Navaratrapradipa 1_71

1_71

ityādivacanaparyālocanayā anirvacanīyayā svā'nubhūtyā
ca rātrireva mukhyaḥ kāla iti samāyāti . naktavratatvāccā'sya
vratasya devīpūjāyā mukhyaḥ kālaḥ pradoṣakāla eva . tadvyāpinyeva ca pratipadapi grāhyeti yuktam . kiṃ ca ye āgrahagrahilā
nijakuśāṅkaraśemuṣīvaibhavabalena kevalaṃ śāstrīyavacanā'nupūrvīmeva
paśyanto dvitīyāviddhāmeva pratipadaṃ vyavasthāpayanti, hanta bahirmukhāste dūrata eva namaskaraṇīyāḥ . yataḥ amātattvaṃ na hi
kadācidapi vicāritaṃ taiḥ . yadyapi taistithivicārādau taistairvacanajātaistattattithivicāraḥ śobhanaṃ vihitaḥ, paraṃ yadi sa
evā'dhyātmadṛśā'kariṣyata tadā naitādṛśa āgrahastaiḥ kṛtaḥ
syāt . tathā hei amānāma sā tithiḥ yatra sūryācandramasoḥ paraḥ
sannikarṣo bhavati . “yaḥ paro viprakarṣaḥ sūryācandramasoḥ sā
paurṇamāsī . yaḥ paraḥ sannikarṣaḥ sā'māvāsyā” iti gobhi-
lokteḥ . sā cā'mānām‍nī bhagavatī mahāmāyā kṣayodayarahitā
nityā tithisaṃjñakā iti tatra tatra pratipāditam . yathā
ca paṭhyate--

By considering such texts and through ineffable personal experience, it follows that night alone is the primary time. And because this observance is a night-observance, the primary time for worshipping the Goddess is precisely the twilight period. And it is proper that the pratipad covering that [time] should be accepted. Moreover, those who, seized by obstinacy and relying on the power of their own razor-sharp intellects, looking merely at the literal sequence of scriptural texts, establish the pratipad touched by the dvitīyā alone—alas, those outward-turned men should be saluted from afar! For the reality of the amā has never once been considered by them. Although they have properly conducted the examination of the various lunar days in their treatises by means of various passages, nevertheless, if they had done so with an esoteric spiritual vision, they would not have maintained such obstinacy. To explain: the amā is that lunar day on which the utmost proximity of the sun and the moon occurs. For Gobhila says: “That which is the utmost distance between the sun and the moon is the full moon day; that which is the utmost proximity is the new moon day.” And that Goddess named Amā is the Mahāmāyā, free from waning and rising, eternal, designated as a lunar day—as has been expounded here and there. And as is read: