The Explanation of the Twelve-Month Caturthī Vrata
शेषं चाह्वामपूर्वैस्तु पूजयेदुपचारकैः । क्षीरेणाप्यायनं कुर्यादेतन्नागव्रतं स्मृतम् ॥ ५३ ॥
śeṣaṃ cāhvāmapūrvaistu pūjayedupacārakaiḥ | kṣīreṇāpyāyanaṃ kuryādetannāgavrataṃ smṛtam || 53 ||
প্ৰথমে শেষনাগক আহ্বান কৰি উপচাৰসহ পূজা কৰিব; আৰু গাখীৰে তেওঁৰ আপ্যায়ন (পোষণ-সেৱা) কৰিব—ইয়াকেই ‘নাগব্ৰত’ বুলি স্মৃত কৰা হৈছে।
Narada (teaching the rite as part of the vrata instructions)
Vrata: Nāga-vrata
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
It frames Nāga-vrata as a disciplined act of reverence: first invoke Śeṣa with proper intention, then honor him through prescribed services, emphasizing orderly ritual devotion (vidhi) and sanctified offering.
Bhakti here is expressed as personal worship—invocation, attentive upacāras, and a simple, sattvic offering (milk)—directing the devotee’s care and reverence toward Śeṣa as a sacred, worthy recipient.
Ritual procedure (kalpa-style practice) is implied: āhvāna (invocation), upacāra-pūjā (standard services), and the specific dravya (milk) for āpyāyana—showing applied ritual know-how rather than grammar or astrology.