The Account of the Third-day Vow Observed through the Twelve Months
Tṛtīyā-vrata
वरार्थिनी च सौभाग्यपुत्रभर्त्रर्थिनी तथा । द्विजभार्या भर्तृमतीः कन्यकां वा सुलक्षणाः ॥ ४ ॥
varārthinī ca saubhāgyaputrabhartrarthinī tathā | dvijabhāryā bhartṛmatīḥ kanyakāṃ vā sulakṣaṇāḥ || 4 ||
A maiden seeking a worthy husband; a woman desiring auspicious fortune; one yearning for a son or for her husband’s welfare; likewise the wife of a twice-born (brāhmaṇa) who lives united with her husband, or a young girl marked with auspicious signs—all these are fit to be included here.
Narada (as part of an enumerative instruction in the Anukramanika-style section)
Vrata: Gaurī-vrata (implied by the surrounding sequence)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It defines who is considered a proper recipient/participant for a dharmic observance—women and maidens seeking auspicious marital welfare, progeny, and household well-being—showing that such aims can be pursued through regulated, merit-producing religious practice.
Though the verse is primarily an eligibility list, it implies that sincere seekers—especially those praying for family welfare—may approach sacred observances with faith, which in the Narada Purana framework is typically fulfilled through devotion supported by dharma and vrata.
The verse uses dharma-technical categories (eligibility and social status like dvija-bhāryā) rather than a specific Vedanga; practically, it reflects ritual-adherence norms (prayoga/vidhi) that determine who may undertake or benefit from a given vrata.