Shloka 7
The Greatness of the Month of Māgha
Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna
यश्चायं माघमासस्तु सर्वमासोत्तमः स्मृतः । यस्मिन् क्रोंशति पापानि ब्रह्महत्यादिकानि च ॥ ७ ॥
yaścāyaṃ māghamāsastu sarvamāsottamaḥ smṛtaḥ | yasmin kroṃśati pāpāni brahmahatyādikāni ca || 7 ||
Ce mois même de Māgha est tenu pour le meilleur de tous les mois ; en lui, les péchés—à commencer par la faute grave du meurtre d’un brahmane—crient et sont chassés au loin.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Uttara-bhāga tirtha/vrata context)
Vrata: Māgha-vrata / Māgha-snāna (implied month-observance)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It declares Māgha as the supreme month because its sacred observances have exceptional power to destroy even heavy sins (mahāpātakas), symbolically making sins “cry out” and depart.
By praising Māgha’s unique sanctity, the verse supports devotional discipline—using time sanctified by dharma (vrata, pūjā, tīrtha-sevā) to turn the mind toward Hari/Vishnu and purify karmic obstacles that hinder bhakti.
It reflects calendrical dharma based on Jyotiṣa (time-division by lunar months): choosing Māgha for vratas and tīrtha practices as a high-yield period for pāpa-kṣaya.