Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 42
The Exposition of the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Observed Through the Twelve Months
ततोऽस्यां पूजयेत्स्कंदं गंधपुष्पाक्षतैः फलैः । वस्त्रैराभूषणश्चापि नैवेद्यैर्विविधैस्तथा ॥ ४२ ॥
tato'syāṃ pūjayetskaṃdaṃ gaṃdhapuṣpākṣataiḥ phalaiḥ | vastrairābhūṣaṇaścāpi naivedyairvividhaistathā || 42 ||
Dann soll man in dieser Observanz Skanda verehren mit Düften, Blumen, akṣata (ungebrochenen Körnern) und Früchten; ebenso mit Gewändern, Schmuck und vielfältigen Speiseopfern (naivedya).
Narada (teaching in a prescriptive, ritual-instruction mode within the Narada Purana dialogue tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that devotion is expressed through orderly upacāras—offering pure, auspicious items (gandha, puṣpa, akṣata, phala, vastra, ābhūṣaṇa, naivedya) to Skanda—so worship becomes both reverent and complete.
Bhakti here is practical and embodied: the devotee honors the deity through tangible offerings and service, cultivating humility, gratitude, and focused remembrance during pūjā.
It reflects kalpa-style ritual procedure (pūjā-vidhi and upacāra sequencing), including the standard use of akṣata and naivedya as auspicious, rule-governed offerings.