Shloka 14
The Greatness of the Month of Māgha
Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna
यावन्नोदयते सूर्यस्तावत्स्नानं विधीयते । आच्छादिते घनैर्व्योम्नि ह्युद्गमिष्यन्तमर्थयेत् ॥ १४ ॥
yāvannodayate sūryastāvatsnānaṃ vidhīyate | ācchādite ghanairvyomni hyudgamiṣyantamarthayet || 14 ||
Le bain rituel ne doit être accompli que tant que le soleil n’est pas encore levé. Si le ciel est couvert de nuages épais, qu’on prie avec révérence le soleil sur le point de paraître, puis qu’on agisse en conséquence.
Suta (narrating Narada Purana teachings in a dharma/ritual context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It emphasizes discipline in nitya-karma: performing snāna at the proper sacred time (before sunrise) to align the body-mind with purity and dharmic order (ṛta).
Even in a rule about timing, it directs the practitioner to remember and pray to Sūrya when visibility is blocked—turning routine ritual into mindful reverence, a basic form of bhakti expressed through daily practice.
It reflects Jyotiṣa-style time reckoning for rites: the injunction hinges on sunrise as a key marker, and provides a practical rule for cloudy conditions when the sun’s appearance is obscured.