Chapter 1: The dialogue of Narada and Vishnu
Once, on his travels through the earth, Narada arrived at Kshirasagara, bowed to Vishnu and said: "Lord, all beings on the earth are afflicted; disease, poverty, sorrow and dissatisfaction surround them. Please tell me one simple observance that even an ordinary householder can keep and whose fruit comes soon."
Vishnu smiled and replied: "Narada, there is a vrat founded on satya (truth) itself, that is why it is called the Satyanarayan vrat. It requires no severe tapas and no expensive materials; only shraddha, cleanliness, and a simple worship. Its katha is heard in five chapters. Whoever keeps this vrat with due procedure on a Purnima or any auspicious day and listens to the katha attains fulfilment of their worldly wishes, and in the end attains my abode."
Narada asked, "Who first kept this vrat, and what fruit did they receive?" Then Vishnu began the next chapter's story.
Chapter 2: The Brahmin Shatananda and the woodcutter of Kashi
In the city of Kashi lived a poor Brahmin named Shatananda who survived on alms and was always dejected. One day, sitting under a banyan tree, he was approached by a luminous old Brahmin who asked after his condition. Shatananda described his troubles.
The old Brahmin said: "Brother, keep the Satyanarayan vrat, and your sorrows will lift one by one." Saying this, he vanished under the banyan tree. Shatananda later realised the elder was the Lord himself.
Shatananda returned home and kept the vrat with his wife. Within days the household knew ease; debts cleared, the children became well. One day a woodcutter passed by and, seeing a celebration at the Brahmin's house, asked what was happening. Shatananda told him the vrat's significance. The woodcutter resolved that whatever he earned from his firewood that day, he would use to perform the Satyanarayan puja. That day his sale of firewood was four times his usual take. He too performed the vrat properly at home, and his life turned from destitution to prosperity.
Chapter 3: The merchant Sadhu and his daughter Kalavati
In the city of Ratnapur lived a well-known merchant named "Sadhu", of the vaishya kula, but hard of heart and given to greed. Longing for a child, he went with his wife to the temple and vowed that if he were granted a daughter he would keep the Satyanarayan vrat.
In time his wife gave birth to a beautiful daughter, whom they named Kalavati. But the merchant kept putting off his vow: "not now, later." Kalavati grew, came of age, was married to a fine young man. Still the merchant did not keep the vrat.
One day the merchant and his son-in-law went on a sea voyage for trade. Mid-ocean their ship abruptly stopped and would not move. Every effort failed. At last an ascetic they met on shore said: "Someone has broken a vow to the Lord; this is why misfortune has come." The merchant remembered his broken vow at Kalavati's birth. Right there he asked forgiveness in his heart and promised that on returning he would perform the vrat properly. The ship set sail at once.
Chapter 4: The merchant's sea voyage and the test
Returning from the voyage, the merchant and his son-in-law docked at a port near Ratnapur. That night, a theft had occurred at the local king's palace, and the thieves had fled in that direction. When the soldiers saw the merchant and son-in-law with valuables, they mistook them for the thieves.
Both were brought before the king in chains. Without proper investigation the king had them thrown into prison and their wealth confiscated.
Meanwhile in Ratnapur, the merchant's wife and Kalavati waited for the men to return. Time passed, no news came, the household's wealth dwindled. One day Kalavati said to her mother: "Mother, the vrat that father broke is what we are now suffering. Let us both keep the vrat together."
Mother and daughter kept the Satyanarayan vrat with due procedure, listened to the katha, distributed prasad. But in her haste Kalavati stepped out without accepting the prasad herself. This was a small error. Meanwhile in prison, both men were shown a dream by the Lord who said: "Your wives have kept the vow; you will be freed." The very next day the king was struck with remorse, the real thieves were caught, and the merchant and son-in-law were released with honour, their wealth restored.
Chapter 5: King Tungadhwaja and the conclusion
In earlier times, King Tungadhwaja had gone hunting in the forest with his horses. Resting under a banyan tree from exhaustion, he saw village cowherd-boys performing the Satyanarayan puja with devotion. At the end of the puja they offered him prasad.
But the king, in his pride, refused the prasad and rode on. As soon as he reached his city, he received the news that all his sons had been killed in an accident, and many calamities had befallen his kingdom. The king could not understand why this had happened.
An ascetic told him: "O king, you dishonoured the prasad of Lord Satyanarayan; this is its fruit." The king immediately returned to the cowherd-boys, asked their forgiveness, accepted the prasad himself, and spread the Satyanarayan vrat throughout his kingdom. Within days his sons were restored to life by the Lord's grace and peace returned to the kingdom.
Having narrated this, Vishnu said to Narada: "Whoever hears this katha with shraddha, accepts the prasad, and keeps the vrat to the best of their capacity has their worldly wishes fulfilled. This katha carries three lessons: do not dishonour the prasad, do not break a vow to the Lord, and do not let pride ride over you. The devotee who keeps these three in mind is always at peace."