Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 62
The Exposition of the Saptamī Vow Observed Across Twelve Months
Saptamī-vrata-prakāśana
अस्यां समर्च्य सवितुः प्रतिमां तु हैमीं हैमाश्वयुक्तरथगां तु ददेत्सहेभाम् । यो भावभक्तिसहितः स गतो हि लोकं शम्भोः स मोदत इहापि च भुक्तभोगः ॥ ६२ ॥
asyāṃ samarcya savituḥ pratimāṃ tu haimīṃ haimāśvayuktarathagāṃ tu dadetsahebhām | yo bhāvabhaktisahitaḥ sa gato hi lokaṃ śambhoḥ sa modata ihāpi ca bhuktabhogaḥ || 62 ||
En cette occasion, après avoir vénéré selon le rite une effigie d’or de Savitṛ (le Soleil), on doit offrir en don un char attelé de chevaux d’or, avec des éléphants. Celui qui accomplit cela avec bhāva-bhakti, une dévotion du cœur, atteint le monde de Śambhu (Śiva) ; et même ici-bas il se réjouit, ayant goûté des prospérités dignes.
Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)
Vrata: Rathā-saptamī / Bhāskarī-saptamī context (implied)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It teaches that sincere, heartfelt devotion (bhāva-bhakti) combined with prescribed worship and dāna leads to both worldly well-being and the higher spiritual attainment of Śambhu’s realm (Śiva-loka).
The verse makes the inner attitude primary: the rite bears its highest fruit when performed with bhāva (genuine devotional feeling), showing that devotion empowers ritual action and directs its merit toward liberation-oriented goals.
It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) through icon-worship and donation rules (dāna-vidhi) and implies Jyotiṣa/Sūrya-upāsanā connections through Savitṛ (the solar deity) as the focus of worship.