Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 7

द्वादशमासेषु अष्टमी-व्रत-कथनम्

Account of the Aṣṭamī Vow Across the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

लोकेषु विचरेद्विप्र देव्याश्चैव प्रसादतः । कृष्णाष्टम्यां ज्येष्ठमासे पूजयित्वा त्रिलोचनम् ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

lokeṣu vicaredvipra devyāścaiva prasādataḥ | kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāṃ jyeṣṭhamāse pūjayitvā trilocanam || 7 ||

Translation

Hỡi bà-la-môn, nhờ ân phúc của Nữ Thần, người ấy có thể tự do du hành khắp các cõi, sau khi đã thờ phụng Đấng Tam Nhãn (Śiva) vào ngày Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī trong tháng Jyeṣṭha.

Word by Word

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विचरेत्: should roam
• विचरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देव्याः: of the Goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्रसादतः: by (her) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable) तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘from/through (her) grace’

• कृष्णा-अष्टम्याम्: on the dark eighth (tithi)
• कृष्णा-अष्टम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative-time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः: कृष्णा (कृष्णपक्षा) अष्टमी

• ज्येष्ठ-मासे: in the month of Jyeṣṭha
• ज्येष्ठ-मासे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative-time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः: ज्येष्ठः मासः

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) णिच् → पूजय (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; णिजन्त (causative) ‘to worship’

• त्रि-लोचनम्: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्रि-लोचनम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समासः: त्रयः लोचनानि यस्य (epithet ‘three-eyed’)

Speaker

Narada (in dialogue with the Sanatkumara tradition; instructional narration)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Devi
• Shiva (Trilocana)

FAQs

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

It presents a phala-śruti: worship of Trilocana (Śiva) on Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī in Jyeṣṭha, supported by Devī’s grace, grants exceptional freedom of movement—symbolizing divine permission, protection, and elevated spiritual status.

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

Bhakti is shown as concrete worship (pūjā) performed on a sacred time (tithi and month), where the fruit arises not only from effort but from prasāda—divine favor—highlighting surrender and grace-centered devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It uses calendrical ritual timing—tithi (Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī) and māsa (Jyeṣṭha)—reflecting Jyotiṣa-based vrata scheduling central to Purāṇic ritual practice.