Vrihaspativar , popularly known as Gurubar (Thursday ) is associated with Lord Vrihaspati Mahadeva or Jupitar. Vrihaspati is thought to be the teacher of the gods. The devotees who keep fast on Thursdays, listen to the stories of Thursday before breaking their fast. They wear yellow colored dresses and shower yellow flowers. Meals with yellow colors are preferred and food items are prepared with yellow colored cow ghee. Women worship the banana trees and water them. There are many stories related to Thursday or Guruvar.
Once there was a rich man who was the owner of a large palace. His wife remained to be busy with household works all day. She was a miser by nature. Once a Sadhu came to her house and asked for alms. The rich man was away from home. The lady replied to the Sadhu that she was busy with cleaning her courtyard and asked him to come another day when she would be free. The Sadhu went away empty handed. He visited the house another day and asked for some food. This time the lady replied that she was busy arranging a bath for the grandson and asked him to come again on other day. Third time the Sadhu visited the house. The lady of the house answered the Sadhu that he visits only on the times when she is busy. She remains busy for all day otherwise she would definitely give him some food. And she wanted to know from the sadhu if there was some way out for her from her regular busy schedule.
The Sadhu then advised the lady how to get rid of her daily work. She asked the lady to get up late on every Thursday morning and not to clean her kitchen before cooking meals. She should keep the cooked meals behind the hearth. She must wash her hair and clothes on every Thursday and ask her husband to get shaved that day. The Sadhu disappeared and the lady followed her instructions. But the rich family now became so poor that they could hardly afford their meals for one time.
The Sadhu then came again and said that he was hungry and asked for some food. The lady replied that she was so poor those days that she had nothing to spare for him. The Sadhu said that last time the lady avoided him saying she was busy, now she had nothing to do throughout the day but was giving him no alms. He doubted about the lady`s intention and disappeared.
The lady then asked her husband to do something to get rid of their poverty and earn livelihood. The man replied it was better to beg alms in a far-off place than to do robbery or stealing. Then he decided to go far away for business. Before leaving the man advised his wife to keep the pitcher always filled with water, never to keep it empty and the hearth-fire to burn day and night, never to put it out.
The lady tried to follow her husband`s instruction in his absence. But one day the hearth-fire was extinguished. The lady sent her maid to fetch some charcoal-fire from the neighbourhood. The maid returned very late. The lady wanted to know the reason. The maid begged pardon and said that their neighbour, who is a very rich lady, keeps fast on Thursdays and listen to the Thursday stories. She also joined her in listening the stories. That is why she was late.
The lady then thought she used to observe the fast before and those days they were very rich. So she resolved to observe the fast again. She observed the Thursday fast continuously for seven weeks. She wore yellow saree, took some gram pulse on her palm and listened to the story of Vrihaspati. Lord Vrihaspati was very pleased with her devotion. He appeared before her in the guise of the Sadhu and said that Lord Vrihaspati wanted to oblige her. She could ask for any favor.
The lady replied that they had become very poor. She urged for their wealth and prosperity to be restored to them. The Lord granted her wish and disappeared. The lady then observed the Thursday fast for another seven weeks. The Lord again appeared as the Sadhu in the seventh week and asked the lady to pray for another boon. The lady then replied that all her restored property is of no use without her husband. The Sadhu then said that her husband would return soon.
The businessman in the far-off place had a dream that he had become rich. Her wife was waiting for her happy return. The businessman woke up and decided to return home. It took him couple of months to reach home. When he reached home he met the village-women fetching water from the well. He enquired about his wife`s well being. The women replied that his wife was enjoying a happy and rich life. They also informed him that a Sadhu visited their house every \cf1\b Thursday\cf0\b0 , who is very kind to her.
The businessman got suspicious about his wife`s fidelity. Incidentally it was Thursday . He decided to keep a watch on his wife. When he reached home, a Sadhu came out of the door. The businessman caught hold of him and threatened his life for his visit to his wife in his absence. The Sadhu said nothing but smiled. In the meanwhile, the lady came out and begged for the Sadhu`s life. She told her husband that the man had helped them during the period of their suffering. The businessman got more angry and suspicious. He pulled out his sword and attacked the Sadhu but to his bemusement the sword turned into a wooden one. The man soon realized his mistake and fell on the Sadhu`s feet and begged his pardon. They came to know that the Sadhu was no one but Lord Vrihaspati himself.
Thereafter, The couple used to observe Thursday fast regularly and they lived a long and happy life.
The second story is about a young girl and goddess Laxmi Devi. The young girl used to play under a banana tree, which she used to water everyday. One day a strange voice came from the tree as if it came fluttering from the leaves. The girl was frightened and ran away. Next day the young girl was watering the banana tree while she again heard the same voice. The young girl gathered all her courage and listened that somebody was saying `Will you play with me? Will you play with me?` The young girl searched at the surroundings but found nobody. She was afraid again. This became an event of everyday. The girl could not tell anything to anybody but she became weaker and weaker. But her mother noticed her change. She asked the young girl what was the matter with her? Why she was becoming so weak despite of having good foods?
The young girl narrated the event of banana tree to her mother. Her mother understood why the innocent girl was frightened. She smiled and told her daughter that the Goddess of banana tree was pleased with her. Next day she must invite her in her plays.
