Skandapurana 6.3.235

Sūta said: / Further ahead I shall relate [the story]; listen, O best of sages! / Formerly there was a noble-minded king named Ulkāmukha. (1)

Having subdued his senses, speaking the truth, the wise [king] went to a temple; / day after day, giving wealth, he delighted the twice-born. (2)

His virtuous wife, of lovely charm and lotus-faced, / on the bank of the Bhadraśīlā river observed the vow of Satya. (3)

In the meantime, a merchant arrived there, / accompanied by abundant and diverse riches for the purpose of trade. (4)

Mooring his boat on that riverbank, he went towards the king. / Seeing the king engaged in the vow, he asked, filled with humility: (5)

The merchant said: / What is this that you are performing, O king, with a mind joined with devotion? / Disclose all that; I wish to hear it now. (6)

The king said: / Worship is being done, O good sir, of Viṣṇu of unequalled splendour, / and a vow along with all my kinsfolk, desiring the attainment of sons and other blessings. (7)

Hearing the king's words, the merchant said with reverence: / Relate everything to me, O king; I will do what was spoken by you. (8)

For I too have no offspring; certainly from this [vow offspring] will be born. / Then, returning from his trade, he went home with joy. (9)

He told everything to his wife about the vow that bestows offspring, [saying]: / 'I shall perform the vow when my offspring comes to be.' (10)

Thus the good merchant said to his wife Līlāvatī. / One day his virtuous wife Līlāvatī, (11)

united with her husband, having a joyful mind and dedicated to righteousness, / became pregnant, that wife of his, by the grace of Satya. (12)

In the tenth month, a jewel of a daughter was born to her. / Day by day she grew, like the moon in the bright fortnight. (13)

Her naming was performed with the name Kalāvatī. / Then Līlāvatī spoke sweet words to her husband: (14)

'Noble sir, why do you indeed not perform the vow resolved formerly?' / The merchant said: 'At the time of her marriage, dear one, I shall perform the vow.' (15)

Having thus comforted his wife, he went to the city. / Then the girl Kalāvatī grew in her father's house. (16)

Then the merchant, seeing the girl in the city together with her companions, / having consulted, the knower of righteousness quickly sent an envoy: (17)

'Seek an excellent groom for the marriage of the girl.' / Commanded by him, that envoy went to the city of Kāñcana. (18)

Bringing a merchant's son from there, he indeed returned. / Seeing the handsome boy, the merchant's son endowed with virtues, (19)

together with his kinsfolk and relatives, with a thoroughly contented mind, / the merchant gave his daughter to the [merchant's] son according to proper rites. (20)

Then, under the sway of destiny, the excellent vow was forgotten by him / at the time of her marriage; therefore the Lord became angry. (21)

Then, bound by destiny in time, the merchant, skilled in his own trade, / together with his son-in-law quickly departed for the purpose of trade. (22)

Having gone near the sea to the charming Ratnasārapura, / the merchant conducted trade with his prosperous son-in-law. (23)

The two went to the charming city of King Candraketu. / At that very time, Lord Satyanārāyaṇa,

seeing that he had broken his vow, laid a curse upon him: / "He shall suffer severe, harsh, and great sorrow!"

One day, a thief, having taken money belonging to the king, / came right to the place where the two merchants were staying.

Seeing royal messengers running behind him, with a fearful mind, / he placed the wealth right there and quickly [fled] unseen.

Then the messengers arrived where the virtuous merchant was; / seeing the king's wealth there, they bound the two merchant sons and brought them away.

Running with joy, they said in the presence of the king: / "Two thieves have been brought; look upon them and give your order, O lord!"

Ordered by the king, having firmly bound the two at once, / both were placed without inquiry into a terrible fortress-prison.

By the deluding power of the true Lord, no one listened to their words; / so their wealth was confiscated by King Candraketu.

And because of that curse, in their house the wife was exceedingly sorrowful; / whatever wealth had remained in the house was entirely stolen by a thief.

Afflicted by mental anxiety and physical disease, exceedingly tormented by hunger and thirst, / consumed with worry over food, she wandered from house to house. / The maiden Kalāvatī also wandered every day.

One day, tormented by hunger, having gone to the house of a twice-born, / she saw there the vow of Satyanārāyaṇa.

Sitting down and hearing the sacred story, she made a prayer for a boon; / having eaten the consecrated offering, she went home at night.

Her mother lovingly spoke to the maiden Kalāvatī: / "Daughter, where were you staying at night? What is on your mind?"

The maiden Kalāvatī said quickly to her mother: / "Mother, in a twice-born's abode I saw a vow that grants the fulfillment of desires!"

Hearing the maiden's words, she undertook to perform the vow; / then that merchant's wife [observed the vow] of Satyanārāyaṇa.

That virtuous woman performed the vow along with her kinsmen and family: / "May my husband and son-in-law quickly return to their own dwelling!

And you should forgive the transgression of my husband and son-in-law!" / Pleased again by this vow, Satyanārāyaṇa

showed a dream to Candraketu, the best of kings: / "Release the two imprisoned merchants in the morning, O best of kings!

All that wealth which was taken by you just now must be returned; / otherwise I shall destroy you, along with your kingdom, wealth, and sons!"

Having spoken thus to the king, the Lord vanished, accessible [only] to meditation. / Then, at dawn, the king, together with his counselors,

sat in the assembly and recounted the dream to the people: / "Quickly release the two merchant sons, the elder leading citizens!"

