Śokanivāraṇa: Non-brooding, Impermanence, Contentment, and Śuka’s Renunciation
अपयंत्ययमत्यंतं पक्षयोः शुक्लकृष्णयोः । जातं मर्त्यं जरयति निमिषं नावतिष्टते ॥ १८ ॥
apayaṃtyayamatyaṃtaṃ pakṣayoḥ śuklakṛṣṇayoḥ | jātaṃ martyaṃ jarayati nimiṣaṃ nāvatiṣṭate || 18 ||
O tempo escoa implacável pelas quinzenas clara e escura; ele envelhece o mortal que nasce e não permanece nem por um instante.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
It instills vairagya by stressing that kāla moves ceaselessly—measured even by the waxing and waning lunar fortnights—so one should not delay dharma and the pursuit of moksha.
By highlighting life’s brevity and inevitable decay, it urges immediate, steady remembrance and worship of the Lord rather than postponing bhakti to a later stage of life.
It points to Jyotiṣa-style time reckoning through śukla and kṛṣṇa pakṣa (lunar fortnights), a practical calendrical framework used to time vrata, worship, and disciplined spiritual routines.