Chhath Vrat Katha: The Story of Chhathi Maiya, King Priyavrat and Surya Worship

The Chhath vrat katha is read or told on the evening of Kharna or at the ghat before the Sandhya Arghya. Chhath brings together two worships: of Surya Dev, the sun, and of Chhathi Maiya, Shashthi Devi, the goddess who protects children. The main katha is hers; the others tell how great figures of the epics worshipped the sun. In 2026 the vrat is kept from 13 to 16 November; see the Chhath Puja 2026 guide for the dates.

The katha of King Priyavrat and Shashthi Devi

The Brahmavaivarta Purana tells of King Priyavrat, son of Svayambhuva Manu, and his queen Malini, who had no child for many years. The sage Kashyapa performed a putreshti yajna for them and gave the queen the charu (the sacred offering of the yajna) to eat. She conceived, but the son she bore was born dead.

The grieving king took the child to the cremation ground and, unable to bear his loss, resolved to give up his own life. At that moment a radiant goddess appeared in a celestial chariot. She said she was Devasena, the manasa-putri (mind-born daughter) of Brahma, and that because she arose from the sixth part (shashtha ansha) of Prakriti she was called Shashthi. She protects children and grants them to those who worship her.

She lifted the child, and he came back to life. Then she told the king to worship her himself and to spread her worship among his people. Priyavrat did so, and Shashthi Devi's puja on the Shashthi tithi became a vow kept for children. In the Chhath tradition she is Chhathi Maiya, and this is the reason the vrat is kept above all for the life and health of children.

Karna's arghya to Surya

Karna, the son of Surya and Kunti, is remembered as a devoted worshipper of the sun. The Mahabharata tells that he prayed to Surya every day until the sun stood overhead, and tradition remembers him standing in the river to do so. Anga, the kingdom he ruled, lies around present-day Bhagalpur in Bihar, and Chhath's practice of standing in water to give the arghya is often traced to him.

Draupadi and Sita

In the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas went into exile, Yudhishthira worshipped Surya on the advice of the sage Dhaumya and received the Akshaya Patra, the vessel that never ran short of food. Folk tradition adds that Draupadi kept the Surya vrat in the forest for the Pandavas' return to their kingdom.

Another tradition holds that after Rama returned to Ayodhya, Sita kept a fast on the Kartik Shukla Shashthi and worshipped the sun. Munger in Bihar has a shrine, the Sita Charan, that devotees associate with her Chhath.

What the katha teaches

The stories share one thread: the sun as the source of life, and the mother goddess who protects it. The vratti asks for nothing for themselves; the fast is kept for the children and the family, which is why it is so demanding and why it is kept with so much care. The Santan Prapti Puja is performed with the same prayer.

All four days of Chhath Puja 2026: Nahay Khay (13 Nov) · Kharna (14 Nov) · Sandhya Arghya (15 Nov) · Usha Arghya (16 Nov). Also read: the complete Chhath Puja 2026 guide, the Chhath vrat katha and Chhathi Maiya aarti and Chhath geet.

Chhath vrat katha: FAQs

Who is Chhathi Maiya?
Chhathi Maiya is Shashthi Devi, also called Devasena, the goddess who protects children. In the Brahmavaivarta Purana she is Brahma's mind-born daughter, arising from the sixth part of Prakriti.

What is the main Chhath vrat katha?
The story of King Priyavrat, whose stillborn son Shashthi Devi brought back to life. She asked the king to worship her and spread her puja, which is why the vrat is kept for children.

When is the Chhath katha read?
Usually on the evening of Kharna or at the ghat before the Sandhya Arghya. In 2026 those are 14 and 15 November.

Why is Karna linked with Chhath?
Karna was a son of Surya and is remembered for his daily worship of the sun, standing in water, which Chhath's arghya in the river recalls. His kingdom of Anga lay in present-day Bihar.

Chhath is kept above all for the health and long life of children and the family. To see what your own chart says about children and family, start with your free kundli or talk to an astrologer.