds and gave him whatever she had to eat. The prince started living with the woman and her son in her small house.
In her house, he saw her doing Pradosha Vrat. He asked her about it and came to know about its importance. Therefore, he also started doing Pradosh Vrat.
The wounded man was actually the prince of Vidarbha, Dharmgagupta, who had lost his kingdom because of an enemy’s attacks. His enemies had also imprisoned his father. The prince somehow had managed to escape from the attack and was wandering here and there aimlessly.
After some days, because of the care of the priest’s wife, the prince recovered and returned to the pink of his health. Once when he was wandering in a jungle, a beautiful Gandharva princess named Anshumati saw him and fell in love with him. She told her parents about him. Lord Shiva appeared in their dream and told them to marry Anshumati to Dharmagupta.
Therefore, they got Anshumati and Dharmagupta married. After that, Dharmagupta defeated his enemies with the help of Gandharva’s army and released his father from prison. Then he brought the poor woman who helped him to the palace and made her stay there. Then he made her son the prime minister of his kingdom.
Thus, the prince’s fate changed after he started doing Pradosha Vrat. Therefore, everyone should do this vrata and get the grace of Lord Shiva.
Samudra Manthan:
When gods and demons started to churn the ocean of milk to get Amrita (elixir of life), the first thing that appeared from the sea was Halahala (poison). This poison was so deadly that it could destroy all the creation. Therefore, gods and demons requested Lord Shiva to help them. Lord Shiva accepted their request and drank Halahala.
Thus, because of Lord Shiva, the three worlds were saved. Therefore, all gods and demons started praising him. Lord Shiva got very pleased with this and performed tandava. The day and time this incident took place were Trayodashi Tithi and Pradosh Kaal. Therefore, it is believed that Lord Shiva is in a very good mood during this time and blesses whoever worships him during this particular time.
You May Also Like To Read: The Story of Samudra Manthan
Vritrasura:
There are different versions of the story of Vritrasura. He was a valiant demon and had propitiated Lord Shiva with his austerity. Once in a war, the gods found it difficult to defeat him. So, they approached Brihaspati, their guru.
Brihaspati told them that in his previous life, Vritrasura was a king named Chitraratha. Once, he was flying over Mount Kailash in his airplane when he saw Goddess Parvati sitting on the lap of Lord Shiva.
Seeing this, he laughed and made fun of them. Goddess Parvati got very angry and cursed him that he would be born a demon. Therefore, he was born Vritrasura.
Brihaspati advised Indra to do Guru Pradosh Vrat if he wanted to defeat Vritrasura. Therefore, Indra performed the Guru Pradosh Vrat and defeated Vritrasura.
You May Also Like To Read: The Story of Vritrasura.
Lord Shiva Saved Moon God:
The Moon God (Soma or Chandra) married 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati, but he paid more attention only to Rohini. His other 26 wives complained to Daksha about this. Daksha told Chandra to give equal attention to all his wives, but he did not listen. The infuriated Daksha cursed him that he would fall prey to the wasting disease. The body of Chandra started wasting immediately, but this was diabolical for the world. Therefore, the gods went to Lord Brahma for a solution, who advised Chandra to worship Lord Shiva in the form of a lingam.
Chandra did penance for six months. Propitiated Lord Shiva appeared there in the form of a Jyotirlinga and blessed Chandra and reduced his curse (Because Chandra had sinned greatly previously, he did not clear his curse completely). He told him that he would decline day by day in one fortnight and increase steadily in another. For increasing the glory of the region and the moon, Lord Shiva stayed there in the form of Someshwara.
Lord Shiva blessed Chandra on the day of Trayodashi during Pradosha Kaal. Therefore, the Pradosha Kaal is considered the best to worship Lord Shiva.
These were some of the popular Pradosh Vrat Katha (stories) that I am aware of. If you know more stories, please share them in the comment section.