When texts like the Dharmashastras (including Anantadeva’s Smriti Kaustubha) and the Puranic indices refer to a Mahattam Vrata exactly on Bhadrapada Shukla Pratipada (the first day of the waxing moon in the month of Bhadrapada), they are referring to a rigorous, specialized vow of self-discipline—not just a story (mahatmya). In the Puranic ritual calendars, the […]