Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 154
Jyotiṣa-śāstra Saṅgraha: Threefold Division, Gaṇita Methods, Muhūrta, and Planetary Reckoning
तेषां शिवघ्नाः शैलाप्ता व्यावर्काजः शरोंगुलैः । अर्कं विधुर्विधुं भूभा छादयत्यथा छन्नकम् ॥ १५४ ॥
teṣāṃ śivaghnāḥ śailāptā vyāvarkājaḥ śaroṃgulaiḥ | arkaṃ vidhurvidhuṃ bhūbhā chādayatyathā channakam || 154 ||
Di antara mereka ada musuh pembunuh Śiva—lahir dari gunung, ganas bak serigala—yang dengan anak panah seukuran ruas jari menghantam matahari. Seperti cahaya bumi menutupi rembulan, demikian pula rembulan tampak tertutup seakan berselubung.
Narada (in dialogue context with the Sanatkumara brothers; Moksha-dharma narrative style)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It uses the obscuring of the sun and moon as a symbolic warning: when destructive, anti-dharmic forces rise, even the ‘lights’ of discernment and order appear veiled—urging the seeker to take refuge in dharma and mokṣa-oriented conduct.
Indirectly, it frames a world where cosmic order can be ‘covered’; Bhakti (especially Viṣṇu-bhakti emphasized across Book 1.2) is presented in this section as a stabilizing refuge when external conditions become darkened and confusing.
The verse employs precise metrical/measurement language (aṅgula) and astronomical imagery (Sun/Moon obscuration), resonating with Vedāṅga concerns like Jyotiṣa (celestial phenomena) and Kalpa-style precision in measures—even within a Purāṇic narrative.