Shloka 12
Śrāddha’s Cosmic Reach and Kāla-Nirṇaya (Sacred Timings): Amāvāsyā, Nakṣatra-Yoga, Tīrtha, and Minimum Offerings
वैशाखमासस्य च या तृतीया नवम्य् असौ कार्त्तिकशुक्लपक्षे नभस्यमासस्य तु कृष्णपक्षे त्रयोदशी पञ्चदशी च माघे
vaiśākhamāsasya ca yā tṛtīyā navamy asau kārttikaśuklapakṣe nabhasyamāsasya tu kṛṣṇapakṣe trayodaśī pañcadaśī ca māghe
Третий лунный день месяца Вайшакха; девятый день светлой половины Картики; тринадцатый день тёмной половины Набхасьи (Бхадрапады); и также пятнадцатый день месяца Магха — эти даты провозглашаются особо священными и действенными для религиозного подвига.
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
Concept: Specific tithis in Vaiśākha, Kārttika, Bhādrapada (Nabhasya), and Māgha are singled out as puṇya-kāla, emphasizing dharma through periodic, time-sanctified observance.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Adopt a sustainable yearly cycle of vows—fasting, charity, japa, and service—on a few key dates rather than inconsistent intensity.
Vishishtadvaita: Sacred time is a mode of Bhagavān’s immanence: observing vrata on puṇya-tithis becomes bhakti expressed through karma aligned to the Lord’s cosmic rhythm.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Shanta
Lakshmi Presence: Sri
FAQs
This verse lists particular tithis across key months as especially efficacious, showing that dharma is practiced in harmony with sacred time, where certain lunar configurations are treated as naturally conducive to merit and devotion.
By naming month-and-fortnight-specific tithis, Parāśara frames observance (vrata) as disciplined alignment with cosmic order—time itself becomes a vehicle for worship and the accumulation of puṇya.
Even when the verse focuses on dates, the underlying Vaishnava idea is that sacred time supports devotion directed to the Supreme—Vishnu—who upholds order and makes dharma fruitful when performed with right timing and intent.