Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17
The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months
Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana
सोदकुंभं तु तत्पद्मं कपिलां च द्विजेऽर्पयेत् । तद्दिने तूपवस्तव्यं भोक्तव्यं च परेऽहनि ॥ १७ ॥
sodakuṃbhaṃ tu tatpadmaṃ kapilāṃ ca dvije'rpayet | taddine tūpavastavyaṃ bhoktavyaṃ ca pare'hani || 17 ||
पाण्याने भरलेला कुंभ, ते पद्म व कपिला गाय—हे ब्राह्मणाला अर्पण करावे। त्या दिवशी उपवास करावा आणि दुसऱ्या दिवशी भोजन करावे।
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches a dharmic combination of dāna (offering sacred gifts to a qualified Brahmin) and upavāsa (self-restraint through fasting), framing merit as arising from both generosity and disciplined conduct.
By prescribing fasting and reverential giving, it supports bhakti as lived practice—reducing attachment (through upavāsa) and honoring sacred order (through dāna), which are common devotional disciplines in Purāṇic teaching.
Ritual discipline and timing are emphasized: observe the fast on the prescribed day and perform pāraṇa (taking food) on the next day—an applied rule of vrata-vidhi rather than a technical lesson in a specific Vedāṅga.