Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
Mārkaṇḍeya-varṇanam
The Description of Mārkaṇḍeya
परार्द्धद्वयकालस्तु तन्मतेन भवेद्द्विजाः । विष्णोरहस्तु विज्ञेयं तावद्रा त्रिः प्रकीर्तिता ॥ ३१ ॥
parārddhadvayakālastu tanmatena bhaveddvijāḥ | viṣṇorahastu vijñeyaṃ tāvadrā triḥ prakīrtitā || 31 ||
O twice-born ones, according to that doctrine the span of two parārdhas is to be understood; and the “day of Viṣṇu” should be known to be of that measure. His night, too, is declared to be threefold, in three divisions.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing dvijas within the discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It places human time within a vast divine framework, teaching that creation and dissolution operate on Viṣṇu’s immeasurable day-and-night cycles, encouraging detachment and reverence for the cosmic order upheld by Viṣṇu.
By emphasizing Viṣṇu as the regulator of cosmic time itself, the verse implicitly directs devotion toward the supreme Lord whose will governs cycles far beyond human calculation—supporting bhakti grounded in awe, surrender, and trust in divine governance.
It aligns with Jyotiṣa/Vedāṅga-style time-reckoning—using large chronological units (like parārdha) and the ahorātra (day-night) model to frame cosmological periods central to Purāṇic chronology.