Shloka 34

Adhyaya 16 — The Son’s Counsel on Renunciation and the Anasuya–Mandavya Episode: The Suspension of Sunrise and the Power of Pativrata

Sanskrit

अहोरात्रव्यवस्थाया विना मासर्तुसंक्षयः ।

तत्संक्षयान्न त्वयने ज्ञायेते दक्षिणोत्तरे ॥

Transliteration

ahorātravyavasthāyā vinā māsartusaṃkṣayaḥ |

tatsaṃkṣayānna tvayane jñāyete dakṣiṇottare ||

Translation

പകലും രാത്രിയും, മാസങ്ങളും ഋതുക്കളും ക്രമബദ്ധമായി നിലനിൽക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ അവ തകർന്നുപോകും; അവ തകർന്നാൽ ദക്ഷിണായനവും ഉത്തരായനവും എന്ന രണ്ടു അയനങ്ങളും അറിയാൻ കഴിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• ahorātra-vyavasthāyāḥ: from (the) arrangement of day and night
• ahorātra-vyavasthāyāḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahaḥ + rātra + vyavasthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th: पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); compound: ahorātra (dvandva-like lexical) + vyavasthā; sense: 'from/without the arrangement of day and night'

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: Prepositional indeclinable (उपपद-अव्यय) governing instrumental/ablative sense; here 'without'

• māsa-ṛtu-saṃkṣayaḥ: the (proper) sequence/reckoning of months and seasons
• māsa-ṛtu-saṃkṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa + ṛtu + saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st: प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); dvandva of māsa and ṛtu as members qualifying saṃkṣaya ('the reckoning/sequence of months and seasons')

• tat-saṃkṣayāt: from that reckoning/sequence
• tat-saṃkṣayāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th: पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); tat qualifies saṃkṣaya

• na: not
• na: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Adversative particle (विरोध/विशेषार्थ-निपात)

• ayane: in the two solstitial courses (ayanas)
• ayane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th: सप्तमी), Dual (द्विवचन); 'in the two ayanas'

• jñāyete: are known/recognized
• jñāyete: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (ज्ञा)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Dual (द्विवचन); Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद); passive-like sense 'are known/are ascertained'

• dakṣiṇa-uttare: the southern and the northern (ayana)
• dakṣiṇa-uttare: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st: प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); dvandva naming the pair

Speakers

• Devas (collective voice) continuing the argument about cosmic order

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Sūrya (implied by ayana and timekeeping)
• Devas (collective)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Calendar/time
• Dharma
• Ritual order

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Regularity (niyama) is presented as the backbone of both ritual life and cosmic intelligibility: when basic rhythms (day/night) are disrupted, higher-order structures (seasons, ayanas) become unintelligible—an ethical warning against negligence of sustaining practices.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Touches Sarga/Pratisarga indirectly by describing the operational order of creation (kāla-vyavasthā). It also supports Manvantara-style chronology by grounding how larger temporal divisions are recognized.

What is the esoteric significance?

Day/night can be read as prāṇa’s alternations and awareness cycles; months/seasons as subtler periodicities. Losing the ‘ahorātra’ discipline symbolizes loss of inner rhythm, making higher discernment (ayana—direction of spiritual course) impossible.