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Maharishi Sootha continued: "Oh, best of ascetics, I will now tell you the rest of the story. In ancient times, there lived a wise and virtuous king named Ulkamukha. He had mastered control over all his senses and always spoke the truth. Each day, he would visit the temple and offer gifts to the Brahmins. His wife, a lotus-faced beauty, was pure, pious, and devoted to her duties.

 

One day, the royal couple was performing the Satyanarayana Puja at the banks of the river Bhadrasheela. As they were engrossed in the puja, a merchant named Sadhu sailed by. Seeing the king's devotion, Sadhu stopped his boat, disembarked, and respectfully asked, 'Oh, King, what is it that you are performing with such devotion and concentration?' The king replied, 'Oh, Sadhu, I am performing this puja to seek the blessings of Lord Satyanarayana, as my wife and I have no children. I am praying that we may be blessed with offspring.'

 

Hearing this, Sadhu, deeply moved, said, 'Oh, King, please teach me how to perform this puja, for I too am childless and wish for the same blessing.' The king kindly explained the details of the Satyanarayana Vrata, and Sadhu, eager to fulfill his wish, returned home.

 

With great joy, Sadhu shared the details of the puja with his wife, Leelavathi, and together they decided to perform the Satyanarayana Puja in the hope of being blessed with children. In time, by divine grace, Leelavathi conceived, and they were blessed with a beautiful daughter, whom they named Kalavati.

 

As Kalavati grew, Leelavathi reminded Sadhu of his promise to perform the puja. However, Sadhu, busy with his work, postponed the ritual, saying, 'I will perform the puja when our daughter is married.' Kalavati blossomed into a lovely young woman, and Sadhu began searching for a suitable groom. His messengers found a well-mannered, handsome young man from a Vaishya family in Kaanchana Nagar, and the marriage was arranged with great pomp. The wedding was celebrated with much joy, but in the midst of all the festivities, Sadhu completely forgot to perform the Satyanarayana Puja, angering Lord Satyanarayana.

 

One day, Sadhu went on a business trip with his son-in-law and stopped in the city of Ratnapura, ruled by King Chandraketu. There, Lord Satyanarayana, displeased by Sadhu’s neglect, placed a curse upon him. As the king’s soldiers were chasing thieves who had stolen from the royal treasury, the thieves, in their haste, discarded the stolen goods near Sadhu and his son-in-law. When the soldiers discovered the treasure by Sadhu’s side, they arrested him and his son-in-law, bringing them before the king.

 

King Chandraketu, unaware of the truth, ordered them to be chained and thrown into prison. Despite Sadhu’s attempts to explain, no one listened, as they were all under the influence of Lord Narayana’s Maya. The king also confiscated all of Sadhu’s merchandise. Lord Narayana’s curse did not stop there; Sadhu’s wife, Leelavathi, suffered as well when thieves broke into their home and stole everything.

 

Meanwhile, Kalavati, hungry and wandering the streets, came across a house where the Satyanarayana Puja was being performed. She stayed there until the puja concluded and ate the prasad offered. When she returned home late that night, her mother, Leelavathi, asked where she had been. Kalavati replied, 'I went to a house where the Satyanarayana Katha was being recited and listened to it.' Leelavathi immediately remembered Sadhu’s promise to perform the puja and resolved to observe the Satyanarayana Vrata herself.

 

Leelavathi gathered her relatives and friends and prayed to Lord Satyanarayana for forgiveness and blessings. Pleased by her sincere prayers, Lord Satyanarayana appeared to King Chandraketu in a dream and commanded him to release Sadhu and his son-in-law from prison, for they were not the real thieves. The Lord warned that if the king did not comply, his kingdom, wealth, and children would be destroyed.

 

The next morning, King Chandraketu, disturbed by the dream, consulted his counselors and decided to release Sadhu and his son-in-law. They stood before the king, trembling with fear, but the king spoke kindly to them, saying, 'You two have suffered greatly because of fate, but there is nothing to fear now.' The king returned all of their merchandise, gave them new clothes, and showered them with gifts, bidding them farewell with honor.Thus, the power of the Satyanarayana Puja was manifested, bringing about forgiveness and redemption for Sadhu and his family."