Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
द्वादशमासेषु अष्टमी-व्रत-कथनम्
Account of the Aṣṭamī Vow Across the Twelve Months
नमस्कारं ततः कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणसमन्वितम् । एवं दशदिनं कुर्याद्व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम् ॥ १८ ॥
namaskāraṃ tataḥ kuryātpradakṣiṇasamanvitam | evaṃ daśadinaṃ kuryādvratānāmuttamaṃ vratam || 18 ||
Ensuite, qu’on accomplisse la prosternation (namaskāra), accompagnée de la circumambulation sacrée (pradakṣiṇa). Ainsi doit-on l’observer durant dix jours : c’est le plus excellent des vœux.
Narada (teaching in a vrata-vidhi context; dialogue tradition with Sanatkumara lineage implied)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It elevates humble surrender (namaskāra) and reverential worship (pradakṣiṇā) as the core inner attitude of a vow, declaring such disciplined devotion—kept for ten days—as exceptionally meritorious.
Bhakti is expressed through embodied reverence: bowing and circumambulating the deity or sacred focus daily, sustained with steadiness over a fixed period, showing loving commitment rather than one-time ritualism.
Ritual procedure (kalpa-style practice) is implied: pradakṣiṇā as a prescribed upacāra and the rule of a fixed observance-period (daśa-dina), emphasizing correct sequence and consistency in vrata performance.