Purnima Vrat: vidhi, katha and rules
Lord Satyanarayan (Vishnu) and Chandra dev · Every full moon (Purnima)
Purnima is the full moon day, which comes every month. Many families fast on this day and do or listen to the Satyanarayan katha. Many people keep it with a sankalp of 12 Purnimas, one full year.
🗓 Coming dates (Delhi)
- Tuesday, 24 November 2026
- Wednesday, 23 December 2026
- Friday, 22 January 2027
- Saturday, 20 February 2027
- Monday, 22 March 2027
- Tuesday, 20 April 2027
- Thursday, 20 May 2027
- Friday, 18 June 2027
Next Shukla paksha begins around Tuesday, 10 November
How it is kept (vidhi)
- Bathe in the morning and take the sankalp. Some people bathe in a holy river.
- Set up a picture of Lord Satyanarayan with a kalash and banana leaves on a small platform.
- Offer panchamrit, tulsi, fruit, and panjiri or sheera as bhog.
- Read or listen to the Satyanarayan katha with the family and do the aarti.
- At night, offer arghya to the moon, then take the prasad and have your meal.
Common practices
- Many people take fruit through the day and eat after offering arghya to the moon.
- The katha prasad is taken and shared with respect.
- Giving daan, especially food and clothes, is valued on this day.
The katha
A merchant named Sadhu and his wife Lilavati once saw someone doing the Satyanarayan puja. Sadhu said that if they were given a child, he would do the puja too. In time a daughter, Kalavati, was born, but Sadhu kept putting the puja off. Even at Kalavati's wedding, he said they would do it later.
Sadhu then went on a long trading trip with his son-in-law. In a far kingdom, troubles came: after a theft, they were wrongly suspected and held for a long time. Back home, Lilavati and Kalavati did the Satyanarayan puja with faith, and soon the two men were set free.
On the way home, a holy man asked what was in the boat. The merchant hid the truth and said it held only leaves and vines. To his surprise, the boat really seemed full of leaves. Sadhu understood, asked for forgiveness, and promised to keep his word. Everything came back as before.
Families tell this story on Purnima to remember the value of keeping promises and taking prasad with respect.
Retold in our own words from the traditional story.
Udyapan
When a sankalp of 12 Purnimas is complete, many families do the udyapan on the last Purnima with a Satyanarayan katha, a havan, and food and daan for a Brahmin or someone in need. Many people choose Kartik or Vaishakh Purnima for it.
Questions
- How many Purnima vrats are kept?
- Many people take a sankalp for 12 Purnimas, one year. Some keep it regularly. Family customs differ.
- Is the Satyanarayan katha a part of every Purnima?
- Many families do the Satyanarayan katha on Purnima, but it is your choice. Some simply worship Vishnu and offer arghya to the moon.
This information is awaiting review by a pandit. Traditions differ by family and region.