Shashṭhī Kalpa

Shashṭhī Kalpa, “the rite of the sixth day”

The Shashṭhī Kalpa is the section of the Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa given to the shashṭhī, the sixth lunar day, which is dear to Kumārasvāmī. It opens in Chapter 39 with the Shashṭhī Vrata that Skanda himself told for the good of the world, holds Brahmā‘s long teaching on jāti and varṇa, and closes in Chapter 46 with the glory of Kārtikeya, where the colophon says “the Shashṭhī Kalpa is ended”. Sumantu Muni tells it to King Śatānīka.

The chapters

  • Chapter 39, the Shashṭhī Vrata. On the shashṭhī, above all in Kārtika, one who fasts on fruit and keeps the vrata regains a lost kingdom. On this day Skanda gained the leadership of the deva army. Facing south, the devotee gives arghya to Kārtikeya with curd, ghee, water and flowers, prays to him as born of Agni and borne by Gaṅgā, gives his food to a brāhmaṇa, eats at night and sleeps on the ground.
  • Chapter 40, jāti. Brahmā answers the ṛshis on jāti, recalling the words of the Yogīśvara and Manu‘s account of the seven vyādhas (hunters).
  • Chapter 41, the discernment of the brāhmaṇa.
  • Chapter 42, the discernment of saṃskāra in brāhmaṇya.
  • Chapters 43 to 45, varṇa. In Chapter 43 Brahmā argues that the division of jāti is a false construction. Chapter 44 then defines the varṇas by conduct and by nature. In Chapter 45 Brahmā gives his closing word: men attain siddhi only when jāti and karma come together, as fruit comes only when daiva (destiny) and human effort join. Sumantu adds that the path of the devatās is always hard to know, so the king need not wonder about Kārtikeya.
  • Chapter 46, the glory of Kārtikeya. The shashṭhī of Bhādrapada is dear to Kumārasvāmī. Those who have his darśana that day are freed from great pāpas; those who build him a temple go to Kārtikeya loka on a peacock vāhana; kings should worship him, and one who worships him before battle defeats his enemies as Indra defeats the rākshasas.

The phalaśruti

At the close of the Shashṭhī Vrata in Chapter 39, Sumantu says to the king that even one who only listens to this Shashṭhī Kalpa gains the fulfilment of his wishes, tushṭi (contentment), dhṛti (steadiness) and kīrti (fame).

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 39–46

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 39–46