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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3

द्वादशमासेषु अष्टमी-व्रत-कथनम्

Account of the Aṣṭamī Vow Across the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

अशोककलिकाश्चाष्टौ ये पिबंति पुनर्वसौ । चैत्रे मासि सिताष्टम्यां न ते शोकमवाप्नुयुः ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

aśokakalikāścāṣṭau ye pibaṃti punarvasau | caitre māsi sitāṣṭamyāṃ na te śokamavāpnuyuḥ || 3 ||

Translation

Those who drink eight buds of the aśoka tree on the day of Punarvasu, on the bright eighth lunar day (Śukla Aṣṭamī) in the month of Caitra, do not fall into sorrow.

Word by Word
अशोक-कलिकाःAshoka buds
अशोक-कलिकाः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअशोक (प्रातिपदिक) + कलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): अशोकस्य कलिकाः
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
अष्टौeight
अष्टौ:
Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootअष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective)
येwho
ये:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)
पिबन्तिdrink
पिबन्ति:
Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
TypeVerb
Rootपा (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)
पुनर्वसौon (the day of) Punarvasu (nakshatra)
पुनर्वसौ:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative-time)
TypeNoun
Rootपुनर्वसु (नक्षत्र-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); नक्षत्र-सप्तमी (locative of time)
चैत्रेin (the month of) Chaitra
चैत्रे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative-time)
TypeNoun
Rootचैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); मास-विशेषण (month-name used locatively)
मासिin the month
मासि:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
TypeNoun
Rootमास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)
सिता-अष्टम्याम्on the bright eighth (tithi)
सिता-अष्टम्याम्:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative-time)
TypeNoun
Rootसिता (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः: सिता (शुक्ला) अष्टमी (8th lunar day)
नnot
न:
Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध/negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
तेthey
ते:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)
शोकम्sorrow
शोकम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootशोक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)
अवाप्नुयुःwould attain
अवाप्नुयुः:
Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
TypeVerb
Rootअव + आप् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative/Potential), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)
Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities
A
Ashoka (tree)
P
Punarvasu (Nakshatra)
C
Caitra (month)
S
Shukla Ashtami (tithi)

FAQs

It teaches a specific vrata-style remedy where a timed observance (Caitra Śukla Aṣṭamī with Punarvasu) and aśoka-bud intake is said to counteract śoka (grief), emphasizing dharmic living through calendrical discipline.

While not explicitly naming a deity here, it reflects the Purāṇic bhakti culture in which faith-filled, rule-based observances (vrata and śubha-kāla) are undertaken as sacred acts that purify the mind and reduce suffering.

Jyotiṣa (Vedāṅga astrology) is central: the result is linked to a precise combination of māsa (Caitra), tithi (Śukla Aṣṭamī), and nakṣatra (Punarvasu), showing how ritual timing is prescribed in Purāṇic practice.

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