Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 71

Jyotiṣa-śāstra Saṅgraha: Threefold Division, Gaṇita Methods, Muhūrta, and Planetary Reckoning

Devanagari script

षड् वहित्रिहुताशांकतिथयश्चाधिमासकाः । तिथिक्षयायमार्थाक्षिद्व्यष्टव्योमशराश्विनः ॥ ७१ ॥

Transliteration

ṣaḍ vahitrihutāśāṃkatithayaścādhimāsakāḥ | tithikṣayāyamārthākṣidvyaṣṭavyomaśarāśvinaḥ || 71 ||

Translation

闰月（adhimāsa）须依特定的历法计数来理解，如“六”等，并以“vahitri、hutāśa、aṅka、tithi”等词所指示的数标为准。同样，月日的亏失（tithi-kṣaya）与月日的延长（tithi-āyāma）也依所述数目指征而判定。

Word by Word

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (numeral used indeclinably)

• vahitrī-hutāśa-aṃka-tithayaḥ: Vahitrī, Hutāśa, Aṃka, Tithi (as number-words)
• vahitrī-hutāśa-aṃka-tithayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahitrī (प्रातिपदिक) + hutāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃka (प्रातिपदिक) + tithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (enumeration)

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

• adhi-māsakāḥ: intercalary months
• adhi-māsakāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhi (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (adhimāsa = intercalary month)

• tithi-kṣaya-āyama-artha-akṣi-dvi-aṣṭa-vyoma-śara-aśvinaḥ: tithi, loss, extent, meaning, eye, two, eight, sky, arrow, Aśvin (as number-words)
• tithi-kṣaya-āyama-artha-akṣi-dvi-aṣṭa-vyoma-śara-aśvinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tithi (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + āyama (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + dvi (संख्या) + aṣṭa (संख्या) + vyoma (प्रातिपदिक) + śara (प्रातिपदिक) + aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतसंख्या/गणनापद-समाहार (enumerative list)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue instruction to Narada on dharma/observances and technical reckoning)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Ashvins

FAQs

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

It safeguards dharma in practice by ensuring vows and sacred observances are timed correctly; right time (kāla) is treated as an essential limb of righteous action.

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

Bhakti-based vratas and worship depend on proper tithi and month reckoning; the verse supports devotion by preventing mistakes in observing fasts and holy days during adhika-māsa or tithi anomalies.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa: technical calendrical computation—especially identifying adhimāsa (intercalary month), tithi-kṣaya (dropped tithi), and tithi-āyāma (extended tithi) using traditional coded numeral-terms.