Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 74
द्वादशमासेषु अष्टमी-व्रत-कथनम्
Account of the Aṣṭamī Vow Across the Twelve Months
भुक्त्वेष्टानैहिकान् कामांल्लक्ष्मीलोके वसेच्चिरम् । एषाऽशोकाष्टमी चोक्ता यस्यां पूर्णं रमाव्रतम् ॥ ७४ ॥
bhuktveṣṭānaihikān kāmāṃllakṣmīloke vasecciram | eṣā'śokāṣṭamī coktā yasyāṃ pūrṇaṃ ramāvratam || 74 ||
Habiendo gozado de los placeres mundanos deseados, se mora largo tiempo en el reino de Lakṣmī. Esto se llama Aśokāṣṭamī, la «octava sin aflicción», en la cual el voto de Ramā (Lakṣmī) llega a su plena consumación.
Narada (teaching in a vrata-focused narrative context)
Vrata: Aśokāṣṭamī / Ramā-vrata
Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)
FAQs
It states the phala (result) of observing Aśokāṣṭamī/Ramā-vrata: fulfillment of desired aims and prolonged residence in Lakṣmī’s realm, presenting the vow as a dharmic means to prosperity and auspicious post-mortem attainment.
By linking a specific tithi-based observance (Aśokāṣṭamī) to Ramā (Lakṣmī), it frames devotion as disciplined worship and vow-keeping, where bhakti expressed through vrata yields both worldly well-being and higher lokas.
The verse relies on calendrical ritual timing—Aṣṭamī tithi—connecting vrata practice to traditional jyotiṣa-style tithi observance used to determine when a vow is to be completed.