Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

चांद्रो दर्शावधिः सौरः संक्रात्या सावनो दिनैः । त्रिंशद्भिश्चंद्र भगणो मासो नाक्षत्रसंज्ञकः ॥ १२९ ॥

Transliteration

cāṃdro darśāvadhiḥ sauraḥ saṃkrātyā sāvano dinaiḥ | triṃśadbhiścaṃdra bhagaṇo māso nākṣatrasaṃjñakaḥ || 129 ||

Translation

الشهرُ القمري (cāndra) يُحسَب إلى حدِّ ليلةِ المحاق (amāvāsyā)؛ والشهرُ الشمسي (saura) يُعرَف بالسَّنكرانتي (saṅkrānti)، أي انتقال الشمس إلى برجٍ جديد. أمّا الشهرُ السافَنَة (sāvana) فيُعَدّ بالأيام؛ والشهرُ القائم على دورة القمر، وفيه ثلاثون «تيثي» (tithi)، فيُسمّى شهرَ النكشترة.

Word by Word

• चान्द्रः: lunar
• चान्द्रः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चान्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of मासः understood)

• दर्श-अवधिः: having new-moon as its limit (ending at amāvāsyā)
• दर्श-अवधिः: Predicate (विधेय/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दर्शः एव अवधि: new-moon as the limit); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सौरः: solar
• सौरः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of मासः understood)

• संक्रात्या: by (the) saṅkrānti (solar ingress)
• संक्रात्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणार्थे (by/through saṅkrānti)

• सावनः: civil/solar-day-based (sāvana)
• सावनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of मासः understood)

• दिनैः: by days
• दिनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करणार्थे (by days)

• त्रिंशद्भिः: by thirty
• त्रिंशद्भिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• चन्द्र: O Candra / Moon
• चन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संबोधन/प्रथमा-रूपेण (address or nominative used as vocative in some recensions)

• भगणः: (a) cycle/period (bhagaṇa)
• भगणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मासः: month
• मासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाक्षत्र-संज्ञकः: called 'nakṣatra' (sidereal)
• नाक्षत्र-संज्ञकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नाक्षत्रः संज्ञकः = called 'nakṣatra'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of मासः)

Speaker

Narada (in dialogue with the Sanatkumara tradition; technical exposition on Vedic time-reckoning)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Chandra
• Surya

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It clarifies sacred time-reckoning so that vratas, śrāddha, and other dharmic rites are performed on the correct lunar or solar basis—treating accurate kāla (time) as a support for right practice.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti practices in the Purāṇic tradition often depend on observing days like amāvāsyā, saṅkrānti, and tithi-based observances; this verse supplies the calendar framework that makes devotional vows and worship timings reliable.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa Vedāṅga: distinguishing cāndra (lunar), saura (solar), sāvana (day-count), and tithi/nakṣatra-based month conventions used for ritual scheduling.