Description
The Swasthani Vrata Katha is the most widely read, recited, and listened-to devotional text among Hindu laity in Nepal. Originating in the late sixteenth century, the Swasthani tradition encompasses three interrelated elements: the goddess Swasthani, revered as the goddess of "one's own place"; the goddess's story (katha) and its annual recitation; and the month-long ritual vow (vrat) undertaken by women to honor Swasthani. Today, the Swasthani blends widely circulating Hindu myths—featuring Shiva, Sati, and Parvati—with local folk narratives that reflect women's everyday hardships and the worldly and spiritual rewards of fulfilling one's dharma and devotion to Swasthani. This textual and ritual practice devoted to the goddess Swasthani centers women's roles, expectations, and responses and has significantly shaped Nepali Hindu identity and practice for both women and men. In Nepal, the Swasthani holds cultural, religious, and social significance comparable to the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics elsewhere in the Hindu world. Its characters—Goma, her son Navaraj, and his wife Chandravati—similarly offer a familiar local cultural vocabulary through their trials and triumphs. This book presents the first full-length scholarly English translation of this important text from the original Nepali. As Parvati once brought Swasthani's story from the divine to the human realm, this translation brings it from Nepal to a broader English-speaking audience. This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read on the Oxford Academic platform and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.
Table of Contents
List of IllustrationsForewordAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsNote on TransliterationPART ONE / INTRODUCTIONA Secret Vow to the GoddessPART TWO / The Swasthani Vrata KathaSynopsis of the Swasthani Vrata KathaDetailed Chapter OutlineChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31PART THREE / RITUAL TEXTS AND PRAYERSThe Swasthani Vrata Katha / Original Sanskrit VersesPujavidhi / Ritual InstructionsDevi Stuti / Hymn to the GoddessPushpanjali / Concluding Floral Offerings and MantrasPART FOUR / TEXTS AND ILLUSTRATIONSSwasthani Texts Consulted for This TranslationNarrative Illustrations from Early Printed Swasthani BooksAppendix A: Queen Mother Goma's Words of AdviceAppendix B: Shakti Piths in the Swasthani Vrata KathaGlossaryIndex
