Long ago, in a town, there lived a sahukar. He had seven sons and one daughter. He had married all seven of his sons, and his daughter too, with great joy. The daughter lived in her husband's home, but every year at Diwali she came back to her mother's house.
That year too Diwali was near, and the daughter had come home. Before Diwali the house had to be freshly plastered with earth, so the sahukar's seven daughters-in-law set out for the forest to bring back soil. Seeing them go, their sister-in-law insisted on coming too, and she set off with them.
In the forest they all began to dig. Just where the sahukar's daughter was cutting the earth, the syahu — the porcupine — lived in the ground with her young. As she cut, her kudal struck one of the syahu's young without her knowing, and the little one died there.
When the syahu saw it she was filled with anger. She said, “As you have killed my child, so I will bind your womb.”
Hearing this, the sahukar's daughter was afraid and began to weep. She begged each of her seven sisters-in-law in turn to let her own womb be bound in her place. One by one they all refused. But the youngest sister-in-law's heart was moved, and she let her own womb be bound in place of her husband's sister.
From then on, every child born to the youngest daughter-in-law died within seven days. One after another, seven sons were lost to her in this way. Then she was deeply grieved. She called the pandit and asked him why this was happening.
The pandit heard all her sorrow and said, “Serve the Surahi cow. She is the one who will end your sorrow.” The youngest daughter-in-law began to serve the Surahi cow with all her heart.
Pleased with her service, the Surahi cow asked her one day, “Daughter, why do you serve me so? What do you want of me?” The youngest daughter-in-law told her, “Syahu Mata has bound my womb. Every child I bear is gone within seven days. If you would have my womb opened, I will owe you more than I can say.”
The Surahi cow took pity on her and set out to take her across the seven seas to Syahu Mata. On the way the two grew tired and sat down in one place to rest.
Just then the youngest daughter-in-law saw a snake about to bite the young of the Garud pankhini, the great bird. Gathering her courage she killed the snake, and saved the little one's life.
A little later the Garud pankhini came back. Seeing blood spread there, she thought this woman had killed her young, and in her anger she began to strike her with her beak. The youngest daughter-in-law folded her hands and said, “Mother, this is the snake's blood. I have saved your child's life.”
When she knew the truth the Garud pankhini was overjoyed. She blessed her, and carried both the Surahi cow and the youngest daughter-in-law to Syahu Mata.
Having reached Syahu Mata, the youngest daughter-in-law served her too, with all her heart. Pleased by her service and her heart, Syahu Mata said, “Your womb will now be opened. You will have seven sons, and seven daughters-in-law.”
By Syahu Mata's blessing the youngest daughter-in-law's home was green again, and filled with laughter and joy. One meaning of Ahoi, it is said, is this: to make what could not be come to be — as the sahukar's youngest daughter-in-law made the impossible come true.
Since then, on the ashtami of Kartik's dark fortnight, mothers draw Ahoi Mata, and the syahu with her young, and offer their puja, and keep this vrat for the long life of their children. Ahoi Mata ki jai.
In many homes the same katha is also told another way. In a town there lived a sahukar who had seven sons. Before Diwali the sahukar's wife went to the clay pit for earth to plaster the house, and began to dig with her kudal. As fate would have it, a seh — the porcupine — had its burrow in that very place. The kudal struck the seh's young one, and it died at once. The sahukar's wife was deeply grieved at a death by her own hand, but what could be done now? She came home full of remorse.
Some days later one of her sons died, then suddenly a second, then a third, and so within the year all seven of her sons were gone. She lived in deep sorrow. One day, weeping, she told the women of the neighbourhood that she had never knowingly done wrong; only once, digging earth in the pit, a young seh had died by her hand without her knowing, and after that her seven sons had gone.
Hearing this, the older women of the neighbourhood comforted her and said, “By telling everyone this, you have repented, and half the wrong is already undone. On that same ashtami take refuge in Bhagwati Mata: draw the seh and its young, offer them your puja, and ask forgiveness. By God's grace the wrong will be washed away.”
The sahukar's wife did as they said: on the ashtami of Kartik's dark fortnight she kept the vrat, offered her puja and asked forgiveness. She kept it faithfully every year, and seven sons were given to her again. Since then the Ahoi vrat has been kept. Ahoi Mata ki jai.
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