Hearing this command of the king, having freed the two leading citizens, / and bringing them before the king, they said with humility:

"The two merchant sons have been brought, released from the bondage of fetters." / Then the two leading citizens, bowing to Candraketu, the best of kings,

remembering their previous experience, did not speak, overwhelmed by fear. / Seeing the two merchant sons, the king spoke respectfully:

"Great sorrow was incurred through destiny; now, indeed, there is no fear." / Then he had their fetters removed, their shaving performed, and other [rites done].

Bestowing garments and ornaments, the king gladdened them; / honoring the two merchant sons, he pleased them greatly with kind words.

He gave twice as much wealth as had previously been confiscated, / and then the king said to them: "Go, O virtuous one, to your own dwelling!"

Bowing down to the king, he said: "We shall depart by your grace." / Having said this, the two great merchants set out toward their own home.

"Translation:—
Sūtajī said: ‘O foremost sages, now I narrate the next story. In former times, there was an intelligent king named Ulkāmukha. He was truthful and had conquered his senses. Everyday he would visit sacred places of the gods and remove the distress of the poor by giving them wealth. His wife had a face like a lotus and was a chaste and virtuous woman. On the bank of the Bhadraśīlā river, both of them observed the vow of the Lord Śrīsatyanārāyaṇa. At that very time, a merchant named Sādhu arrived. He also had much wealth for conducting trade. Seeing the king observing the vow, he began to ask with humility:—’"

"O King! Filled with devotion, what is this that you are performing? I wish to hear, so please tell me."
The king said, "O Sādhu! Together with my kinsmen, I am performing the vow and worship of the almighty Lord Satyanārāyaṇa to obtain sons and other blessings."
Hearing the king's words, Sādhu respectfully said, "O King! Tell me the entire ritual procedure of this vow. In accordance with your instruction, I too will observe this vow. I also have no offspring, and by performing this vow I will certainly attain offspring."
Having heard the entire ritual procedure of the vow from the king, he retired from his business and went to his house. The merchant Sādhu recounted to his wife this vow that grants offspring, and said, "When I have a child, then I will perform this vow."
Sādhu spoke such words to his wife Līlāvatī. One day, Līlāvatī, rejoicing with her husband and engaging in conjugal duty, became pregnant by the grace of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa. In the tenth month, a beautiful girl was born from her womb. Day by day she began to grow like the moon in the bright fortnight. The parents named their daughter Kalāvatī.
One day, Līlāvatī reminded her husband in sweet words, "The time has arrived to perform that vow of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa which you had resolved to perform; please observe this vow." Sādhu said, "O beloved! I will perform this vow at the time of her marriage."
Having thus reassured his wife, he went to the city. Remaining in her father's house, Kalāvatī reached maturity. Sādhu, once seeing his daughter in the city with her female companions, immediately summoned a messenger and said, "Go and look for a suitable bridegroom for my daughter."
Hearing Sādhu's words, the messenger reached the city of Kāñcanapura, and having searched there, brought back a suitable merchant's son for the girl. Seeing the worthy boy, Sādhu invited his kinsmen and gave his daughter in marriage.
Yet, unfortunately, Sādhu still did not perform the vow of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa. At this, the blessed Lord became angry and cursed him so that Sādhu should suffer extreme sorrow. Sādhu the merchant, skilled in his enterprise, took his son-in-law and went near the sea to the city of Ratnasārapura. Going there, both son-in-law and father-in-law began doing trade together in the city of King Candraketu.

One day, by the divine power of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa, two thieves who had stolen the king's wealth were fleeing. Seeing the king's soldiers pursuing them, they placed the stolen treasure where the merchant Sādhu was staying with his son-in-law.
When the king's guards saw the royal treasure with the merchant Sādhu, they bound both father-in-law and son-in-law and brought them before the king, saying, "We have captured both thieves; please give the order for further proceedings." By order of the king, both were thrown into harsh imprisonment.
And all their wealth was also taken from them. Due to the curse of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa, Sādhu's wife also became very miserable. Thieves stole the wealth that was kept at home. Tormented exceedingly by physical and mental anguish, hunger, and thirst, and anxious about food, she went with Kalāvatī to the house of a brāhmaṇa. There she saw the vow of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa being performed, and then listened to the story. Receiving the offering, she returned home at night.
The mother asked Kalāvatī, "O daughter, where were you until now? What is in your mind?" Kalāvatī said to her mother, "O mother! I have seen the vow of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa in the house of a brāhmaṇa." Hearing the girl's words, Līlāvatī began preparing for the worship of the Lord. Along with her family and kinsmen, Līlāvatī performed the worship of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa and asked a boon from Him: "May my husband and son-in-law return home soon." She also prayed: "Please forgive all our offenses." Lord Satyanārāyaṇa was pleased with this vow.
And having appeared to King Candraketu in a dream, He said: "O King! Release both of those merchants, and return the wealth you have taken from them. If you do not do so, I will destroy your wealth, kingdom, and offspring—everything." Having spoken all this to the king, the Lord vanished. In the morning assembly, the king related his dream and then said, "Release the sons of merchants from captivity and bring them into the assembly."

As soon as they arrived, both bowed to the king. The king spoke in gentle words: "O noble sirs! By destiny such severe sorrow came upon you, but now you have nothing to fear." Having said this, the king gave both of them new garments and ornaments, and returned double the wealth he had taken from them. Both merchants set out for their home.
(Thus ends the third chapter in the Satyanārāyaṇavratakathā of the Revākhaṇḍa in the glorious Skandapurāṇa.)