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
กาลนั้นเรียกว่า “รากษสี” และเป็นที่ติเตียนสำหรับกิจทั้งปวง ส่วนมุหูรตะแห่งเวลากลางวัน อธิบายไว้เสมอว่ามีสิบห้า
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.