bhadrapad mas ke krishn paksh ki chaturthi bahula chaith ya bahula chaturthi ke nam se prasiddh hai. yah vrat putravti striyan putron ki raksharth karti hain. vastutah yah vrat gau puja ka parva hai. satya vachan ki maryada ka parva hai. mata ki bhanti apna dudh pilakar gau manushya ki raksha karti hai, usi kritagyata ke bhav se is vrat ka palan sabhi striyon ko karna chahie. yah vrat santan ka data tatha aishvarya ko barhane vala hai. shastron men kaha bhi hai ‘mata se barhakar gau mata’ vrat vidhan: is din pratah kal snanadi kriyaon se nivritt hokar hath men gandh, akshat (chavl), pushp, durva, dravya, pungifal aur jal lekar vidhivat nam gotra vanshadi ka uchcharan kar sankalp len. is din din bhar vrat karke sandhya ke samay ganesh gauri, bhagvan shrikrishn evan savatsa gay ka vividh upcharon se pujan karen.
is din pukhe (kulhara) par papri adi rakhakar bhog lagaen aur pujan ke bad brahman bhojan karakar usi prasad men se svayan bhi bhojan karen. is din gay ke dudh se bani hui koi bhi samagri nahin khani chahie aur gay ke dudh par uske bachre ka adhikar samjhna chahie. bhagvan shrikrishn aur gay ki vandna karen krishnay vasudevay harye parmatmane namah. prantah klesh nashay govinday namo namah .. krishnay vasudevay devkinandanay ch. nandagopkumaray govinday namo namah.. tvan mata sarvadevanan tvan ch yagyasya karanam. tvan tirthan sarvatirthanan namaste'stu sadanghe.. pujan ke bad nimn mantra ka path karen yaah palayantyanathanshch parputran svaputravat. ta dhanyastaah kritarthashch tastriyo lokmatrah .. is mantra ko parhakar is vrat ki katha ka shravan karen.
katha: dvapar yug men jab puran purushottam bhagvan shri hari ne vasudev devki ke yahan shrikrishn rup men avtar lekar brajmandal men lilaen ki to anek devta bhi apne-apne anshon se unke gop gval unki lila men sahayak hue. goshiromni kamdhenu bhi apne ansh se utpann ho bahula nam se nandbaba ki goshala men gay banakar uski shobha barhane lagi. shrikrishn ka usse aur bahula ka shrikrishn se sahaj sneh tha. balkrishn ko dekhte hi bahula ke stanon se dugdhadhara bahne lagti aur shrikrishn uske matribhav ko dekh uske stanon men kamal pankhuriyon ke saman apne othon ko laga amrit sadrish dugdh ka pan karte. ek bar bahula van men hari-hari komal komal ghas char rahi thi. nand nandan shri krishn ko lila sujhi, unhonne maya se sinh ka rup dharan kar liya, bahula un sinh rupdhari bhagvan shrikrishn ko dekhakar bhaybhit ho gai aur thar-thar kanpne lagi.
usne din vani men sinh se kaha - ‘he vanraj ! mainne abhi apne bachre ko dudh nahin pilaya hai, vah meri pratiksha kar raha hoga. atah mujhe jane do, main use dudh pilakar tumhare pas a jaungi, tab mujhe khakar apni kshudha shant kar lena. ‘sinh ne kaha- ‘mrityupash men fanse jiv ko chor dene par uske punah vapas lautakar ane ka kya vishvas?’ nirupay ho bahula ne jab satya aur dharm ki shapath li, tab sinh ne use chor diya. bahula ne goshala men jakar pratiksharat bhukh se vyakul bachde ko dugdhapan karaya or apne satya dharm ki raksha ke lie sinh ke pas vapas laut ai. use dekhakar sinh ka svarup dharan kie hue shrikrishn prakat ho gae aur bole- ‘bahule ! yah teri agni pariksha thi, tu apne satyadharm par drirh rahi, atah iske prabhav se ghar-ghar tera pujan hoga aur tu gomata ke nam se pukari jaegi.’
bahula param purush bhagvan gopal ka ashirvad prapt kar apne ghar laut ai aur apne vats ke sath anand se rahne lagi. is vrat ka uddeshya yah hai ki hamen satyapratigya hona chahie. uparyukt katha men satya ki mahima ka varnan kiya gaya hai. satya ke bare men kaha bhi hai- sanch barabar tap nahin, jhuth barabar pap. jake hriday sanch hai, take hriday ap.. atah is vrat ka palan karne vale ko satyadharm ka avashya palan karna chahie. sath hi anath ki raksha karne se sabhi manorath purn ho jate hain. yah bhi is katha ki mahan shiksha hai. jo striyan shraddha v bhakti bhav se is vrat ko karti hain, ve nishchay hi gomata ke saman apne putron ki rakshak ban jati hain.