Shloka 7

The Greatness of the Month of Māgha

Māgha-snāna, Harivāsara, and the Kāṣṭhīlā-Upākhyāna

Devanagari script

यश्चायं माघमासस्तु सर्वमासोत्तमः स्मृतः । यस्मिन् क्रोंशति पापानि ब्रह्महत्यादिकानि च ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

yaścāyaṃ māghamāsastu sarvamāsottamaḥ smṛtaḥ | yasmin kroṃśati pāpāni brahmahatyādikāni ca || 7 ||

Translation

ଏହି ମାଘମାସ ସମସ୍ତ ମାସମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବୋଲି ସ୍ମୃତ; ଏଥିରେ ବ୍ରହ୍ମହତ୍ୟାଦି ପାପ ଆର୍ତ୍ତନାଦ କରି ନଶିଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• यः: who/which
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• माघ-मासः: the month of Māgha
• माघ-मासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): माघस्य मासः

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• सर्व-मास-उत्तमः: best of all months
• सर्व-मास-उत्तमः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सर्वेषां मासानाम् उत्तमः

• स्मृतः: is considered/remembered
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय (predicative)

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• क्रोञ्शति: cry out/wail
• क्रोञ्शति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रुश्/क्रोश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्महत्या-आदिकानि: such as brahma-slaughter etc.
• ब्रह्महत्या-आदिकानि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ब्रह्महत्या-आदि (beginning with brahma-slaughter) + तद्धित -क (having/pertaining to)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Uttara-bhāga tirtha/vrata context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Māgha-vrata / Māgha-snāna (implied month-observance)

Verse Rasa

Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"bhakti","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_journey":"Begins with praise of Māgha as supreme, then intensifies into a vivid image of even the worst sins ‘crying out’ and being expelled, ending in reassurance of purification."}

Characters & Entities

• Māgha (month)
• Brahmahatyā (mahāpātaka)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares Māgha as the supreme month because its sacred observances have exceptional power to destroy even heavy sins (mahāpātakas), symbolically making sins “cry out” and depart.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By praising Māgha’s unique sanctity, the verse supports devotional discipline—using time sanctified by dharma (vrata, pūjā, tīrtha-sevā) to turn the mind toward Hari/Vishnu and purify karmic obstacles that hinder bhakti.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects calendrical dharma based on Jyotiṣa (time-division by lunar months): choosing Māgha for vratas and tīrtha practices as a high-yield period for pāpa-kṣaya.