Shloka 16
Prayaga-mahatmya
Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni
षष्ट्यब्देन फलं तद्धि मकरस्थे दिवाकरे । बहिः स्नानं तु वाप्यादौ द्वाशाब्दफलं स्मृतम् ॥ १६ ॥
ṣaṣṭyabdena phalaṃ taddhi makarasthe divākare | bahiḥ snānaṃ tu vāpyādau dvāśābdaphalaṃ smṛtam || 16 ||
Lorsque le Soleil est en Makara, ce rite procure un mérite équivalant à soixante années. Mais le bain au dehors—dans un étang ou des eaux semblables—est tenu pour donner le mérite de douze années.
Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition)
Vrata: Māgha-snāna (contextual)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that the timing of a rite—specifically when the Sun is in Makara—magnifies its spiritual merit, and it also grades the merit based on the bathing setting (primary vs. outside locations like ponds).
By valuing disciplined, timely sacred practice, it supports Bhakti as lived devotion—expressed through reverent observances (snāna/vrata-like discipline) aligned with sacred cosmic order rather than mere sentiment.
Jyotiṣa (Vedic astrology/astronomy) is implied through the condition “Sun in Makara,” showing how calendrical-astral timing is used to determine ritual efficacy in Narada Purana.