UTTARARK ADITYA

According to Kashi Khand, Chapter 47, long time back, one Brahmin named Priyavrat was living in Kashi alongwith his beautiful wife named Shubhavradha. Both were very religious and were blessed with a beautiful girl child, who was named as Sulakshana. The girl was born in Moola Star, 1^st Charan (Padam) with Guru in fourth house. This combination is not supposed to be auspicious.

The child grew up to be a beautiful girl, well versed in all household activities. When she approached the age of marriage, her father got worried because he had to find a suitable match for her, mainly because of her birth in Moola star. Due to constant worries he fell sick and as there was no cure for worries, he died in due course. Overcome with grief, the girl’s mother also died, leaving the girl all alone in the world.

Uttarark Aditya

The girl dutifully performed the rites of her parents and she started praying to Lord Surya in his form of Uttarark Aditya. She underwent severe penance for a considerably long time and observed that a white goat used to come daily and constantly stare at her. The goat used to take bath in the Kund in the morning, wait for the whole day and in the evening, it used to eat dry grass, drink water from the Uttarark Kund and go back. This went on for several years.

One day Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvaty were travelling above and they saw this girl (who had gone lean), praying before Uttarark Aditya. Both Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvaty were deeply moved by the prayers of Sulakshana and Lord Shiva offered the girl a divine wish.

Sulakshana thought for a moment and saw the Goat standing nearby. She requested Lord Shiva to grant a boon to the Goat instead of herself. Goddess Parvaty was moved by the philanthropy exhibited by Sulakshana and ordained that Sulakshana will always be with Goddess Parvaty as a companion. The goat will take rebirth as daughter of Kashi Raja in consideration of its devotion to Uttarark Kund.

According to Kashi Khand, Goddess Parvaty stated that the Kund will be remembered for the sincerity of the Goat (because the Goat was regularly taking bath in the Kund even during severe winter months) and that all devotees should take bath in the above Kund in Paushya Month (December-January) on Sundays and pray to Uttarark Aditya. By performing the above ritual, they will be divinely blessed. The Kund was named Barkari Kund (reference : Sankshipta Skanda Puran, Gita Press, Page No. 831). The Kund is now known as Bakria Kund in local parlance.