aṣṭamī

aṣṭamī (ī), f. (i.e. rātri) the eighth day (night) in a half-month, ĀśvGṛ.; Mn. iv, 128, &c.

aṣṭamī f. (fem. praecedentis) dies octavus mensis dimidiati.

DEV. 12. 3.

aṣṭamī strī aṣṭānāṃ pūraṇī . ṣoḍaśakalātmakacandrasya aṣṭama-
kalākriyārūpāyāṃ svanāmakhyātāyāṃ tithau 2 aṣṭasaṃkhyā-
pūraṇyāñca aṣṭamaśabde udā0 . aśū + kta aṣṭaṃ saṃghātaṃ
vyāptiṃ vā bhāti mā—ka gaurā0 ṅīṣ . koṭālatāyām .

aṣṭamī , strī, (aṣṭānāṃ pūraṇī . aṣṭama + ṅīp .)
kṣīrakākolī . iti śabdacandrikā .. tithi-
viśeṣaḥ . sā candrasyāṣṭamakalākriyārūpā . tadu-
palakṣitakālarūpā ca . sā ca śuklā navamī-
yutā grāhyā yugmāt . kṛṣṇā ca saptamīyutā .
yathā nigamaḥ .
“kṛṣṇapakṣe'ṣṭamī caiva kṛṣṇapakṣe caturddaśī .
pūrvvaviddhaiva karttavyā paraviddhā na kutracit ..
upavāsādikāryyeṣu eṣa dharmmaḥ sanātanaḥ” .. * ..
bhaviṣyapurāṇe .
“caturddaśyāṃ tathāṣṭamyāṃ pakṣayoḥ śuklakṛṣṇayoḥ .
yo'bdamekaṃ na bhuñjīta śivārccanaparo naraḥ ..
yat puṇyamakṣayaṃ proktaṃ satataṃ satrayājināṃ .
tatpuṇyaṃ sakalaṃ tasya śivalokañca gacchati” ..
tataśca satatasatrayājyakṣayapuṇyasamapuṇyaprāptiḥ śiva-
lokagatiśca phalaṃ . phālgunaśuklāṣṭamīcaturddaśyo-
rārabhya varṣaṃ yāvat pratyaṣṭamīpraticaturddaśyupavāsa-
vrataṃ .. * .. kālikāpurāṇe .
“yaiṣā lalitakāntākhyā devī maṅgalacaṇḍikā .
varadābhayahastā ca dvibhujā gauradehikā ..
raktapadmāsanasthā ca mukuṭakuṇḍalamaṇḍitā .
raktakauṣeyavastrā tu smitavaktrā śubhānanā ..
navayauvanasampannā cārvvaṅgī lalitaprabhā .
umayā bhāṣitaṃ mantraṃ yat pūrvvaṃ tvekamakṣaraṃ ..
mantramasyāstu tajjñeyaṃ tena devīṃ prapūjayet” .
ekamakṣaraṃ śaktivījarūpaṃ .
“tathāṣṭamyāṃ navamyāñca pūjā kāryyā vivṛddhaye .
paṭeṣu pratimāyāṃ vā ghaṭe maṅgalacaṇḍikāṃ ..
yaḥ pūjayedbhaumavāre śubhairdūrvvākṣataiḥ śivāṃ .
satataṃ sādhakaḥ so'pi kāmamiṣṭamavāpnuyāt” .. * ..
jyotiṣe . śanaiścarasya vāreṇa vāreṇāṅgārakasya ca .
“kṛṣṇāṣṭamī caturddaśyau puṇyāt puṇyatare smṛte” ..
tathā —
“somavāre'pyamāvāsyā ādityāhe tu saptamī .
caturthaṅgāravāre ca aṣṭamī ca vṛhaspatau ..
atra yat kriyate pāpamathavā dharmmasañcayaḥ .
ṣaṣṭijanmasahasrāṇi pratijanma tadakṣayaṃ” ..
iti tithyāditattvaṃ .. * .. śrīkṛṣṇajanmāṣṭamīvrataṃ
aṣṭakāśrāddhaṃ bhīṣmāṣṭamīkṛtyañca tattacchabde draṣṭavyaṃ ..
mahāṣṭamīkṛtyaṃ mahāṣṭamīśabde draṣṭavyaṃ .. tatra
jātaphalaṃ .
“bhūpālataḥ prāptadhanaḥ kṛśāṅgaḥ
sukhī kṛpāluryuvatipriyaśca .
catuṣpadāḍhyo dhanadhānyayuktaḥ
syādaṣṭamījo manujaḥ sudhīraḥ ..”
iti koṣṭhīpradīpaḥ ..

AṢṬAMĪ . The third skandha of Devī Bhāgavata states

that the goddess, Bhadrakālī, came into life on an

Aṣṭamī day to block up the yāga of Dakṣa. That is

why the day is considered to be holy and important.