Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
Matsya-purāṇa Anukramaṇikā
Synopsis / Table of Contents
षष्टीव्रतानां माहात्म्यं तथा स्नानविधिकमः । प्रयागस्य तु माहात्म्यं द्वीपलोकानुवर्णनम् ॥ १६ ॥
ṣaṣṭīvratānāṃ māhātmyaṃ tathā snānavidhikamaḥ | prayāgasya tu māhātmyaṃ dvīpalokānuvarṇanam || 16 ||
“(Di sini) dihuraikan keagungan Ṣaṣṭī-vrata (nazar pada hari bulan keenam), serta tatacara mandi suci yang tersusun; juga keagungan Prayāga, dan kisah yang menghuraikan benua-benua serta alam-alam.”
Suta (Anukramanika-style chapter summary narration)
Vrata: Ṣaṣṭī-vratas (group of sixth-day observances)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It functions as an Anukramanika (contents summary), highlighting that vows (vrata), purificatory bathing (snāna-vidhi), sacred geography (Prayāga), and cosmology (dvīpas and lokas) are key vehicles for dharma and purification in this section.
By foregrounding vrata and tīrtha-mahātmya, it points to devotional practice through disciplined observances and pilgrimage—traditional bhakti-supporting means that purify the mind and orient it toward the divine.
Ritual procedure is emphasized through snāna-vidhi-krama (stepwise rules for bathing), reflecting applied dharma-śāstra style practice rather than a specific Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa; it is practical ritual instruction.