Shloka 85
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
राक्षसी नाम सा वेला गर्हिता सर्वकर्मसु । अह्नो मुहूर्ता व्याख्याता दशपंच च सर्वदा
rākṣasī nāma sā velā garhitā sarvakarmasu | ahno muhūrtā vyākhyātā daśapaṃca ca sarvadā
Jene Zeitspanne heißt „Rākṣasī“ und wird bei allen Handlungen getadelt. Die Einteilungen des Tages (Muhūrtas) werden als stets fünfzehn an der Zahl erklärt.
Unspecified (narratorial/teacherly voice within the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa’s discourse on time-divisions)
Concept: Certain time-windows are intrinsically unfit for auspicious undertakings; discernment in timing is part of dharma.
Application: Identify and avoid ‘rakshasi’ moments in life—times of confusion, fatigue, or agitation—when important decisions/actions tend to go wrong; choose clarity and preparedness.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A twilight threshold is personified as ‘Rākṣasī-kāla’: a shadowy feminine figure at the edge of a ritual ground, not attacking but warning through her very presence. A priest gestures to halt all rites as the day’s fifteen muhūrtas are depicted like beads on a luminous thread, with one bead darkened.","primary_figures":["personified Rākṣasī-kāla (symbolic)","priest (ācārya)","householder (yajamāna)","personified Day (Ahn) as a wheel of muhūrtas"],"setting":"ritual courtyard near a ghat, with a kāla-wheel motif in the sky and a boundary line of rangoli/kusa","lighting_mood":"dusk with ominous undertone","color_palette":["charcoal gray","deep maroon","dull gold","smoky blue","ashen white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic dusk scene with a muhūrta-garland (15 beads) in embossed gold leaf across the top, one bead blackened; priest in rich red-green garments halting the rite; symbolic Rākṣasī-kāla at the margin with subdued gold highlights, ornate borders and temple arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: subtle, non-grotesque allegory—shadowed feminine silhouette near the ritual boundary, delicate rendering of a 15-segment day-wheel, soft gradients of dusk, refined figures and minimal drama, emphasis on caution and elegance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined kāla-chakra with 15 spokes, one spoke dark; priest’s instructive hand gesture; Rākṣasī-kāla as a stylized guardian-like figure at the edge, strong red/yellow/green pigments with dark accents.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular muhūrta-mandala with 15 lotus petals, one petal painted in deep indigo-black labeled ‘Rākṣasī’; border filled with protective floral motifs and shankha-chakra patterns; figures small and devotional, emphasizing cosmic order."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low conch drone","wind through trees","distant bell fading","owl call","brief silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दशपंच = दश + पञ्च (समुच्चय/द्वन्द्वार्थे संख्यासमाहारः; written as one in text, resolved as two padas).
FAQs
It refers to a specific time-period (velā) regarded as inauspicious; the verse states it is censured for undertaking any kind of work (sarva-karmasu).
The verse states that the daytime (ahnaḥ) is explained as consisting of fifteen muhūrtas (daśa-pañca).
It advises discernment in timing one’s actions—avoiding periods deemed harmful or unsuitable—and frames time-discipline as part of right conduct (dharma) in daily life.