Shloka 16
The Greatness of the Month of Māgha
Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna
माघस्नायी वरारोहे दुर्गतिं नैव पश्यति । तन्नास्ति पातकं यत्तु माघस्नानं न शोधयेत् ॥ १६ ॥
māghasnāyī varārohe durgatiṃ naiva paśyati | tannāsti pātakaṃ yattu māghasnānaṃ na śodhayet || 16 ||
Ô femme aux belles hanches, celui qui accomplit le bain de Māgha ne voit jamais une destinée misérable. Il n’est aucun péché que le bain de Māgha ne purifie.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: Māgha-snāna (Māgha-vrata context implied)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It declares Māgha-snāna as a powerful purificatory vrata: it prevents durgati (a fallen or miserable destiny) and cleanses even serious pātakas, emphasizing the transformative merit (puṇya) of sacred-month observance.
By praising a vrata tied to sacred time, it supports bhakti through disciplined practice—purification of sin removes obstacles to remembrance and worship, making the devotee fit for sustained devotion and tīrtha-centered Vishnu-oriented piety.
Kalpa (ritual discipline) and Jyotiṣa (sacred calendrical timing) are implied: the merit is linked specifically to the Māgha month and the regulated act of snāna as a vrata performed at the proper time.