Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25
The Explanation of the Twelve-Month Caturthī Vrata
अशक्तः पुरेतां तु नमस्कृत्य विसर्जयेत् । पंचाब्दं वादशाब्दं वा षोडशाब्दमथापि वा ॥ २५ ॥
aśaktaḥ puretāṃ tu namaskṛtya visarjayet | paṃcābdaṃ vādaśābdaṃ vā ṣoḍaśābdamathāpi vā || 25 ||
Wenn aber jemand die volle Observanz nicht zu halten vermag, so soll er—nach ehrerbietiger Verneigung—sie ordnungsgemäß beschließen und beenden, sei es nach fünf Jahren, nach zehn Jahren oder sogar nach sechzehn Jahren.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that dharma is to be practiced with sincerity and capacity; when one cannot continue a long observance, one should end it respectfully with namaskāra and proper visarjana rather than abandoning it carelessly.
By emphasizing humility and reverence—bowing before concluding—the verse frames even ritual discipline as an offering done with devotion, not as a rigid burden.
It reflects ritual procedure (kalpa-prayoga) principles: vows have prescribed commencements and conclusions, and a formal termination (visarjana) is part of correct observance when duration must be shortened.