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There are three principal Graha - Soorya, Brihaspati and Shani; whose worship is endured in India. People worship Brihaspati to regain or maintain prosperity and Shani Dev to avoid escape from adversities. If Brihaspati or Mushkil Gushaa is the Remover of All Difficulties; most people think Shani is the Creator of All Difficulties. But Shani appears everywhere whether you like it or not.

This Kathaa of Budh (Mercury) is meant to be read and heard on Wednesdays. This Kathaa is set in Ujjayinee, Vikramaaditya's capital town, where ancient India's Prime Meridian was located. Here the famous Kumbh Melaa is also held every 12 years and Raajaa Man Singh built one of his five Jantar-Mantar - an observatory filled with huge instruments built of stones and mortar.

Once Vashishth Jee visited the court of Raajaa Maandhaataa (Raam's ancestor). He welcomed him and asked him "Which vow should I perform so that my people are happy on the Earth and go to Heaven after they die?" Vashishth Jee said - "Hey Raajan, You are very good that you are thinking about your people, otherwise who thinks about others. There is such a vow which your ancestor Raajaa Nimi performed when he ruled Mithilaa. Once Nimi made a mockery of Budh worship, so Budh in anger caused his kingdom to be taken by his enemies. They took his kingdom and killed him.

His Queen thought - "If we will stay here, all our relations will be killed anyway, so better we should run from here." So she took her son and daughter and ran away from Mithilaa through a secret passage. They suffered with hunger and thirst for several days, but then arrived in the city of Ujjayinee. There she got some work of grinding flour for a Braahman. But when she was grinding flour for the Braahman, her children remained hungry. So she gave them seven measures of flour which she ground and which they ate raw. In the evening she received some flour which she used to satisfy her own hunger. Late she forgot about the flour she stole from Braahman's house to feed her children. But there s nothing hidden from the eyes of of Yam Raaj. He wrote it in his record book.

Time passed slowly, Braahman was very happy with that woman. He tried to ask her story but the Queen put him off each time he asked, until he looked the palm of her son. He said - "This boy should be a prince of some kingdom and one day he will be a king of a great kingdom. It seems that you people are suffering because of some Graha." Hearing this the Queen broke into tears and told him her story. He said - "This is the effect of Budh (Mercury). If you will perform his vow and listen to his Kathaa you will be relieved." He told them the method to perform all this and all three started doing it.

After a while Budh Dev got pleased from their devotion, so he decided to return their kingdom. A new king killed the present king and started searching for Nimi's family. Finally he found them in Ujjayinee. He took them to Mithilaa and installed the boy on the throne. His sister, Nimi's daughter, was married to Yam Raaj and the Braahman who gave them shelter was appointed as their Kul Guru. Time passed by and the Queen died.

The Princess started living in Yam's palace. Yam showed her his palace and asked her not to open seven secret doors at any cost. This increased the Princess' curiosity about them. So one day when Yam was out, the Princess secretly opened one door. She saw a road going towards Narak (Hell). In there she saw her mother being boiled in the oil. She got perplexed to see this, so she opened all other doors also. She saw her mother there too with various punishments. She got very sorry seeing all this.

When Yam came back, he asked about her mother's plight. He said - "She stole seven measures of flour to feed you and your brother, so she is suffering as a result of that theft." The Princess asked some remedy to relieve her, Yam Raaj said - "Observe Budh vow." So the Princess and her family observed it for 27 Wednesdays, at the end of which they fed Braahman and gave them cow and gold. They distributed Kheer (rice pudding) and Meethee Pooree or Maal Pooaa (sugared pancakes) as Prasaad throughout the town. Pleased with their worship Budh appeared before them and said - "The Mithilaa kingdom will be ruled by your family for a long time and your mother will go to Swarg." At he same time a Divine chariot came down on Earth and Nimi's queen ascended to Swarg. Since that day Mithilaa observes Budh vow."

Vashishth Jee said to Maandhaataa - "You and your subjects should also observe this vow, this will increase your prosperity and everyone will go to Vaikunth after death." They did and they did, and anyone who will do this will also be like them.