Shloka 12
The Greatness of the Month of Māgha
Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna
कूपभांडजलैर्मध्यं जघन्यं वह्नितापितैः । न सौख्यैर्लभ्यते पुण्यं दुःखैरेवाप्यते तु तत् ॥ १२ ॥
kūpabhāṃḍajalairmadhyaṃ jaghanyaṃ vahnitāpitaiḥ | na saukhyairlabhyate puṇyaṃ duḥkhairevāpyate tu tat || 12 ||
井戸から水を汲み、壺に入れて運び、さらに火に灼かれるほどの苛烈な試練に耐えたとしても、得られる功徳は中ほど、あるいは下等にとどまる。功徳は安楽によっては得られず、まさに艱難によってこそ成就する。
Narada (in a didactic passage within the Tirtha/Mahatmya narrative)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It teaches that spiritual merit (puṇya) is fundamentally linked to disciplined endurance (tapas) rather than comfort; the verse frames hardship as the transformative means by which merit is truly secured.
Though it speaks in the language of puṇya and austerity, it supports Bhakti by emphasizing sincerity and self-discipline—devotion becomes steady when one accepts inconvenience for dharma instead of seeking ease.
No specific Vedanga (such as Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is directly taught; the practical takeaway aligns with Kalpa-style discipline—performing vrata and dharmic observances with endurance rather than seeking comfort.