Shloka 6

Devanagari script

व्यत्ययो हायमत्यन्तं पक्षयो: शुक्लकृष्णयो: । जातान्‌ मर्त्यान्‌ जरयति निमेषान्‌ नावतिष्ठते,शुक्ल और कृष्ण--दोनों पक्षोंका निरन्तर होनेवाला यह परिवर्तन मनुष्योंको जराजीर्ण कर रहा है। यह कुछ क्षणके लिये भी विश्राम नहीं लेता है

Transliteration

vyatyayo hāyam atyantaṃ pakṣayoḥ śuklakṛṣṇayoḥ | jātān martyān jarayati nimeṣān nāvatiṣṭhate ||

Translation

Narada said: “This ceaseless alternation of the bright and dark fortnights never truly stops. By its unbroken turning, it wears down all who are born as mortals, aging them without granting even a moment’s rest.”

Word by Word

व्यत्ययःchange, alternation

हindeed, surely

अयम्this

अत्यन्तम्excessively, completely, continually

पक्षयोःof the two fortnights (lunar halves)

शुक्लकृष्णयोःof the bright and dark (fortnights)

जातान्born

मर्त्यान्mortals, human beings

जरयतिmakes (them) grow old, ages

निमेषान्moments, blinks (of time)

नnot

अवतिष्ठतेstops, remains at rest

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

śukla-pakṣa (bright fortnight)

kṛṣṇa-pakṣa (dark fortnight)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Time moves through relentless cycles (symbolized by the waxing and waning lunar fortnights) and, by never pausing, inevitably brings aging and decline to all mortals; this supports the Shanti Parva’s ethical emphasis on detachment, right living, and preparing the mind for impermanence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is speaking reflectively about the nature of time: the continuous alternation of the bright and dark halves of the month is presented as a visible sign of time’s unceasing motion, which steadily ages all living beings.