Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 52
The Exposition of the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Observed Through the Twelve Months
गन्धैरालिप्य सुश्वेतैरक्षतैः श्वेतपुष्पकैः । बिल्वपत्रैश्च धत्तूरकुसुमैश्च फलैस्तथा ॥ ५२ ॥
gandhairālipya suśvetairakṣataiḥ śvetapuṣpakaiḥ | bilvapatraiśca dhattūrakusumaiśca phalaistathā || 52 ||
وبعد أن يُطيَّب بالعطور، فليُقدَّم الأَكْشَتَا البيضاء النقيّة (حبّ الأرز غير المكسور) والزهور البيضاء، وكذلك أوراق البِلفا وأزهار الداتورا والثمار أيضًا.
Narada (teaching ritual procedure in the Narada Purana’s instructional dialogue tradition)
Vrata: Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata (contextual; chapter-level)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It emphasizes bhakti expressed through orderly upacāras (offerings): purity (white flowers/akṣata), auspiciousness (bilva), fragrance (gandha), and completeness (fruits), showing devotion made tangible through sacred materials.
Bhakti here is practical and reverential—serving the Lord through careful, sattvic offerings and a respectful sequence of worship, indicating that devotion is cultivated by disciplined, heartfelt ritual action.
It reflects kalpa (ritual procedure) in practice: specifying dravyas (worship substances) and their proper use as part of pūjā-vidhi, a core feature of Vedic and Purāṇic ritual science.