The girl heard the same voice next day. She invited her to join the play. Soon the beautiful goddess of banana tree or Laxmi Devi came to play with the girl. After the play was over the Goddess asked the young girl to accompany her to her house for lunch. The Goddess then took her to a palace through the whole of the banana tree and served her with best fruits and sweets in gold and silver plates. The Goddess also offered her various types of costly gifts too. When the girl returned home, her mother was very happy. She asked her daughter if she has asked her friend for a return visit and told her to invite the Goddess very next day. But the girls was shy to invite the Goddess as they were poor, their clothes were shabby and torn and their utensils were broken and they had nothing to offer as a seat. Her mother told service and courtesy would compensate for the poverty. The girl agreed to her mother`s advice. When she met the goddess next day, she extended her invitation to their house.
When Goddess Laxmi stepped into that poor house, it was converted into a beautiful palace. The broken utensils were turned into shining gold and silver one. The shabby and torn clothes became new and gorgeous. The ordinary food prepared by the family tested like ambrosia. As she was about to leave the Goddess blessed the family. The mother of the young girl requested the Goddess to live with them permanently. The Goddess replied that she was very unstable and fickle minded. She could not commit to stay with them for a long time but assured that as long as they worked hard and water the banana trees she would be there in the form of banana fruit. She advised to specially water the banana trees on \cf1\b Thursday\cf0\b0 s so that their business get flourished day by day. The goddess then disappeared leaving plenty of wealth and happiness for the family.
The third story about Vrihaspatibar is related to various Hindu Deities, which has the morale like showing discourtesy or disgrace to Guru or Lord Vrihaspati brings suffering and sorrow and one flagitious deed of a single person affects the whole society.
Once the king of the gods, Lord Indra was sitting in his throne in a proud mood surrounded by many Gods, Rishis, Kinnras and Gandharvas. At that very moment lord Vrihaspati, who was the guru or teachers of all gods reached there but Indra did not stood up to show his homage. Before Indra has showed his obedience to Devaguru but this time he was deviated from the sacred act. Guru Vrihaspati was very angry and disappointed. He left the place immediately. As Vrihaspati left, Indra realized his mistakes and repented on his deeds. He knew all his worldly possessions and prosperities were due to Guru`s bless and his rage can turn them all into dust.
Lord Indra decided to go to Vrihaspati and seek his apology to pacify his anger. Vrihaspati has an intuition that Indra might come to his ashrama and as he no desire to meet him he disappeared at once. Lord Indra returned home disappointed. A demon god Vrishvarsha sensed the situation and wanted to utilize the opportunity. He went to Guru Shukracharya, the teacher of the demons to seek his permission to attack Indrapuri, the kingdom of Lord Indra. Shukracharya gave permissions and the demons suddenly attacked Indrapuri. In the absence of Guru Vrihaspati, the gods lost all the battles and finally the demons won the kingdom of Indra.
After their defeat the gods went to Lord Brahma and narrated him the whole story. The gods asked him to draw some strategy that could bring them safety. Brahma replied all that happened as Indra disgraced Vrihaspati. He advised the gods to go to Vishwaroopa, the learned son of Twashta and request him to be their priest in order to win the battle. The gods went to Twashta and sought his blessings but he refused to be the priest. The gods then went to Vishwaroopa who obliged them by accepting the offer of priesthood.
It was Vishwaroopa`s grace by which demon god Vrishavarsha was defeated and Indra regained his kingdom.Lord Indra was so happy that he asked Vishwaroopa to perform another Yajna for further gains. Vishwaroopa agreed to do it. He had three mouths, with one of which he used to suck the juices of Sompalli or a special creeper, with the second mouth he used to drink wine and with the third one he ate meal.
Vishwaroopa started performing the Yajna. The demon gods were afraid. They tried to find out the way to undo the result of the Yajna. One of the demon gods went to Vishwaroopa and reminded him of his demon genealogy from his mother`s side. His mother was the daughter of the demon god. The wicked demon requested him to make some offerings in the name of the demon gods for their happiness. Vishwaroopa agreed and made some silent offerings for the demon gods while performing the Yajna so that nobody could listen. The result of the Yajna was therefore divided between deities and demon gods.
But Lord Indra came to know about the treachery of Vishwaroopa and he beheaded the priest in a state of extreme anger. One of the mouth from which he used to drink wine turned into black-bee, other mouth, which he used to suck juice from Sompalli, turned into piglion and the third mouth, which was used for eating meal transformed into a partridge.
Lord Indra`s body was also deformed due to the profanation of murdering the Brahman. The gods repented for one year but it had no effect on Indra. The gods then requested Brahma to find some remedy to redeem Indra from the sacrilege. Lord Brahma went to Indra accompanied by Vrihaspati, who decided the desecration to act into four parts.
The first part of the sacrilege was given to the earth. As a result the earth became uneven, some of its part became barren. But as a boon Brahma said that the vast chasm will be filled up automatically. The second part of the desecration was given to the trees. That was the reason they began to ooze gums. As a boon the lord said the gum would be guggul, the most sacred thing for purifying the atmosphere in the Pujas and also the trees would have the capability to re-develop from their roots although their other parts have dried up. The third part was given to the young women so that they experience menstruation. But the boon said that they would be pure or chaste again on the fourth day and would have the capability of conceiving child. The fourth part of the profanation was given to water, which was covered with aquatic plants or Shaivaal as a result. The boon was that it would add weight on the objects on which it was added.
In this way lord Brahma saved Indra from his heinous crime by dividing it into four places. Whoever listens or read this story come to know about Vrihaspati`s grace and also blessed by the Lord.
