The Narada Purana (abridged)
2010 | 18,115 words
The Narada Purana (Nārada Purāṇa) is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. It deals with the places of pilgrimages and features a dialogue between the sage Narada, and Sanatkumara. During the course of the dialogue between the two, Narada explains to Sanatkumara the major places of piligrimages, their location, ...
Other Vratas
There is a vrata named haripanchaka. This is observed on dvadashi tithi during shuklapaksha and in the month of Margashirasha. Vishnu’s image has to be bathed and offerings of incense, flowers and betel leaves have to be made. For four successive days one prays to Vishnu, starting from the twelfth day of the lunar fortnight to the day of the full moon. Thereafter, brahmanas have to be invited and fed. The rite is observed every month starting from Pousha and ending with Kartika. The punya acquired from observing this vrata is equivalent to the punya obtained from donating millions of cows.
There is another vrata that is observed on dashami tithi (the tenth day of the lunar fortnight), during shuklapaksha and in the months of Ashada, Shravana, Bhadra and Ashvina. This vrata is superior to performing many yajnas.