Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 71

Jyotiṣa-śāstra Saṅgraha: Threefold Division, Gaṇita Methods, Muhūrta, and Planetary Reckoning

Devanagari script

षड् वहित्रिहुताशांकतिथयश्चाधिमासकाः । तिथिक्षयायमार्थाक्षिद्व्यष्टव्योमशराश्विनः ॥ ७१ ॥

Transliteration

ṣaḍ vahitrihutāśāṃkatithayaścādhimāsakāḥ | tithikṣayāyamārthākṣidvyaṣṭavyomaśarāśvinaḥ || 71 ||

Translation

Le mois intercalaire (adhimāsa) se comprend par des comptes calendaires précis—tels que «six», et les marqueurs numériques indiqués par des termes comme «vahitri», «hutāśa», «aṅka» et «tithi». De même, la perte d’un tithi (tithi-kṣaya) et l’allongement d’un tithi (tithi-āyāma) se déterminent selon les indicateurs numériques énoncés.

Word by Word

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (numeral used indeclinably)

• vahitrī-hutāśa-aṃka-tithayaḥ: Vahitrī, Hutāśa, Aṃka, Tithi (as number-words)
• vahitrī-hutāśa-aṃka-tithayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahitrī (प्रातिपदिक) + hutāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃka (प्रातिपदिक) + tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (enumeration)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• adhi-māsakāḥ: intercalary months
• adhi-māsakāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhi (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (adhimāsa = intercalary month)

• tithi-kṣaya-āyama-artha-akṣi-dvi-aṣṭa-vyoma-śara-aśvinaḥ: tithi, loss, extent, meaning, eye, two, eight, sky, arrow, Aśvin (as number-words)
• tithi-kṣaya-āyama-artha-akṣi-dvi-aṣṭa-vyoma-śara-aśvinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + āyama (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + dvi (संख्या) + aṣṭa (संख्या) + vyoma (प्रातिपदिक) + śara (प्रातिपदिक) + aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतसंख्या/गणनापद-समाहार (enumerative list)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue instruction to Narada on dharma/observances and technical reckoning)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Ashvins

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It safeguards dharma in practice by ensuring vows and sacred observances are timed correctly; right time (kāla) is treated as an essential limb of righteous action.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti-based vratas and worship depend on proper tithi and month reckoning; the verse supports devotion by preventing mistakes in observing fasts and holy days during adhika-māsa or tithi anomalies.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa: technical calendrical computation—especially identifying adhimāsa (intercalary month), tithi-kṣaya (dropped tithi), and tithi-āyāma (extended tithi) using traditional coded numeral-terms.