Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 10

Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time

Devanagari script

यामाश्चत्वारश्चत्वारो मर्त्यानामहनी उभे । पक्ष: पञ्चदशाहानि शुक्ल: कृष्णश्च मानद ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

yāmāś catvāraś catvāro martyānām ahanī ubhe pakṣaḥ pañca-daśāhāni śuklaḥ kṛṣṇaś ca mānada

Translation

按人间计算，白昼有四更（yāma），夜亦四更。同样，十五昼夜为一半月（pakṣa）；一月有二半月：白分（śukla）与黑分（kṛṣṇa）。

Synonyms

• यामाः: yāmas (watches)
• यामाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (repeated for emphasis/parallelism)

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अहनी: the two (day and night)
• अहनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘day and night’ as a pair

• उभे: both
• उभे: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• पक्षः: a fortnight
• पक्षः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पञ्च-दश-अहानि: fifteen days
• पञ्च-दश-अहानि: Vidhāna (विधान/Predicative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + दश (संख्या) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (‘fifteen days’)

• शुक्लः: bright (waxing)
• शुक्लः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; पक्ष-विशेषण

• कृष्णः: dark (waning)
• कृष्णः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; पक्ष-विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मानद: O Māṇada (honor-giver)
• मानद: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानद (प्रातिपदिक; संबोधन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘O giver of honor/measure-knower’

Characters & Entities

• Parīkṣit Mahārāja

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the division of day and night into yāmas?

This verse states that for humans, both day and night are each divided into four yāmas (time-watches).

Why did Śukadeva Gosvāmī explain śukla pakṣa and kṛṣṇa pakṣa to King Parīkṣit?

In Canto 3, Chapter 11, Śukadeva is describing the Bhagavatam’s system of time measurement—from smaller units up to calendrical divisions—so Parīkṣit can understand cosmic time and its spiritual implications.

How can the teaching of pakṣa (fortnight) be applied in modern life?

It encourages mindful living with sacred time-cycles—using waxing and waning lunar phases to structure sādhana, observances, and reflection on the passing nature of material time.