Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
The Narration of the Navamī Vow Observed Across the Twelve Months
कार्तिके शुक्लनवमी याऽक्षया सा प्रकीर्तता । तस्यामश्वत्थमूले वै तर्प्पणं सम्यगाचरेत् ॥ २३ ॥
kārtike śuklanavamī yā'kṣayā sā prakīrtatā | tasyāmaśvatthamūle vai tarppaṇaṃ samyagācaret || 23 ||
Pada bulan Kārtika, hari Navamī (hari kesembilan) pada paruh terang diisytiharkan sebagai hari “Akṣayā” (tidak binasa). Pada hari itu, hendaklah dilakukan tarpaṇa (persembahan air) dengan sempurna di pangkal pokok aśvattha (pokok ara suci).
Narada (teaching within a dharma/vrata-vidhi context, traditionally framed as instruction in the Narada Purana dialogue)
Vrata: Akṣayā (Kārtika Śukla-Navamī observance)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It identifies Kārtika Śukla Navamī as ‘Akṣayā’, indicating that rites done then yield imperishable merit, and prescribes tarpaṇa at the aśvattha’s root as a particularly efficacious practice.
While primarily ritual (karma) oriented, it supports bhakti by sanctifying time (tithi) and place (aśvattha) for devotional, reverential acts—tarpaṇa performed with remembrance and faith becomes an offering aligned with dharma.
It applies calendrical discipline—tithi reckoning (a jyotiṣa/ritual-timing competence)—by specifying Kārtika bright-fortnight Navamī as the correct time for a prescribed rite (tarpaṇa-vidhi).