The Exposition of the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Observed Through the Twelve Months
सनातन उवाच । श्रृणु विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि षष्ठ्याश्चैव व्रतानि ते । यानि सम्यग्विधायात्र लभेत्सर्वान्मनोरथान् ॥ १ ॥
sanātana uvāca | śrṛṇu vipra pravakṣyāmi ṣaṣṭhyāścaiva vratāni te | yāni samyagvidhāyātra labhetsarvānmanorathān || 1 ||
Sanātana nói: “Hãy lắng nghe, hỡi Bà-la-môn; ta sẽ tuyên thuyết cho ông các giới nguyện của ngày Ṣaṣṭhī (mồng sáu theo lịch trăng). Ai hành trì đúng pháp nơi đây sẽ đạt được mọi điều mong cầu trong tâm.”
Sanatana
Vrata: Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata (general series)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It introduces a structured teaching on Ṣaṣṭhī-vratas, emphasizing that dharmic observances performed with correct procedure (samyak-vidhi) yield tangible spiritual and worldly fruits (manoratha-siddhi).
While not naming a deity here, it frames vrata as a disciplined devotional practice—listening to instruction, following prescribed rites, and aligning desire with dharma—setting the tone for devotional observances that typically culminate in worship and merit.
It points to calendrical/ritual precision via tithi-based practice (Ṣaṣṭhī), which connects to Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa (sacred time-reckoning) and Kalpa (ritual procedure) through the stress on “proper performance” (samyak-vidhāna).