Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पौर्णमास्याम् अमावास्याम् अष्टम्याम् अथ वा पठन् द्वादश्यां वा तद् आप्नोति गोप्रदानफलं द्विज

Transliteration

paurṇamāsyām amāvāsyām aṣṭamyām atha vā paṭhan dvādaśyāṃ vā tad āpnoti gopradānaphalaṃ dvija

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, one who recites this on the full-moon day, the new-moon day, the eighth lunar day, or the twelfth attains the very merit gained by gifting a cow.

Word by Word

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• अष्टम्याम्: on the eighth (lunar day)
• अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• अथ: or/then
• अथ: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/विकल्प-प्रदर्शक अव्यय (then/now; discourse particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• पठन्: reciting/reading
• पठन्: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पठ् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त

• द्वादश्याम्: on the twelfth (lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'तत् (फलम्)' इति कर्म-प्रत्यवमर्श

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गोप्रदानफलम्: the fruit of gifting cows
• गोप्रदानफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गोप्रदानस्य फलम्)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Reciting Prahlāda-carita on specified tithis yields the same puṇya as go-dāna, showing that devotional recitation can substitute for costly ritual gifts.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: On Paurṇimā, Amāvāsyā, Aṣṭamī, or Dvādaśī, prioritize kathā/recitation and charitable intent, even if one cannot perform large dānas.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhakti-centered acts can convey the fruit of Vedic charity because the Lord accepts the devotee’s intention and offering in accessible forms.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Triumph

Bhakti Quality: Observational bhakti: aligning kathā-recitation with sacred lunar times (tithi-niyama).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Brahmin (Dvija)

FAQs

What is the significance of Purnima, Amavasya, Ashtami, and Dwadashi in this Vishnu Purana verse?

These tithis are highlighted as especially potent times for parāyaṇa (devotional recitation), during which the act yields heightened religious merit.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between recitation and charity here?

He equates the fruit of sincere recitation on sacred lunar days with the fruit of gopradāna (cow-gift), teaching that dharmic merit can arise through disciplined devotion as well as material giving.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the Purana frames recitation of sacred Purāṇic teaching as a Vishnu-oriented dharma whose power to confer merit reflects the sovereignty of divine order upheld by Vishnu.