sharad purnima vrat ashvin mas ki shuklapaksh ki purnima ko karne ka vidhan hai. is vrat men pradosh aur nishith donon men hone vali purnima ko liya jata hai. yadi pahle din nishith vyapini aur dusre din pradosh vyapini n ho to pahle din vrat karna chahie. shasharadpurnima ki ratri men chandrama ki chandni men amrit ka nivas rahta hai, islie uski kirnon se amritatva aur arogya ki prapti sulabh hoti hai kyonki jyotish manyata ke karan isi din chandrama shodash (solh) kalaon se purn hokar sanpurn vishva ke jar-chetan ko anandit karne hetu amrit ki varsha karta hai.
sharad purnima ki ratri samanya ratri nahin hai. yah ek vishesh ratri hai, kyonki bhagvan shrikrishn ne chiraharan ke samay gopiyon ko jin ratriyon ka sanket kiya tha, ve sab ki sab ratriyan hi punjibhut (ekatrit) hokar ek hi ratri (sharad purnima) ke rup men ullasit hoti hain. svayan paratpar parabrahm govind ne un ratriyon par drishti dali aur unhen divya bana diya aur isi purnima ki manmohak, anandadayi, pyar bhari madmati v shital ratri men nand nandan, yashoda ke ladle lal, shrikrishn ne apni achintya mahashakti yogmaya ke sahare un gopiyon ko nimitt banakar rasmyi rasakrida ka anandotsav manaya. tabhi se is purnima ko ‘‘ras purnima’’ ke nam se bhi jana jane laga. yah ratri sharat kalin prakhar surya rashmiyon ke karan din men barhe hue char-achar praniyon ke santap ko dur karne vali hai.
is din chandradev ka mandal akhand hota hai, atah yah ratri jivan men akhandta ko dene vali hai. is purnima ka vrat karne vala jiv sansarik sukhopbhog prapt karta hai tatha uske kam janit doshon ka nivaran ho jata hai, shri krishn ya apne aradhya ke prati samarpan bhav jagrat ho jata hai. kahne ka bhav yah hai ki vrati manav ke charon purusharth siddh ho jate hain. sharat purnima ka vrat ‘‘kojagar vrat’’ ke nam se bhi jana jata hai, kyonki trigunatita shakti ki advitiya shakti bhagvti mahalakshmi svayan purnima ki ratri men jagat men vicharan karti huin jagne vale jivon ki ichchaon ko purn karti hain. isilie kaha bhi hai - ‘‘jagat hai so pavat hai, sovat hai so khovat hai.’’ ise ‘‘kaumudi vrat’’ ke nam se bhi prasiddhi prapt hai. vrat vidhan is din pratah kal jagakar nitya naimittik kriyaklapon ko purn karke sankalp karen ki ‘aj main sharad purnima ke vrat ka yatha-vidhi palan karunga, prabhu, mujhe is vrat ke palne ki shakti den.’
punah ganeshadik devtaon ka pujanakar apne aradhyadev bhagvan shrikrishn ka shodshopchar pujan karen. ardharatri ke samay bhagvan ko godugdh se bani khir ka bhog lagana chahie. khir se bhare patra ko rat men khuli chandni men rakhna chahie. ismen ratri ke samay chandra kirnon ke dvara amrit varsha hoti he. purn chandrama ke madhyakash men sthit hone par apne aradhya dev v chandrama ka pujan karna chahie. pujnoprant chandra dev ko aghrya pradan karna chahie. is din kansyapatra men ghi bharakar suvarn sahit brahman ko dan dene se manushya ojasvi hota hai. aprahn men hathiyon ka nirajan karne ka bhi vidhan hai. ratri men vrati purush jagaran karta hua bhagvan ka sankirtan kare, divya mantron ka jap karen tatha shrikrishn ke rasotsav v gopigit ka path kare. pratahkal dainik kriyaklapon ko purnakar bhagvan ka punah pujanakar dan-dravyadi kar parivar ke sabhi sadasyon v bhagavad bhakt premiyon ko prasad dekar svayan bhi prasad grahan karane to nishchay hi jivan men aradhyadev ki kripa prapt hoti hai.
vrajvasi vrajmandal men is parva ko vishesh utsah ke sath manate hain tatha apne aradhya shri krishn ko shvet vastron se susajjit kar pujan karte hain. mandiron men bhi ratri men bhagvan ka vishesh pujan kiya jata hai aur bhakton ko khir ka prasad vitaran kiya jata hai. yah prasad svasthya, ayushya, bal, tej, nirogta tatha ojadi gunon ko dene vala hai.
isi din satyavrat ka palan bhi kiya jata hai jismen bhagvan satyanarayan ki katha sunne v jivan men satya ka palan karne ka vidhan nishchit hai. kartik snan ka shrignesh bhi sharad purnima se hi praranbh hota hai. alg-alag rajyon men iska apna vishesh mahattva hai. purnima ka vrat karke ek lok katha ke rup men katha-shravan is prakar karen. katha sunte samay ek lote men jal lekar tatha gilas men gehun v patte ke done men roli tatha chaval rakhakar kalash ki vandna karke dakshina charhayen.
tika lagayen. gehun ke 13 dane hath men lekar katha sunen. fir gehun ke gilas par hath fer kar mishrani ke panv ka sparsh karke gehun ka gilas use de den. lote ke jal se rat ko chandrama ko aghrya den. vivah hone ke bad purnamasi ka vrat sharad purnima se hi aranbh karna chahie.