Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 135

Pañca-prakṛti-nirūpaṇa and Mantra-vidhi: Rādhā, Mahālakṣmī, Durgā, Sarasvatī, Sāvitrī; plus Sāvitrī-Pañjara

Devanagari script

तिथिमासर्तुपक्षाख्यैः संकेतनिमिषात्मिकाम् । मायाकल्पितवैचित्र्यसंध्याख्यच्छदनावृताम् ॥ १३५ ॥

Transliteration

tithimāsartupakṣākhyaiḥ saṃketanimiṣātmikām | māyākalpitavaicitryasaṃdhyākhyacchadanāvṛtām || 135 ||

Translation

هي مؤلَّفة من تسمياتٍ متعارفٍ عليها مثل التيثي (اليوم القمري) والشهر والفصل والنصفَ شهر، وهي من لحظاتٍ خاطفة متتابعة؛ وهي محجوبة بسترٍ يُدعى «سَنْدْهْيَا» (الشفق)، تتشكل ألوانه وتنوّعاته بصنعةِ مايا.

Word by Word

• तिथि-मास-ऋतु-पक्ष-आख्यैः: by/with (those) called tithi, month, season, fortnight
• तिथि-मास-ऋतु-पक्ष-आख्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिथि + मास + ऋतु + पक्ष + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (instr. pl.)

• संकेत-निमिष-आत्मिकाम्: consisting of signals and instants (nimeṣas)
• संकेत-निमिष-आत्मिकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकेत + निमिष + आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

• माया-कल्पित-वैचित्र्य-संध्या-आख्य-छदन-आवृताम्: covered by a veil called twilight, of variegation imagined by māyā
• माया-कल्पित-वैचित्र्य-संध्या-आख्य-छदन-आवृताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया + कल्पित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + वैचित्र्य + संध्या + आख्य + छदन + आवृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (fem. acc. sg.)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga/time-reckoning context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Characters & Entities

• Maya
• Sandhya

FAQs

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

It reframes “time” as a stream of fleeting instants that appears structured through conventional divisions (tithi, month, season, fortnight), while its shifting display is said to be Māyā’s construction—prompting detachment and clearer discernment.

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

By portraying calendrical time and its changing moods as Māyā-made coverings, the verse supports Bhakti as steadiness in remembrance beyond changing circumstances—devotion that does not rise and fall with temporal cycles.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to Jyotiṣa/Vedāṅga time-reckoning—tithi, pakṣa, māsa, and ṛtu—showing how ritual calendars are built from named conventions grounded in moment-by-moment measurement.