Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48
The Exposition of the Ṣaṣṭhī-vrata Observed Through the Twelve Months
माघमासे सिता षष्ठी वरुणाह्वा स्मृता तु सा । तस्यां वरुणमभ्यर्च्येद्विष्णुरूपं सनातनम् ॥ ४८ ॥
māghamāse sitā ṣaṣṭhī varuṇāhvā smṛtā tu sā | tasyāṃ varuṇamabhyarcyedviṣṇurūpaṃ sanātanam || 48 ||
Trong tháng Māgha, ngày mồng sáu nửa tháng sáng được ghi nhớ là ‘Varuṇā’. Vào ngày ấy, nên thờ phụng Varuṇa—đấng là hình thể vĩnh cửu của Viṣṇu.
Narada (teaching in a ritual-calendar context, within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)
Vrata: Varuṇā (ṣaṣṭhī observance)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It sacralizes a specific lunar observance: Māgha Śukla Ṣaṣṭhī is named Varuṇā, and worship of Varuṇa on that tithi is elevated by identifying him as an eternal manifestation of Viṣṇu—turning a calendrical rite into Viṣṇu-centered devotion.
By instructing worship (abhyarcana) of Varuṇa as viṣṇurūpa, it channels devotion toward the Supreme through a deity-form, reflecting Purāṇic bhakti where many divine functions are honored as expressions of Viṣṇu.
It uses pañcāṅga-style time-reckoning—month (Māgha), pakṣa (Śukla), and tithi (Ṣaṣṭhī)—a practical application aligned with Jyotiṣa/Vedāṅga calendrics for determining when a vrata or worship should be performed.