Hindu week days 3a.

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3a.Tuesday

 

This story is listened to by those who observe Tuesday fast. They hear

it before breaking the fast. The fast is observed for obtaining royal

patronage, happiness or for getting a son. People generally wear red

clothes at worship and offer red flowers to the deity. God Hanuman is

also worshipped.

 

Once there was a Brahmans son. He was married at an early age. He went

to his father-in-law's village to get back his wife. His in-laws

welcomed him heartily and gave him best dishes to eat. The boy said to

his father-in-law, " Please send your daughter with me. My mother is

unwell. There is nobody to look after her " .

 

The father-in-law said, " That is correct, but we have not made full

preparations to offer her clothes and cash " . The boy said, " Our

family is not so down-and-out as to accept such offers all the time. You

send your daughter with me " . The boy's mother-in-law raised

another objection and said, " My daughter is a newly-wed and she is

very beautiful. She will wear gold ornaments. Who will guarantee her

safety during the journey? "

 

The boy said, " I am brave enough to guard her. See my muscular

body " . The mother-in-law said, " It is not the muscular body but

the mind which guards us " . The boy said, " Do not consider me

without mind " . The father-in-law and the mother-in-law argued for

some time with the son-in-law and finally agreed to send their daughter

with him.

 

The young husband and wife both started their journey for the village.

It was Tuesday. Tuesday is devoted to god Mars. He is the commander of

this day. The Mars saw the Brahmans beautiful wife. He was dazzled to

see such a beauty. He knew witchcraft. He disguised himself as a

Brahman's son and said to the boy, " She is my wife. Who are you

to accompany her? Give her to me, otherwise I will kill you " .

 

The Brahman's son felt bewildered at the sight of an identical man

like him. He said, " You are a ghost. You are a cheat. She is my

wife. How can I give her to you? " The woman could not differentiate

between the two. She stood there puzzled. Some cow herds noticed their

quarrel. They went to them and asked about the cause of their quarrel.

 

The Brahman's son said " She is my wife. This man is a cheat. He

wants to take away my wife under a false disguise. He is not the man who

has married this woman. I am her real husband " . The Mars who was in

the guise of Brahman's son said, " She is my wife and I am her

real husband " . The cow-herds felt confused at their claims. One of

the cow-herd asked the woman, " Who is your real husband? "

 

The lady said, " I was married when I was very young. I have cast my

look at my husband for the first time, after long years. I cannot

differentiate between the two " . The matter became still complicated.

One of the cow-herds sensed the gravity of the situation. He could see

that one of them was a spirit. He knew how to deal with such spirits. He

said, " Bring an earthen pot with a spout. I will hand over this lady

to the real husband " . They arranged a pot with a spout. The cowherd

said, " This lady belongs to that person who can enter this pot

through its spout " .

 

The Brahmans son said, " This is injustice. I cannot enter this

pot " . The cowherd said, " Then you are a cheat. You would have to

abide by my order " . The Brahmans son kept mum. He was helpless. The

Mars said, " She is my wife. I can enter this pot through its

spout " . The clever cowherd said, " If you enter this pot, she

will be your wife " .

 

The Mars was in the form of a spirit. He knew the craft of changing his

body into any shape. He entered the pot through the spout. The cow-herd

dosed the spout with a tight cork. The Mars was imprisoned in the pot.

He could not come out from it. To make his escape impossible, the

cowherd dug a deep hole in the ground and put that earthen pot deep into

it and filled the hole up. The Brahman's son was happy. He thanked

the cowherd for his intelligence and wisdom.

 

Since that day, it has been a belief that nobody should dig earth on

Tuesday so that the devil spirit of the Mars remains inside the earth

for ever.