Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 20
Gṛhastha-Dharma: How a Householder Attains Liberation by Offering All to Vāsudeva
अयने विषुवे कुर्याद् व्यतीपाते दिनक्षये । चन्द्रादित्योपरागे च द्वादश्यां श्रवणेषु च ॥ २० ॥ तृतीयायां शुक्लपक्षे नवम्यामथ कार्तिके । चतसृष्वप्यष्टकासु हेमन्ते शिशिरे तथा ॥ २१ ॥ माघे च सितसप्तम्यां मघाराकासमागमे । राकया चानुमत्या च मासर्क्षाणि युतान्यपि ॥ २२ ॥ द्वादश्यामनुराधा स्याच्छ्रवणस्तिस्र उत्तरा: । तिसृष्वेकादशी वासु जन्मर्क्षश्रोणयोगूयुक् ॥ २३ ॥
ayane viṣuve kuryād vyatīpāte dina-kṣaye candrādityoparāge ca dvādaśyāṁ śravaṇeṣu ca
Upacara śrāddha hendaknya dilakukan pada saṅkrānti Uttarāyaṇa dan Dakṣiṇāyaṇa, pada hari-hari viṣuva, pada yoga Vyatīpāta, pada hari kṣaya (tiga tithi bertemu), saat gerhana bulan atau matahari, pada tithi dvādaśī, dan ketika nakṣatra Śravaṇa. Juga pada Akṣaya-tṛtīyā, pada navamī śukla bulan Kārtika, pada empat aṣṭakā di musim hemanta dan śiśira, pada saptamī śukla bulan Māgha, saat purnimā bertepatan dengan Maghā, pada hari purnama atau hampir purnama (rākā dan anumati) yang bertepatan dengan nakṣatra penama bulan, pada dvādaśī yang bertepatan dengan Anurādhā, Śravaṇa atau tiga Uttara, pada ekādaśī yang bertepatan dengan tiga Uttara, dan juga pada hari yang bertepatan dengan bintang kelahiran sendiri atau dengan Śravaṇa.
The word ayana means “path” or “going.” The six months when the sun moves toward the north are called uttarāyaṇa, or the northern path, and the six months when it moves south are called dakṣiṇāyana, or the southern path. These are mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā (8.24-25). The first day when the sun begins to move north and enter the zodiacal sign of Capricorn is called Makara-saṅkrānti, and the first day when the sun begins to move south and enter the sign of Cancer is called Karkaṭa-saṅkrānti. On these two days of the year, one should perform the śrāddha ceremony.
FAQs
This verse lists lunar and solar eclipses as spiritually significant times when one should perform prescribed pious acts such as charity and worship.
In the context of teaching gṛhastha-dharma, he highlights times traditionally considered potent for purification and merit, encouraging householders to align daily life with devotional duty.
Use such days to simplify life, increase japa and worship, give donations or service, and dedicate the day’s actions to Viṣṇu with sincerity.