Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5
The Exposition of the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Observed Through the Twelve Months
लभते वांछितान्कामांस्तत्प्रसादान्न संशयः । आषाढशुक्लषष्ठ्यां वै स्कंदव्रतमनुत्तमम् ॥ ५ ॥
labhate vāṃchitānkāmāṃstatprasādānna saṃśayaḥ | āṣāḍhaśuklaṣaṣṭhyāṃ vai skaṃdavratamanuttamam || 5 ||
ఆయన ప్రసాదముచేత వాంఛిత కోరికలు నిశ్చయంగా లభించును—సందేహం లేదు. ఆషాఢమాస శుక్ల షష్ఠీనాడు అనుత్తమమైన ‘స్కంద వ్రతం’ ఆచరించబడును.
Suta (narrating the Purana; teaching framed within Narada–Sanatkumara discourse)
Vrata: Skanda-vrata
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that a properly observed vrata yields results through divine grace (prasāda), emphasizing faith in phala-śruti and the sanctity of timing—Āṣāḍha bright Ṣaṣṭhī—for Skanda-vrata.
The verse grounds attainment not merely in effort but in “tat-prasāda” (the deity’s favor), a core bhakti principle: blessings arise from devotional observance and surrender rather than calculation alone.
It highlights calendrical and ritual timing aligned with Jyotiṣa/pañcāṅga practice—identifying the month (Āṣāḍha), fortnight (śukla), and tithi (ṣaṣṭhī) as essential for performing the vrata.