Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17
The Narration of the Navamī Vow Observed Across the Twelve Months
सोऽश्वमेधफलं लब्ध्वा विष्णुलोके महीयते । आश्विने शुक्लनवमी महापूर्वा प्रकीर्तिता ॥ १७ ॥
so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labdhvā viṣṇuloke mahīyate | āśvine śuklanavamī mahāpūrvā prakīrtitā || 17 ||
Dengan memperoleh pahala setara korban suci Aśvamedha, seseorang dimuliakan di alam Viṣṇu. Maka, hari kesembilan dalam pakṣa terang pada bulan Āśvina diproklamasikan sebagai ‘Mahāpūrvā’ yang paling suci.
Sage Nārada (teaching in Purāṇic summary style; dialogue tradition with Sanatkumāra line implied)
Vrata: Mahāpūrvā-navamī (tithi observance)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It elevates Āśvina Śukla Navamī as “Mahāpūrvā,” stating that its observance grants merit comparable to the Aśvamedha and leads to honor in Viṣṇu’s realm—framing vrata as an accessible path to great puṇya.
By linking the day’s sanctity directly to Viṣṇu-loka, the verse implies that devotion expressed through tithi-based vrata and remembrance of Viṣṇu can yield outcomes traditionally associated with grand Vedic rites.
It highlights calendrical practice centered on tithi (lunar day) identification—an applied aspect of Jyotiṣa/Vedic time-reckoning—used to time vrata observances for specific spiritual results.