Shloka 5
कālacakra-वर्णनम् तथा āśrama-धarma-निरूपणम्
The Wheel of Time and the Norms of the Āśramas
मासार्धमासगणितं विषमं लोकसंचरम् । तमोनियमपड्कं च रजोवेगप्रवर्तकम्
māsārdhamāsagaṇitaṃ viṣamaṃ lokasañcaram | tamoniyamapaṅkaṃ ca rajovegapravartakam
Vāyu-deva said: “It moves through the worlds in an uneven course, reckoned by months and half-months; it is a mire governed by darkness (tamas), and it sets in motion the impetuous surge of passion (rajas).”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse portrays worldly movement and experience as irregular and hard to navigate, driven by the guṇas: tamas creates dullness and entanglement, while rajas propels restless activity. Ethically, it implies that clarity and steadiness require rising above these forces rather than being dragged by them.
Vāyu-deva is speaking and characterizing the nature of worldly course—measured in time (months/fortnights) yet uneven—using imagery of mud and forces to explain how tamas and rajas condition beings’ movement and behavior across realms.