According to a belief, on this day God Yama, at the lamentations and impressive arguing of Savitri, Sateyvan’s wife restored Sateyvan, who had died at an early age, to life.

In some places, Siva and Parvati are worshipped on this day. The only aim of this fast is to save the husband from an untimely death and have a long married life. After ablution and other daily necessities, and after taking bath in the early morning, before sunrise, women should undertake a vow for the welfare of the husband, sons, and grandsons. Siva, Parvati, Kartikeya, Ganesha and the moon (Chandrama) are worshipped. Their blessings are invoked. After worship, rice, black gram pulse auspicious articles viz. comb, mirror, vermilion, bangles, ribbon, etc. are put on a copper plate or on an earthen plate, along with fruits and kept ready till the fast is broken, after seeing the moon. The fast is to be observed without even taking water.

In a legend in the Maharashtra, once Arjun went for worship in Nilgiri Hills. Drupadi, believing that there was none to protect her in the horror-stricken forest, invoked Krishna. On the appearance of Krishna, Drupadi explained her problem. Krishna explained that once Parvati had expressed such a suspicion before Shiva.

The latter had then said that for a housewife, the fast on Kartik Krishna Chaturthi was a remedy for such apprehensions. Krishna further told Drupadi that once upon a time, there was a Brahmin, who had seven sons and one daughter. Being the only daughter she was married with great pomp and show. On the Karva Chauth day, she undertook the fast, but before the rise of the moon she felt hungry.

Seeing the pathetic condition of their only sister, the loving brothers asked her to break the fast, but she did not agree. Then the brothers reflected a mirror through Pipal tree leaves. The sister, mistook it as moonrise, broke the fast and took food. Surprisingly, her husband died. The daughter started crying. Per chance, Indrani, the sister of Indra, was passing by with her maids. Hearing the cries, she came to the weeping woman and asked her tale of woo. Then she advised that she should undertake the fast on every fourth day of the month, for one year and undertake the Karva Chauth fast under strict rituals, then only her husband would come to life. Doing so, the daughter brought back to life her husband. Narrating this story, Krishna consoled Drupadi and advised her to observe Karva Chauth fast and assured her about the ultimate victory of Pandavas.