Brihaspativar (Guruvar) Vrat — Thursday Fast Vidhi, Katha and Udyapan

Brihaspati and Vishnu

Thursday, Brihaspativar or Guruvar, belongs to Brihaspati, the guru of the gods and the planet Jupiter. In astrology Jupiter rules wisdom, children, marriage (especially for women), wealth and good fortune, so the Thursday fast is kept for all of these: for a good marriage, for children, for a teacher's blessing, for prosperity, and to strengthen a weak Jupiter in the horoscope. In practice the fast is also a Vishnu vrat, since Brihaspati is worshipped as a form of Vishnu's grace, and the Satyanarayan katha is often read on Thursdays. Everything about the day is yellow, the colour of Jupiter.

When to start and how many Thursdays

• Begin on the first Thursday of a Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight). Many avoid starting during Paush month and the inauspicious Kharmas period.
• The common vows are 16 Thursdays, or for one year, or three years. Some keep it for life.
• Days when you are unwell or travelling can be skipped and made up later, but count only the Thursdays you actually kept.

The vidhi

1. Wake early, bathe and wear yellow clothes.
2. Sankalp. On the first Thursday, take the vow before Vishnu: how many Thursdays you will keep and why.
3. Puja. Worship Vishnu or Brihaspati Dev with yellow flowers, yellow sandalwood or haldi, chana dal, jaggery, raisins and a ghee lamp. Follow the Vishnu puja vidhi for the full order.
4. Banana tree. Many families also worship a banana tree, which is associated with Brihaspati and Vishnu: offer water with a pinch of haldi to its roots, apply haldi, offer chana dal and jaggery, and light a lamp beside it. (The banana itself is not eaten that day by those who worship the tree.)
5. Mantra. Chant the Brihaspati beej mantra 108 times.
6. Katha. Read or hear the Brihaspativar vrat katha.
7. Aarti. Sing Om Jai Brihaspati Deva, then Om Jai Jagdish Hare.
8. Meal. Eat once in the day, after the puja, a yellow meal without salt: chana dal, besan laddu, yellow rice with jaggery, kadhi or khichdi made without salt. Some keep only fruit and milk.
9. Daan. Give chana dal, jaggery, haldi, yellow cloth or bananas to a Brahmin, a teacher or someone in need.

The katha, briefly

The vrat katha most families read tells of a rich king and a queen who disliked giving charity. Brihaspati Dev came to her door disguised as a sadhu, and when she asked how to be rid of the burden of wealth, he told her what not to do on Thursdays (wash her hair, wash clothes, plaster the floor with mud, and so on) as if they were instructions. She did them, and the household lost everything. The king had to leave and work as a woodcutter; the queen and her maid went hungry. When they finally kept the Thursday vrat with devotion, ate yellow food, heard the katha and gave charity, their fortune returned. The story is the source of the folk rules below, and its real lesson is generosity.

Folk rules many families follow

• No washing hair or cutting nails and hair on Thursday.
• No washing clothes or mopping the house with soap on Thursday.
• No salt in the vrat meal; yellow food only.
• Don't eat bananas if you worship the banana tree.

These come from the katha rather than the shastras, and not every family keeps all of them. Follow your family's practice.

Udyapan

After the last Thursday of your vow, do an udyapan on the following Thursday: a fuller Vishnu puja, a havan if possible, feeding Brahmins or needy people a yellow meal, and giving yellow cloth, chana dal, jaggery, haldi and dakshina. If you cannot do a full udyapan, a smaller puja with the katha and a gift of yellow food completes it.

Frequently asked questions

How many Thursdays should the vrat be kept?

Sixteen is the most common vow. Others keep it for one year or three years, or for life.

When should the Thursday vrat be started?

On the first Thursday of a Shukla Paksha. Many avoid starting in Paush month or during Kharmas.

Can salt be eaten in the Brihaspativar vrat?

Traditionally not. The one meal of the day is yellow and salt-free, such as chana dal, besan laddu or sweet yellow rice.

Why is hair not washed on Thursday?

The rule comes from the Brihaspativar vrat katha, in which washing hair on Thursday was one of the things that brought poverty to the queen. It is a folk custom kept by many families.

Can unmarried girls keep the Thursday vrat?

Yes. It is widely kept by unmarried girls for a good marriage, since Jupiter governs marriage in a woman's horoscope.

Is it a Vishnu vrat or a Brihaspati vrat?

Both. Brihaspati is worshipped together with Vishnu, and the aartis of both are sung.

Can I keep the Thursday vrat during menstruation?

Many families say the fast may continue but the puja is done by another family member or done mentally, and that Thursday is counted. Follow your family's practice.